If you’re anything like me, you wake up with countless goals and ambitions you want to accomplish. As we all know, there’s limited time in each day to cross things off our lists. How do we maximize success? How do we stay focused on core issues or big opportunities for improvement amid all that we want to do?
The key to this: is properly prioritizing.
At Funds For Learning, we use the Entrepreneurial Operating System. In this system, we establish quarterly rocks, or goals at a company, team, and individual level. The rocks anchor our focus on the most important items that can have the most impact to better serve our internal teams, or E-rate Guides, and clients. It’s a thoughtful and valuable process, arguably taking more time than making a master list of everything we want to accomplish, but more effective and rewarding in the end.
There are specific parameters to creating a rock to ensure the goal is attainable, meaningful and relevant to the company.
When our team creates rocks, we start by evaluating current challenges and opportunities. Is there a new process we want to implement with our teams or clients? What roadblocks need to be addressed? It’s vital to ensure that the rock aligns with company goals. For our client-related rocks, we ask ourselves, will this help us increase success, save time, and reduce stress for our clients? For our internal rocks, we ask ourselves, how will this Rock support our goal to transform student lives?
Another key aspect of creating a successful and attainable rock is writing it down in specific, concise terms with clear guidelines for measuring progress with milestones and overall success. We assign clear ownership, set the rock for 90 days, and have weekly check-ins. All rocks are presented quarterly, and the whole team celebrates when Rocks are accomplished.
This comprehensive structure allows our teams to thrive when accomplishing goals. Challenges and Opportunities are properly prioritized for efficiency and maximum impact, each rock is accounted for with direct ownership, and the entire team is aware of the quarterly priorities.
So, the next time you make a list of goals or items you want to accomplish, I’d encourage you to take a step back and consider the bigger picture. What is your why? How can you be successful? Get in the habit of prioritizing your goals, and you’ll be amazed by what you will accomplish.
