Many times when I work with a leadership team, they tell me what they have learned, how EOS® is impacting their team, their staff, their relationships. They use words such as increased focus, improved communication, clarity – words demonstrating they are learning the EOS® language and a system to manage their company. And they talk about the times when they resisted a concept, or didn’t quite grasp how to use one of the tools, or wondered if they were all in to implementing EOS®.
When we review their EOS Foundational Tools™ during sessions, I sometimes question how well I taught the tools. Sometimes I see an Accountability Chart™ that has 22 duties listed in a seat rather than the five major accountabilities for which that seat is responsible. Or the company Rocks we carefully wordsmithed so they were specific, measurable, and attainable reduced to a three-word summary phrase on the Vision/Traction Organizer™. And the individual Rocks we meticulously created aren’t documented anywhere, because the Leadership Team figured everyone would remember their own Rocks.
As a Certified EOS Implementer™ I sometimes drive home at the end of a session day and wonder how effective I am. What didn’t I do well in the previous sessions? What did I say or what behavior did I exhibit that told the Leadership Team it was okay to rearrange one of the EOS Foundational Tools™ to their liking? I was stumped.
I explained my dilemma to one of my EOS® colleagues. And in true IDS™ fashion he asked a couple of question that got to the root cause of my issue – implementing EOS® is messy. It does not occur in a linear fashion. Instead, Leadership Teams experience stumbling blocks, a team member’s resistance, coupled with “aha” moments, breakthroughs, and periods of absolute clarity followed by looking for a shortcut to using one of the tools.
What an “aha” moment that was for me! So now, when I see a Leadership Team getting off track implementing EOS® I take a deep breath. I reteach, tweak, gently challenge, and eventually the planets line up and the Leadership Team understands, accepts, and masters EOS®. Yup, some days it’s just messy.
Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing worth having comes easy,” and I think most people would agree. This quote applies to many things in life, and for me, it also applies to EOS®. EOS® is not a quick, easy fix. It takes a lot of hard work, discipline, and focus to build a foundation with EOS®. And it’s messy and frustrating and confusing like most new things are when you first attempt them. But once you have it, the payback is remarkable.
EOS® Founder, Gino Wickman, wrote the book, “Traction” which takes you step by step through the EOS® process. I am providing a free copy of chapter 1 for you to download here which will help you understand the system and the Six Key Components™.
If you have questions about EOS® and whether or not it is right for you, please fill out the consult form below to request a 15-minute phone conversation with me. I know that EOS® is not easy. But I know it’s one of those things that is definitely worth having.
