The Role of Rocks
Lyricists love rocks. Twisted Sister said “I Wanna Rock.” They Might Be Giants were a bit more formal, penning “We Want a Rock.” Of course, most famously Paul Simon decided to embody the petrical object of his desire, stating, “I am a Rock.”
At AE, we are also big fans of not only rock and roll, but the role of rocks.1
The growth mindset requires each employee to focus on self-improvement. That growth mindset also applies to AE as a whole. To take A/B tested baby steps forward continuously, and maintain the exponentially-increasing pace thereof, internal processes must continue to improve. As individuals, each quarter, we carve out “rocks”–challenges we commit to undertaking for the betterment of ourselves and AE.
So what are these rocks?
A rock is a quarterly goal. It might be the creation of a fun, clever app. It might be streamlining an internal process. It might be finding a specific type of talented human being and bringing them into the fold. Most importantly, it requires that every employee lift their gaze above the walls of their current project, peer beyond the horizon, and aspire.
What’s the catch? Rocks must be SMART.
A “SMART” rock is
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
Rocks must provide a specific definition of what needs to be done. “Compose and publish a blog post about carnivorous reptiles entitled, ‘Crocodile Rock’ or the inefficiency of the for-profit prison system entitled, ‘Jailhouse Rock’” is specific. “Write something clever quoting Paul Simon” is not.
Rocks must be measurable. Referring back to the previous point, we’d better have a clear set of criteria for determining completion. How will we know if we have truly rocked the Casbah? By what criteria will this be determined?
Rocks must be attainable. Otherwise, it’s just a “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy.”
Rocks must be realistic. Perhaps rocking you like a hurricane requires more force than is realistic, but rocking you gently is manageable?
Rocks must be timely. Are we planning to rock around the clock or just all night?
Our CEO has rocks. So too does every developer and everyone in-between. The rocks, like real rocks, are hard. The idea is for 80% of rocks to be achieved successfully each quarter. Hard enough that effort, focus, and dedication are required, but attainable enough that each quarter, individually, and collectively, we make progress.
One rock at a time, we increase our agency, our clients’ agency, and ultimately, human agency everywhere. And so, “for those about to rock,” rock on, and rock SMART.
1 Here at AE, we run our own twist on Gino Wickman’s “Entrepreneurial Operating System” (EOS). He wrote a book about it, which I can attest, is easily consumed during a round-trip flight from Chicago to LA.