One of my EOS® clients recently asked about involving teams below the executive level in rock setting, instead of simply assigning rocks top-down. 

His team had asked for the chance to pick their own rocks, but he felt hesitant about letting go of the process. He didn’t see much of a difference between delegating big initiatives from the top and letting team members choose their own rocks.

(For those who aren’t familiar, “Rocks” are important yet often non-urgent initiatives that fall outside of day-to-day operations. Picking and creating accountability for Rocks ensures your team is always working ON the business, driving that forward momentum.)

Why It Matters

What makes rocks so powerful is that everyone gets involved in suggesting, prioritizing, making them SMART, and choosing them. Some leaders worry that if they let their teams pick rocks, they’ll choose the “wrong” ones. 

This is where a tool like the Rock-Step Planner™ becomes invaluable. By guiding teams through the structured process of brainstorming, prioritizing, and refining Rocks, leaders ensure that everyone is aligned with the company’s larger goals. Leaders are in prime position to guide the prioritization and fine-tuning of each rock. They can also make it clear if a particular rock isn’t a priority.

When it comes to eliminating rocks, team members often struggle to make tough decisions. This is where a leader can step in and “kill” sub-optimal rocks early, leaving only the important ones for final selection. From there, the rocks can be adjusted and assigned to the right people with the leader’s support.

Simply assigning rocks to team members won’t have the same impact. Without involvement in the process, there’s no real buy-in. Commitment comes from being part of the process, even if their suggestions don’t make the final list.

What’s your take on sharing Rocks vs. assigning them? Do you think there’s a real difference, or does it all come down to how it’s executed? Let me know what you think!