Data Meets Vision: Using the V/TO to Set “Win-the-Week” Targets

Turn 10-Year dreams into this-week victories by translating vision into numbers every seat can hit.

The Day Big Vision Finally Hit the Factory Floor

Out in Lancaster County, Harvest Hearth Foods had a crystal-clear V/TO. The 45-person, family-owned company wanted to “become the most trusted artisanal-bread brand in the Mid-Atlantic, hitting $35 million in revenue with 15 percent EBITDA by 2029.” Posters of the 10-Year Target hung in every hallway. Employees nodded proudly, then went back to juggling late purchase orders, overtime shifts, and back-ordered labels.

For two years, Harvest Hearth missed its quarterly Rocks more often than it hit them (46 percent on-time completion, to be exact). The Visionary lamented, “We know where we’re going, but every quarter feels like pushing rope.”

Everything changed when their EOS Implementer posed one question: “What does ‘win the week’ look like?”

They reverse-engineered the V/TO into weekly, activity-based Scorecard numbers: “Win-the-Week” targets. Within two quarters:

• On-time Rock completion jumped from 46 percent to 93 percent
• Overtime costs fell $140k because production matched demand sooner
• Employee engagement climbed nine points on Gallup’s Q12 pulse

Same people, same facility, same economy. The only shift? Data met vision, and vision finally moved.

Why Big Vision Dies Without Small Numbers

Vision fires the soul, but numbers guide the feet. Research from Harvard’s Teresa Amabile shows visible, near-term progress is the #1 driver of sustained motivation. Grand goals without short-cycle indicators feel inspiring at first, then overwhelming. People need proof they’re winning this week or they drift back to comfortable routines.

EOS bridges that gap with the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO):

1. Vision: 10-Year Target, 3-Year Picture, 1-Year Plan
2. Traction: 90-Day Rocks and the weekly Meeting Pulse

But many leadership teams stop at “naming Rocks” without translating them into weekly leading metrics. That’s like plotting a cross-country trip, filling the tank, then ignoring the gas gauge until a warning light blinks. The following three steps bolt your V/TO to a live dashboard so no one runs out of fuel or hope mid-journey.

Step 1: Start With the 3-Year Picture and 1-Year Plan

Open your V/TO and circle the numeric outcomes inside the 3-Year Picture and 1-Year Plan. Harvest Hearth circled:

• $18MM revenue this year
• 12 percent EBITDA
• 150 new mid-tier grocery locations

Next, convert each outcome into one quarterly Rock with a clear finish line:

Notice the finish lines are numeric and time-bound, no waffle words like optimize or support. You can now ask, “If we’re on pace for that Rock, what should be true by Week 3, Week 7, Week 11…?”

Step 2: Break Rocks into Weekly Lead Metrics

Here’s the magic conversion formula Harvest Hearth used:

Rock ➔ 13-Week Milestone ➔ Weekly Measurable

Example 1 — Revenue Rock

Rock: Add $1.9 MM net new revenue. Milestone: $37k of new contracts per week ( $1.9MM ÷ 13). Weekly Measurable: Qualified demos booked ≥ 12 per week (historic close rate × ASP shows 12 demos produces $37k).

Example 2 — EBITDA Rock

Rock: Cut Cost of Goods Sold by 1.5 percentage points. Milestone: Reduce ingredient waste by $1,500/week. Weekly Measurable: Batch-yield variance ≤ 1.8 % (tracked daily by line leads).

Example 3 — Grocery-Location Rock

Rock: Close 40 new accounts by 6/30. Milestone: Three new account approvals per week. Weekly Measurable: Buyer meetings scheduled ≥ 6/week (50 % historical conversion).

Write each measurable on the company Scorecard next to an owner and a green/red weekly goal. Instantly, “hit Rock” becomes “win the week.”

Step 3: Cascade Targets to Department & Seat Scorecards

A company-level Scorecard alone leaves a last-mile gap. Department heads must own numbers that ladder up to the company totals, and every seat on the Accountability Chart needs a single KPI within their control.

Sales Department Scorecard (excerpt)

Operations Scorecard (excerpt)

Each seat sees their number turn green or red every Monday. If a company metric goes red, leaders click down to the department card, then to the seat number, and ask the owner what support they need to flip it by next week. This way, accountability meets empowerment with no heroics required.

AI Assist: Reverse-Engineer Your V/TO in Seconds

Stuck translating lofty goals into gritty numbers? Let AI draft a first pass, then fine-tune with human judgment. Paste this prompt into ChatGPT:

“Act as an EOS Implementer at a Level 5 session. Our V/TO shows:

• 3-Year Picture: $40MM revenue, 16 % EBITDA, 400 national retail doors
• 1-Year Plan: $22MM revenue, 13 % EBITDA, 120 new retail doors

Suggest 8-12 weekly, activity-based metrics that guarantee we hit the 1-Year Plan. For each, list the ‘Seat Owner,’ ‘Why It Predicts Success,’ and an initial weekly target.”

The model will propose leading metrics (e.g., “Retail buyer discovery calls,” “Production downtime hours,” “Pick accuracy”). Keep the gems, discard the rest, and lock targets that feel realistic yet stretch.

Meeting Pulse: Review, IDS, Win the Week

New metrics are only powerful if inspected relentlessly. Fold your “Win-the-Week” numbers into three layers of Meeting Pulse:

1. Company Level 10® (Monday, 90 min) – Review the company Scorecard; drop any red number to the Issues list.
2. Department Level 10® (later Monday or Tuesday) – Each leader brings their department Scorecard; red rolls to their Issues list.
3. Seat Coaching (as needed) – EOS does not mandate routine one-on-ones, but if a seat’s metric stays red for two to three weeks, schedule a brief coaching session. Tone: “What’s blocking you, and how can I help?”

This cascade keeps problems small. Harvest Hearth’s Logistics Coordinator saw “On-time delivery” flash red two Mondays in a row. In department IDS, they traced the root cause to mislabeled pallets from a new temp crew. A quick training huddle flipped the metric green the next week before any customer noticed.

Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)

Your 7-Day Sprint to “Win the Week” Targets

1. Circle numeric outcomes in your 3-Year Picture & 1-Year Plan
2. Write one quarterly Rock per outcome with a numeric finish line
3. Divide each Rock by 13 to reveal a milestone pace
4. Brainstorm weekly activities that drive each milestone; pick one per Rock
5. Add the new metrics to your company Scorecard with green/red goals
6. Cascade to departments and seats—one metric, one owner
7. Review next Monday and IDS any red numbers immediately

Commit for 13 weeks. Celebrate the first full-green week company-wide—then raise targets or replace stale metrics at your next quarterly.

Bottom Line

Grand vision wins hearts; gritty numbers win quarters. When you tie the V/TO to weekly “Win-the-Week” targets:

• Managers coach instead of chase
• Employees see instant proof that they matter
• Rocks finish on time, fueling 1-Year and 3-Year momentum

Bridge that last inch between aspirations and actions, and your 10-Year Target stops living on a poster; it shows up on your P&L. Ready to make vision measurable? Download the free 90-Day Scorecard Template, plug in your first three weekly targets, and start winning this week, then the decade will take care of itself.