Northlight Advisory Services

Rocks Quarterly Planning Template

Based on EOS® / Traction by Gino Wickman

Quarter
Team / Owner
Date
What Makes a Good Rock
  1. Specific — clear enough to have a done state
  2. Completable in 90 days
  3. Binary — done or not done
  4. One owner — not "the team"
  5. Important enough to protect all quarter
Done When

Write the done definition before the quarter begins — not at the end.

At quarter close: Done = completion criteria met. Not Done = they weren't. No debate, no partial credit.

L10 weekly: On Track or Off Track. If off track, it goes on the Issues list.

The 80% Target

≥ 80% completed — healthy. You're setting Rocks well and protecting them.

100% every quarter — Rocks aren't ambitious enough, or the team is underreporting off-track status.

Consistently < 80% — investigate. Too many Rocks, too vague, or business-as-usual is winning.

Sample RocksNorthlight Example
Rock 1
Owner Elizabeth

Complete all active client deliverables on schedule and within agreed scope for Q3, with a structured mid-quarter check-in documented for each engagement.

Done when

All Q3 deliverables signed off by contracted deadlines; written mid-quarter check-in summary exists for each active client.

Rock 2
Owner Elizabeth

Publish six long-form posts on bynorthlight.ca and submit the site to five Canadian business resource directories.

Done when

Six posts live on bynorthlight.ca; five directory submission confirmations on file.

Rock 3
Owner Elizabeth

Run the AI governance workshop pilot with two clients, collect structured feedback from each, and write a one-page go/no-go recommendation on formal development.

Done when

Both pilots complete; structured feedback documented from each; written go/no-go recommendation on file.

Your Rocks — 3 to 7 per quarter
Rock 1
Owner
Done when
Rock 2
Owner
Done when
Rock 3
Owner
Done when
Rock 4
Owner
Done when
Rock 5
Owner
Done when
Parking Lot Good ideas that aren't Rocks this quarter — keep them here, revisit next planning session
1
→ Q
2
→ Q
3
→ Q
4
→ Q
5
→ Q
6
→ Q