As an Expert EOS Implementer®, I’ve had the opportunity to work with well over 100 businesses. And they all have something in common: room for improvement. If they’re open and honest with themselves, they know it. We can always do better. That work starts from the very first 90 Minute Meeting to long after graduation. To gain Traction®, a team must always have an attitude of continuous improvement.
In the Beginning
Any business just beginning the EOS® journey will need time to understand the process and how to use the EOS Foundational Tools™. Personally, I find the Focus Day™ to be the most exciting. I never know who truly will be open to EOS and who will resist it. Unknown team dynamics start to come to the surface. Call me crazy, but I love this! Teams can be reticent about being open and honest during our early discussions. But learning to trust one another is foundational to continuously improving EOS.
Being Patient
And not everyone will pick up the system right away. I’ve found that each person must take their own journey and needs to learn at their own pace. Sometimes people have to experience their own Groundhog Day over and over until they get it. But we have to make sure everyone has a general level of understanding before the company can move forward.
I’ve worked with teams who, despite their advanced degrees, struggle with the concepts while those who have no higher education pick up concepts right away. No two leaders learn at the same pace, even within the same company. Some will ask lots of questions and others don’t even know what questions to ask.
An Implementer must adjust to who’s in the room. Every client moves at their own pace. We patiently help every member of a leadership team learn the EOS Tools until they get it.
Let the Process Teach
To reinforce mastery of EOS, I always ask my teams to re-read Gino Wickman’s book Traction before their first annual session day. I make it mandatory “homework.” Reading the book helps them continually improve their EOS Tools and integrate them throughout the company.
They start recognizing patterns that don’t serve them. I’ll hear a client say, “I’m getting into the weeds” or “that’s a shiny object” when they’ve veered off-topic.
That’s when the magic begins! Once the leadership team starts gaining Traction, we have to get out of the way. Once they recognize their patterns, they learn to make decisions quickly. They start to see how growth happens because great decisions happen more quickly.
Begin Again
Sometimes a leadership team hits a wall. They get stuck in the weeds or have trouble gaining the Traction they’re accustomed to while on their EOS journey. At these times, I suggest they take a Clarity Break™. It’s a regularly scheduled appointment in their calendar to work ON the business, away from the office.
Uninterrupted thinking time allows a leader to clear their head, envision the future, think strategically, and focus on what’s most important. As a result, they come back with new ideas and insights that boost the confidence of the leader and the morale of the team!
Even when things are going well, Clarity Breaks are key to continuous improvement. Why? Clear thinking ignites motivation and confidence. As the business grows, there will be even more opportunities and options to consider — and much more complexity. But with a solid practice of taking regular Clarity Breaks, leaders are able to focus on what’s most important and drive more powerful results.
There’s always room for improvement… if we’re willing to do the work. In these moments of clarity and focus, our destiny is shaped!
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