Making Rocks SMART

Make Rocks SMART with detailed descriptions and add Milestones to track progress across customized timelines.

Written by Tommy Mains

Updated at September 5th, 2024

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Table of Contents

SMART Methodology Milestones Turning Milestones Into To-Dos

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.

 

SMART Methodology

When creating Rocks, make them SMART. Feel free to copy and paste these 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?

Reminder: Team members can add additional details as Milestones to each Rock.

 

Copy and Paste Template

Copy and paste 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 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?
 
 

 

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:

  1. Click Rocks from the left navigation.
  2. Select the arrow on the Rock to display milestones
  3. Click + Add Milestone.
  4. Add a title 
  5. To edit the milestone, select it from the list
    1. Edit due date, and description.
      1. The due date could be the same as the Rock or earlier as an incremental step towards the larger goal.
  6. Click Add.

 

Turning Milestones Into To-Dos

It is essential to have an accurate due date for Milestones. Seven days before their due date, Milestones automatically become To-Dos unless they are already marked off as completed.

As a To-Do, the Milestone can receive a new due date and an update to its description. The To-Do defaults to one for the team, but it can be switched to a private To-Do with the on-screen toggle.

Our system keeps the To-Do and Milestone connected. So once the To-Do is completed, it will also be completed as a Milestone.

 

 

milestone tactics smart rocks smart methodology

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