Setting Rocks before IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve) helps your Leadership Team identify its biggest priorities, focus its time, and solve the right Issues in the right way.
One of the questions I often get asked during a Quarterly Session is, “Why do we set Rocks before we IDS?”
It’s a legitimate question, and I asked the exact same thing when I implemented the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in my own company. Wouldn’t it make more sense to solve our big Issues first and then decide on our Rocks?
It seems logical. But it’s backward.
Why the Order Matters
Before we dive in, here’s the key takeaway: The order isn’t an accident. Setting Rocks before the IDS portion of the agenda is one of those seemingly small decisions that has an outsized impact on the effectiveness of your Quarterly Session.
When you understand the reasoning, you’ll approach Rock setting with greater confidence and get more value from every session.
Here are five reasons EOS does it this way:
1. Because the Process Works
The Quarterly Session follows a specific agenda. After check-in, we review the prior quarter, review the V/TO (Vision/Traction Organizer), work through EOS Tools, establish Rocks, and then IDS the key Issues.
That sequence gets us clear on where we’re going and what must get done in the next 90 days before we tackle the remaining Issues that could get in the way.
We don’t skip solving Issues. We establish the quarter’s priorities and then give the remaining key Issues dedicated attention.
2. Because Rock Setting Is IDS
Here’s the part that many Leadership Teams miss: We can resolve Issues while setting Rocks.
We look at our 1-Year Plan, last quarter’s Rocks, and our Issues List to decide what matters most for the next 90 days. Those conversations can help us identify an Issue, discuss it, and agree on a solution.
IDS is how we resolve Issues. Rocks are our most important priorities for the next 90 days. Some Issues lead to Rocks. Others are resolved through a decision or To-Dos.
The distinction isn’t simply how long the work will take. A solution becomes a Rock because it is one of our most important priorities for the quarter, not just because it requires weeks of work.
3. Because Priorities Should Come Before Solutions
Leadership Teams naturally want to jump into solving problems. Someone raises an Issue, someone else has an idea, and before long, two hours have disappeared.
The problem is that nobody has stopped to ask a more important question: Should we even be solving this right now?
That’s what Rock setting forces us to do. It teaches one of the most valuable leadership disciplines there is: Prioritize before you solve.
4. Because It Saves an Incredible Amount of Time
Rock setting helps focus your Leadership Team’s time and energy. Suppose you have a seven-person Leadership Team. Each person leaves the Quarterly Session with three meaningful Rocks.
In about two hours, you’ve established the company’s three to seven Rocks and each Leadership Team member’s Individual Rocks. Any Company Rock a leader owns is included in that person’s Individual Rocks, not added on top. You’ve clarified the priorities for the quarter and who’s accountable for each one.
That’s remarkable leverage.
Even better, some of the Issues on your Issues List may already be resolved through the decisions you make while setting Rocks.
Why? Because many of those Issues are symptoms of the same underlying problem, and one Rock may address all of them.
I’ve seen Leadership Teams eliminate more than half of their Issues List simply by setting great Rocks. Instead of spending three hours IDS’ing twenty different symptoms, you’ve identified a Rock that addresses the underlying Issue.
5. Because Your Biggest Decisions Deserve Your Best Thinking
There’s one final reason: Energy.
Rock setting isn’t first on the agenda, but it does come before the extended IDS portion of the day. You’ve reviewed your results and your vision, and you haven’t left your quarterly priorities until the end of the session.
If you leave Rock setting until after hours of IDS, you risk arriving mentally tired, short on time, and ready to move on.
That’s backward.
Rocks deserve your best thinking because they’re your biggest commitments.
A Rock isn’t defined by whether an Issue takes one hour or several meetings to discuss. It’s defined by its importance to the next 90 days and a clear commitment to getting it done.
Choose the 90-day priorities that keep your team focused on what matters most.
One Final Thought
When someone asks me why we don’t IDS before setting Rocks, I usually smile.
Because setting Rocks can help us resolve Issues while getting clear on the quarter’s priorities.
We’re deciding what must get done in the next 90 days and who will own it. Some Issues become Rocks. Others need a decision or To-Dos, not another quarterly priority.
Then we use IDS to tackle the remaining key Issues. We also continue solving Issues in our weekly Level 10 Meetings, where we review our Rocks and address what could get in the way of completing them.
That’s why EOS sets Rocks before IDS. The goal isn’t to solve more Issues. It’s to solve the right Issues in the right way, creating the greatest traction and the highest return on your Leadership Team’s time.
Focus on the Right Priorities First
Your Leadership Team’s time is valuable. Make sure you’re using it to solve the Issues that matter most. Download the Quarterly Rocks Tool to identify your biggest priorities for the next 90 days, or schedule a 90-Minute Meeting to see how EOS can help your team get aligned and focused.
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