Without EOS®, Many Family Businesses Run on SOS

I’ve been passionate about helping family businesses thrive for over a decade. Over the years, I’ve found many resources that could help different aspects of their businesses. But only through EOS did I find a complete system to offer them everything they needed. From my experience, without EOS, many family businesses run on SOS (aka the self-operating system). Continually in crisis, these family businesses always felt like they were in danger and needed to be rescued.

A System from Someone Who’s Been There

In 2010, I ran a family business center and co-taught classes. The classes generally had at least two generations of family business owners. Among the many crises they faced, they often needed help bridging the generational gap that threatened business success.

The family business owners I worked with needed something they could use to create real strategies for their businesses. Some owners had fancy degrees from fancy universities, and others had PhDs in street smarts and practical thinking. They both needed something that would address their unique sensibilities, drive accountability, and identify dysfunction.

That’s where the book Traction has helped. It was written by someone who stood in their shoes.

In the introduction, author Gino Wickman describes building the system while working in his family’s business. He worked shoulder-to-shoulder with his dad as he perfected the tools we now use in the EOS Toolbox™.

He spoke knowledgeably about the problems family business owners faced because he’d faced them too.

Why EOS Works

Since 2015, I’ve watched hundreds of family business leadership teams learn how to run on EOS. Using the EOS Tools without modifying them has worked for them and tens of thousands of other companies. From my experience, the Tools that seem to have the greatest immediate impact include The Accountability Chart™, the Scorecard, Rocks, and the Vision/Traction Organizer®.

Accountability Chart

The Accountability Chart allows family members to work together and quit fighting about who should do what. It eliminates disputes about who does more or less work, who is “on top,” or who is the favorite.

Scorecard

The Scorecard lets family members work together and know, with black-and-white facts, who is performing and who isn’t. Discussions stop being about mom’s favorite and turn to who drives the most value for the business.

Rocks

Rocks allow family members to truly discuss and debate the most important things for the business going forward. Even better, Rocks allow them to prioritize which of the most important things to start working on first.

Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO®)

The V/TO helps family members and family owners simplify their strategic planning process. By sharing a clear direction for the business, they avoid unpleasant surprises when big decisions get made.

Before using EOS as their operating system, many family businesses I know ran on SOS. Now I see them more in control of their family businesses. They have less complicated interpersonal relationships, which translates to more fun during family time.

And that is my favorite way to see families in business find success.