The power of EOS® is that it gives your company a single way of doing business that’s simple and proven. Over 40,000 organizations around the world are running on EOS and getting their business under control. By addressing the Six Key Components™ of your business and providing a model for solving your company’s issues for good, EOS helps you grow to achieve your vision and goals more effectively.
But some leadership teams that are running on EOS aren’t gaining the traction they’d expected to see when they started using the system. As a leadership team, they’re getting more done, solving more issues, and working together better than ever. But the business as a whole isn’t improving, and the operations side of the company is still out of control. What’s going on?
There are a few possibilities why a company stays out of control, even though they’re using EOS. Let’s explore three important challenges to avoid when you get ready to implement EOS throughout your organization.
Challenge 1: EOS Isn’t Your Only Operating System
In many companies, each department has its own way of operating, communicating, and solving problems. But when 50 people are doing business 50 different ways, you’ll be going in 50 different directions, which is another way of saying you’re not going in any direction.
Once your leadership team begins using EOS, your entire leadership team is aligned and rowing in the same direction, together. But if the other levels of your company are still using their own systems to get things done, you’re not any better off. You’re still going in 50 different directions.
To get your business under control, your entire business – from the janitor to the CEO – needs to be using a single operating system. If you haven’t rolled out EOS to your entire company, now is the time to start.
Challenge 2: Your People Aren’t On Board With Using EOS
Maybe you’ve rolled out EOS to your entire company, but it didn’t go well. For whatever reason, your people haven’t gotten on board with using EOS.
If your employees aren’t buying into EOS, it could be that you simply have the wrong people in the wrong seats. Try working with them to get them on board, but be prepared to make some tough people decisions, if necessary. Remember, your most productive worker will only create deep-rooted problems if they won’t buy into your company’s core values or your way of doing things.
If your managers aren’t using EOS correctly, the people they supervise won’t use it correctly either. In this case, your resolution is much simpler. Continue training managers on EOS and be available to answer questions. In time, they’ll get the hang of it and you’ll begin getting your company under control.
To help your employees gain a more thorough understanding of EOS and how it will benefit them, consider having them read What the Heck is EOS?.
Challenge 3: You Haven’t Communicated EOS Clearly
Sometimes, the issue isn’t that your people are resistant to EOS, but that they’re confused because you haven’t communicated clearly. People need to receive a message seven times before it sinks in – partly because we often don’t communicate what we think we’re communicating.
When you’re restructuring your entire organization’s way of operating, you can’t rely on a one-and-done approach to communication. Most people think their job is done after communicating a message the first time, and they get frustrated after telling it multiple times.
You’ll need to be consistent and patient. Your employees will need frequent communication, and in various forms (written, verbal, demonstration, etc.). Repetition is the mother of all learning.
Roll Out EOS Completely Throughout Your Entire Company
A great business runs EOS throughout the entire company – not just at the executive level. Last month, my colleague Ken DeWitt shared his tips for a successful EOS rollout. Try applying his advice to drive EOS further into your company. A complete rollout is critical to getting your operations aligned, under control, and achieving traction with EOS.
This post originally appeared on the GPS For Small Business Blog on August 23, 2017.
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