Sharing best practices and high level tips on the Rockefeller Habits

1. The 10 Basic
Rockefeller
Habits
CATHERINE LIMBO | MANAGING DIRECTOR

2. Mastering the Rockefeller Habits
The Rockefeller Habits are a set of growth habits
embraced by fast-growth companies.
An explanation of all 10 habits is found in the
book Mastering the Rockefeller Habits (Verne
Harnish, 2002).
The name Rockefeller was attached by the
author to these habits because they are habits
which were embraced by Standard Oil founder
John D. Rockefeller as he grew his business.
The Rockefeller habits can be applied in any
company, any size and in any industry.

3. Benefits of the Rockefeller Habits
By implementing this framework, every
manager, executive, and entrepreneur can
witness important benefits such as:
• Better time management
• Harmony in teams
• Improved internal communication
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Faster execution of strategies
• Increased goal completion rate
• Increased employee engagement
• Overall growth of the company

4. 1. Executive Team is Healthy and Aligned
• Team members understand each other‘s differences,
priorities, and styles.
• The team meets frequently (weekly is best) for
strategic thinking.
• The team participates in ongoing executive
education.
• The team is able to engage in constructive debates
and all members feel comfortable participating.
It is crucial that your team has a level of trust
that allows for healthy debates and
constructive conflicts – and avoid office
politics.

5. 2. Everyone Is Aligned With The #1 Thing That Needs
To Be Accomplished To Move The Company Forward
• The Critical Number is identified to move the
company ahead this quarter or period.
• 3-5 Priorities that support the Critical Number are
identified and ranked for the quarter or period.
• A Quarterly Theme and Celebration/Reward are
announced to all employees that bring the Critical
Number to life.
• Quarterly Theme/Critical Number posted throughout
the company and employees are aware of the progress
each week.
Scaling a company takes time — it’s all about
taking a step forward, checking in, and
adjusting accordingly. This can only happen if
there are regular check-ins and goals.

6. 3. Communication Rhythm Is Established And
Information Moves Though the Organization
Accurately and Quickly
• All employees are in a daily huddle that lasts less than
15 minutes.
• All teams have a weekly meeting for about an hour.
• The executive and middle managers meet for a day of
learning, resolving big issues, and DNA/knowledge
transfer each month.
• Quarterly and annually, the executive and middle
managers meet offsite to work on the 4 Decisions
(Strategy, Execution, People, Cash).
“To move faster, pulse faster”

7. 4. Every Facet Of The Organization Has A Person
Assigned With Accountability For Ensuring Goals Are
Met
• The Function Accountability Chart (FACe) is
completed (right people, doing the right things, right).
• Getting accountabilities clear throughout the
organization is crucial.
• Financial statements have a person assigned to each
line item.
• Each 3 to 5 year Key Thrust/Capability has a
corresponding expert on the Advisory Board if internal
expertise doesn’t exist.
“If more than one person is accountable, then
no one is accountable, and that’s when things
fall through the cracks.”

8. 5. Ongoing Employee Input Is Collected To Identify
Obstacles And Opportunities
• All executives (and middle managers) have a
Start/Stop/Keep conversation with at least one
employee weekly.
• The insights from employee conversations are shared
at the weekly executive team meeting.
• Employee input about obstacles and opportunities is
being collected weekly.
• A mid-management team is responsible for the
process of closing the loop on all obstacles and
opportunities.
DATA — both measurable and immeasurable
data will fuel clear decision-making.

9. 6. Reporting And Analysis Of Customer Feedback
Data Is As Frequent And Accurate As Financial Data
• All executives (and middle managers) have a 4Q
conversation with at least one end user weekly.
• The insights from customer conversations are shared
at the weekly executive team meeting.
• All employees are involved in collecting customer
data.
• A mid-management team is responsible for the
process of closing the loop on all customer feedback.
Customers are the next biggest source of data
that you can use to guide the growth of your
organization.

10. 7. Core Values And Purpose Are “Alive” In The
Organization
• Core Values are discovered, Purpose is articulated,
and both are known by all employees.
• All executives and middle managers refer back to the
Core Values and Purpose when giving praise or
reprimands.
• HR processes and activities align with the Core Values
and Purpose (hiring, orientation, appraisal, recognition,
etc.).
• Actions are identified and implemented each quarter
to strengthen the Core Values and Purpose in the
organization.
Your purpose needs to be more than just
making money.

11. 8. Employees Can Articulate The Key Components
Of The Company’s Strategy Accurately
• Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) – Progress is tracked
and visible.
• Core Customer(s) – Their profile in 25 words or less.
• 3 Brand Promises – And the corresponding Brand
Promise KPIs reported on weekly.
• Elevator Pitch – A compelling response to the
question “What does your company do?”
If everyone on your team can’t share your
firm’s “elevator pitch” when asked, then you
might need to work on your team’s alignment.

12. 9. All Employees Can Answer Quantitatively
Whether They Had A Good Day Or Week
• 1 or 2 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are reported
on weekly for each role/person.
• Each employee has 1 Critical Number that aligns with
the company’s Critical Number for the quarter (clear
line of sight).
• Each individual/team has 3-5 Quarterly
Priorities/Rocks that align with those of the company.
• All executives and middle managers have a coach
holding them accountable to behavior changes.
If they can’t, then it might mean that they are
not clear on their priorities and their KPIs.

13. 10. The Company's Plans And Performance Are
Visible To Everyone
• A “situation room” is established for weekly meetings
(physical or virtual).
• Core Values, Purpose and Priorities are posted
throughout the company.
• Scoreboards are up everywhere displaying current
progress on KPIs and Critical Numbers.
• There is a system in place for tracking and managing
the cascading Priorities and KPIs.
This habit basically boils down to
having scoreboards everywhere! We
encourage you to have your goals, metrics,
and plans up around the company for
everyone to see, keep track of and remain
engaged with.

14. Implementing the Rockefeller Habits
While the habits are listed in no particular order
and you can start with whichever you want, we
give our clients one rule —they must start
with Rockefeller Habit #1: The executive team
is healthy and aligned.
It is near impossible to implement any of the
other habits without checking off Habit #1 first.
Once that is realized and your team is ready to
go, pick one or two habits each quarter and work
on those.
Start with the habits that will have the most
immediate benefits and over the next 24 to 36
months, you will have been able to get through
all 10 habits.

15. Next Step? Scale Up!
As you can see, the formula is actually simple.
• Make sure everyone feels safe and free to
participate
• Get your priorities straight
• Gather data
• And make sure everyone and everything works
like a well-oiled machine.
Knowing the formula is the easy part,
successfully implementing the formula is where
things get tricky.
That’s where these habits come in. It is the
rudder that will help you steer the company’s
ship to scaling up.

16. References:
Verne Harnish, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, 2002
Verne Harnish, Scaling Up Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0, 2014
www.growthinstitute.com

17. Thank You!
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