/ceos-vto

name: ceos-vto
description: Use when reviewing or updating the company Vision/Traction Organizer
file-access: [data/vision.md, templates/vision.md, data/accountability.md, data/rocks/]
tools-used: [Read, Write, Edit]

ceos-vto

Review and update the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO) — the single document that captures where your company is going and how it plans to get there.

When to Use

• "Review our vision" or "show me the V/TO"
• "Update our core values" or "change our 10-year target"
• "What's our core focus?" or "what are our 3 uniques?"
• "Are our Rocks aligned with the 1-Year Plan?"
• "Let's update the 3-year picture"
• Any time the leadership team needs to revisit strategic direction

Context

Finding the CEOS Repository

Search upward from the current directory for the `.ceos` marker file. This file marks the root of the CEOS repository.

current_dir → parent → parent → ... until .ceos found

If `.ceos` is not found, stop and tell the user: "Not in a CEOS repository. Clone your CEOS repo and run setup.sh first."

**Sync before use:** Once you find the CEOS root, run `git -C <ceos_root> pull --ff-only --quiet 2>/dev/null` to get the latest data from teammates. If it fails (conflict or offline), continue silently with local data.

Key Files

| File | Purpose | |------|---------| | `data/vision.md` | The V/TO document (source of truth) | | `data/accountability.md` | Who owns what (reference for role alignment) | | `data/rocks/` | Current quarter's Rocks (for alignment checks) | | `templates/vision.md` | Template structure (reference only) |

V/TO Sections

The V/TO has 8 sections, each covering a different planning horizon:

| Section | Horizon | Key Question | |---------|---------|-------------| | Core Values | Permanent | What do we stand for? | | Core Focus | Permanent | Why do we exist? What's our niche? | | 10-Year Target | 10 years | What's our big audacious goal? | | Marketing Strategy | Ongoing | Who do we serve? How are we different? | | 3-Year Picture | 3 years | What does the company look like? | | 1-Year Plan | 1 year | What must be true in 12 months? | | Quarterly Rocks | 90 days | See `data/rocks/` (managed by ceos-rocks) | | Issues List | Ongoing | See `data/issues/` (managed by ceos-ids) |

Process

Step 1: Read the Current V/TO

Read `data/vision.md` from the CEOS repository root. If the file doesn't exist, tell the user to run `setup.sh init` first.

Display a summary of the current state:

• Company name (from the document header)
• Last updated date
• Quick snapshot of each section (one line each)

Step 2: Identify the Request

| User Intent | Action | |-------------|--------| | "Review the V/TO" | Display full document, ask which sections to discuss | | "Update [section]" | Jump to that section for editing | | "Check alignment" | Cross-reference Rocks against 1-Year Plan | | "What's our [specific item]?" | Read and present that section |

Step 3: For Updates

When the user wants to change a section:

1. **Show the current content** of that section 2. **Discuss the change** — ask clarifying questions if the request is vague 3. **Draft the update** — write the new content 4. **Show the diff** — display before/after for the changed section 5. **Ask for approval** — "Does this look right? Apply this change?" 6. **Write the file** — update `data/vision.md` with the approved change 7. **Update the date** — change "Last updated" to today's date

Step 4: Alignment Check (Cross-Reference)

When reviewing the V/TO or when specifically asked about alignment:

1. Read the **1-Year Plan** section from `data/vision.md` 2. Read all Rocks in `data/rocks/[current-quarter]/` 3. Compare: Does each Rock clearly support a 1-Year Plan goal? 4. Flag any misalignment:

• Rocks that don't map to any 1-Year Plan goal
• 1-Year Plan goals with no supporting Rocks
• Rocks that seem to contradict the Core Focus

Report findings clearly:

Alignment Check:
- 4/5 Rocks map to 1-Year Plan goals ✓
- Rock "Build Mobile App" doesn't connect to any 1-Year goal ⚠️
- 1-Year goal "Expand to 3 new markets" has no supporting Rock ⚠️

Step 5: After Changes

After any update: 1. Summarize what was changed 2. Suggest related actions (e.g., "You updated the 1-Year Plan — want to review Rock alignment?") 3. Remind the user to commit: "Run `git commit` to save this update"

Output Format

When displaying the V/TO, use the document's existing markdown structure. For updates, show a clear before/after diff of the changed section only (not the entire document).

For alignment checks, use the summary format shown in Step 4.

Guardrails

• **Always show diff before writing.** Never modify `data/vision.md` without showing the user what will change and getting explicit approval.
• **Preserve existing structure.** Don't reorganize sections or change formatting unless the user asks. The V/TO follows the EOS format — respect it.
• **Cross-reference when relevant.** If the user updates the 1-Year Plan or Core Focus, proactively offer an alignment check against current Rocks.
• **Don't modify Rocks or Issues directly.** The Quarterly Rocks and Issues List sections in the V/TO link to `data/rocks/` and `data/issues/`. Direct the user to `ceos-rocks` or `ceos-ids` for those.
• **One section at a time.** Don't try to rewrite the entire V/TO at once. Guide the user through focused updates.
• **Respect the planning horizons.** Core Values and Core Focus should change rarely (annually at most). 10-Year Target shifts slowly. 3-Year Picture and 1-Year Plan are reviewed quarterly.
• **Don't auto-invoke other skills.** Mention `ceos-rocks`, `ceos-ids`, and `ceos-annual` when relevant, but let the user decide when to switch workflows.
• **Sensitive data warning.** On first use, remind the user: "The V/TO may contain sensitive strategic data. Use a private repo."

Integration Notes

Rocks (ceos-rocks)

• **Read:** `ceos-rocks` reads the 1-Year Pla