One of the easiest ways execution breaks down is when teams confuse Priorities with Projects.

They sound similar, but they play very different roles.A Priority (or Rock) answers one simple question:
What must be true by the end of this quarter for us to win?

It’s about focus and outcomes. When a Priority is complete, something meaningful has changed for the business. That’s why there should only be a few, and why they tie directly to strategy.

A Project answers a different question:
What work needs to happen to support that outcome?

Projects are important, but they’re about activity and tasks. Finishing a project doesn’t always mean the business moved forward—it just means the work got done.

Here’s a quick gut check:

🚫 If you finish it and nothing measurable changed—no key number moved, no bottleneck was removed, no decision was made—it was probably a project.

✅ If finishing it changed a result, removed a constraint, or created a new capability, it was a Priority.

Take a few minutes this week and next (or first week of Jan) to review your Q1 Priorities. If any of them read like a list of tasks, challenge the owner to revise them into a clear outcome (try using the AI Coach!).That small distinction helps teams stay focused on results, not just staying busy.