Welcome to the 90-Day World
At EOS, we believe in the power of focus. We call it the 90-Day World. Every 90 days, we pause to assess, realign, and refocus on what matters most. Why? Because 90 days is long enough to achieve something meaningful, but short enough to stay agile. It’s the cadence that creates traction.
The Foundation: EOS Quarterly Meetings
At the core of the 90-Day World is the EOS Quarterly Meeting. Every 90 days, the leadership team steps out of the day-to-day to reflect on the past quarter, reconnect with the organisation’s direction, create a clear set of Rocks—the top priorities for the quarter ahead, and solve long-term issues. This meeting also serves as a moment to sharpen team health and mastery of the EOS tools.
Syncing Up: Quarterly Conversations
In the week leading up to the Quarterly Meeting, every manager conducts EOS Quarterly Conversations with their direct reports. These one-on-one meetings are not formal reviews; they’re real, human conversations about what’s working and what’s not in 3 areas – Core Values and their seat(s) on the accountability Chart (using the people analyser), as well as their ROCKs for the past quarter. These conversations empower managers with insight, context, and connection to their team before they walk into their Leadership team Quarterly Meeting.
Communicating Across the Org: State of the Company
Following the leadership team’s Quarterly Meeting, the next step is to update the broader organisation, and get the Vision ‘Shared by All’. This happens through a State of the Company address—ideally delivered live (or virtually) to the whole company. The structure is simple and powerful:
- Where we’ve been: A recap of the last quarter’s Rocks (completion rate), financial performance, and key wins.
- Where we are: Progress to the 1 year plan, insights from the Leadership team quarterly meeting, big issues solved.
- Where we’re going: A reminder of the big picture—reading out the VTO start to finish – Core Values, Core Focus, 10-year target, Marketing Strategy, 3-year picture, 1 year plan, and next Quarter’s ROCKS.
- Option: Team IDS – rather than a typical Q&A session, the leadership team can facilitate the IDS process with everyone attending the meeting
This event reconnects the whole organisation to the vision to get them excited about the journey ahead, and creates trust and empowerment by solving issues in an open forum.
Cascading the Rhythm: Departmental Quarterly Meetings
Next, each department runs its own Quarterly Meeting. These mirror the leadership team’s session—reviewing the last quarter, setting new department Rocks, and solving key issues. Departmental Rocks should be derived from and aligned to the company-level Rocks. This ensures that every team is rowing in the same direction, and that each function has the space to tackle its own strategic challenges.
Traps for Rookie Leadership Teams
New to EOS? Here are a few common pitfalls to avoid:
- Don’t try to force your EOS Quarterlies to align with the fiscal calendar. They don’t need to. The 90-Day World follows the rhythm of EOS execution, not financial reporting.
- Don’t assume the Integrator or CEO needs to run all the Quarterly Conversations. Each manager is responsible for syncing up with their direct reports.
- Don’t reschedule the Quarterly Meeting because someone is away. These dates should be locked in 12 months in advance. If one person misses it, they miss it.
- Don’t delay the Quarterly Meeting because you’re “too busy.” It’s your job as leaders to create the time and space to focus on the health and direction of the business
The Power of Rhythm
The 90 Day world isn’t just a series of calendar appointments —it’s a whole of business operating rhythm. When implemented with consistency, it transforms the way teams operate. The quarterly cadence creates space for clarity. It empowers managers to lead. It connects the whole organisation to the bigger picture. And most importantly, it drives execution. One quarter at a time, your organisation builds momentum, alignment, and trust.
That’s the real power of the 90-Day World.
