How to Make Your Rocks SMART in Ninety
When building a Rock, be as detailed as possible to make expectations clear for completing the goal by the end of the quarter. We recommend adding Milestones and making the Rock SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) whenever possible. For the basics of creating Rocks, see Introduction to the Rocks Tool.
The SMART goals methodology
When creating Rocks, make them SMART. Feel free to copy the questions below into any Rock's description:
Specific: What specifically will be achieved?
Measurable: How will the completion of this goal be measured?
Achievable: Is this goal achievable by this individual or team?
Relevant: How relevant is this goal to the company's overall vision?
Time-bound: What are the key dates, and what is the final date for this goal?
Team members can add additional details as Milestones to each Rock.
Copy-and-paste template
Copy the table below to use as a template in your Rocks.
Specific. Write a one-sentence description of what success looks like. What precisely do we want to achieve? Who owns this Rock? |
Measurable. Describe the metrics used to determine success or failure. How and when will we monitor progress? Can the data retrieval be automated? |
Achievable. Account for your existing Competency, Commitment, and Capacity (CCC). What resources do we need to acquire? Given our current CCC, do we have at least an 80% chance to complete this Rock? |
Relevant. Connect this Rock to a long-term goal. How will this Rock keep us on track for our 1-Year and 3-Year Goals? What is the connection between this Rock and our Compelling Why? |
Time-bound. Write a detailed description of the Rock's deadline. When will we stop collecting new data to determine success or failure? How can we divide this goal into Milestone checkpoints to complete along the way? |
Adding Milestones
A Milestone breaks a Rock down into smaller pieces with actionable due dates. Each Milestone can be delegated to an individual or worked on as a team. To enable Milestones for your account, go to Settings > Configuration.
To add Milestones to a Rock:
Click Rocks from the left navigation.
Select the arrow on the Rock to display Milestones.
Click + Add Milestone.
Add a title.
To edit the Milestone, select it from the list to edit its due date and description. The due date can match the Rock or fall earlier as an incremental step toward the larger goal.
Click Add.
Turning Milestones into To-Dos
It's essential to have an accurate due date for Milestones. Seven days before their due date, Milestones automatically become To-Dos unless they're already marked complete.
As a To-Do, the Milestone can receive a new due date and an updated description. The To-Do defaults to a team To-Do but can be switched to a private To-Do with the on-screen toggle. The system keeps the To-Do and Milestone connected, so once the To-Do is completed, the Milestone is completed too.