After your senior leadership team has mastered the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, there comes an exciting – and maybe slightly scary – milestone in your implementation of EOS: it’s time to teach the rest of the company how to do it. We call this the “rollout,” and it begins when your leadership team works together to help next level leaders, managers and supervisors begin using EOS foundational tools in their departments or teams.
Whether you do your rollout to one layer of management at a time or to everyone all at once, there are a few things you can do to make sure the process goes as smoothly and successfully as possible.
Seven Keys to a Successful EOS Rollout
1. Make sure every single one of your senior leaders knows the Five Foundational Tools™ backward and forwards.
This doesn’t just mean knowing the tools and how to use them; it also means being able to explain why they’re important and how they work to anyone at any time:
- Vision/Traction Organizer™ (V/TO)
- Accountability Chart
- Rocks
- Meeting Pulse™
- Scorecard
2. Practice your Core Values Speech and start sharing them with your team.
Just being able to list your core values is not enough; you must also be able to explain what they mean and what living them looks like in your company. In other words, every senior leader should be able to deliver your company’s Core Values Speech consistently, confidently, and passionately.
Start teaching your core values to your team, and start to incorporate them into your people processes so that you are hiring, firing, rewarding, and recognizing around your core values.
Share a printed copy of your core values with everyone on your team, and consider incorporating them into your office environment as a constant reminder to everyone of who you are and what you are about.
3. Begin sharing key EOS terms and concepts with your team.
Sharing a common language is one of the key benefits of adopting a business operating system like EOS. Help your employees become familiar with key EOS terms and concepts by emailing or distributing printed copies of the free EOS eBook, 20+ EOS Terms Your Employees Need to Know to everyone on your team.
4. Schedule a kickoff meeting to introduce the Vision and EOS foundational tools to your team.
A company kickoff meeting is a great opportunity to share your newly created Core Values Speech for the first time, along with your Vision and any other EOS tools (Accountability Chart, Scorecard, Rocks, etc. ) you’re ready to roll out.
Some companies find that a team presentation is far more powerful than a long, boring speech from the President or CEO. Involving the entire leadership team helps show your employees that you have become a healthy, cohesive team, that you are unified around a mission to achieve the company’s Vision, and that you are inviting them to join you on that adventure.
Other companies have used videos, skits, or other creative methods to introduce EOS. Just remember, there’s no right way. Do what makes the most sense for you and your company!
5. Give each employee a copy of the EOS book written for his or her role in the company.
In addition to Traction, Get a Grip, and Rocket Fuel, there are two other great EOS books that are essential to rolling EOS out beyond the Leadership Team level.
Your mid-level managers are going to need a copy of How To Be A Great Boss. This is especially important for those who may be new to management. It teaches them how to get the best from their people by using the EOS tools and disciplines to lead, manage, and hold people accountable.
For your employees and managers, What The Heck Is EOS? is a fabulous resource for helping you cast your Vision. It’s a quick read that explains EOS, its purpose, and the outcomes it will produce in your company. It includes questions about each tool to provide a framework for your managers to use in discussing EOS with their staff. It helps folks understand not only EOS, but also what their own personal role is in achieving your Vision.
6. Try to over-communicate your message.
Here’s a hint: it can’t be done! There is no way to repeat yourself too much. Repetition is the mother of all learning, and it is essential for creating clarity. People will have to hear you say words like “Vision” and “Core Values” at least seven times before those words begin to stick in their minds. The advice I give my clients is, “Tell ‘em seven times, seven ways.”
You must talk incessantly about your Vision, Core Values, Goals, Rocks, and other EOS Tools and terms in your weekly Level 10 Meeting™, in company newsletters, in emails from the Visionary and/or Integrator, and in your one-on-one conversations. If you think you may be repeating yourself too much, you’ll probably be doing it almost enough.
7. Set a reasonable time frame for the rollout.
Don’t be in too much of a hurry to roll this out. If you rush it and deliver a half-baked presentation, getting people on board will be harder and take longer, which will delay your progress. Take the time to get it right so it has maximum impact.
Also, remember that it took you and your team two months or more to learn what you are about to teach. Make sure you allow the time needed for everyone else to fully catch on.
The First Step
One final point to remember before you kick off your rollout of the Entrepreneurial Operating System – it’s only the beginning of a process.
It will take about two years on average for EOS to completely take root and become the backbone of your culture. Some companies move faster, and others move more slowly. But ask anybody who has seen the process through to the end, and they will tell you – it is absolutely worth it!
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