A Wildly Successful Business Is a Boring Business

Jim Collins says that mediocrity stems from chronic inconsistency. What a powerful and accurate phrase.

It’s frustrating for me to see business leaders making major changes in their company when their system is already working. Dig deep enough and you’ll often find it’s because the system has become old hat. There’s nothing wrong with the system, it just became boring to use.

Being bored isn’t a good reason to make business changes.

Extraordinary Success Stems from Ordinary Discipline

Consider this: An EOS client was interviewed after receiving an award for his company’s incredible growth, success and culture. When asked his secret, he described a cadence of regular meetings, quarterly priorities, reviewing weekly metrics, repeating the company’s vision often to all employees, hiring on core values, keeping his leadership team healthy, and solving problems.

After his answer, the interviewer looked almost disappointed, as if hoping for some magical answer for growing a successful business. The interviewer isn’t alone. Most people are looking for an easy way or some magic. There isn’t any.

Commit to Consistency

I urge you to figure out how to get excited about the boring everyday disciplines and to be consistent in your company practices. It will make your company great in the long run.

Meet regularly with your corporate leadership team—two days annually, one day quarterly, and 90 minutes weekly (here’s the EOS Level 10 weekly agenda). Review weekly metrics, share your organization’s vision with employees every quarter, build functional health on your leadership team, set and achieve quarterly priorities, and hire-fire-review-reward-recognize on core values.

Stay consistent. And follow this other great Jim Collins quote: “Overnight successes take 20 years.”

Next Steps

• Subscribe to our blog for more great articles on building your business.
• Download the Vision/Traction Organizer—the tool that helps you maintain consistent discipline for long-term success.
• Schedule a free 90-minute meeting with an EOS Implementer.