I’ve talked to owners and leadership teams who are either interested in or currently implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) on their own. As you probably know by now, this operating system is the ideal method to run a company more effectively, profitability and reliably. While it may sound daunting to try and accomplish this on your own, with the little extra time you have, it can be done. Let me say upfront however, as a Professional EOS Implementer® myself, I do believe that using a certified or professional implementer is better and faster than trying it on your own, but with the right mindset and discipline, your company can make it work.
If you are interested in self-implementing EOS because of financial constraints or any other reason and you have read the book Traction by Gino Wickman, this article will provide you some guidance. Remember, the great thing about the EOS community is Help First. So, when someone comes to me asking for advice on running EOS, I am always happy to help. As we saw such a great interest in the business community, we held a workshop at the Traction Leadership Center and why I wrote this article. Why help first? Because we know all companies will be better running their business on EOS!
To self-implement, you will need:
- Capacity – Does the person who will be spear-heading this have the time and energy? Does your leadership team also have the willingness to put the time and energy to make it happen?
- Priority – Will this person have the discipline to make it a priority? Will your leadership team be onboard and willing to make it a priority without the guidance of outside help?
- Objectivity – Is the person able to stay objective, have those tough conversations and facilitate effectively? Will your leadership team allow that person to lead and follow their guidance?
When implementing EOS, it starts with the right person as the Implementer. It may not be the CEO or owner. But it must be someone who is great at facilitating meetings, following agendas and processes, be an excellent communicator and willing and able to be the objective voice. And, the leadership team must be willing to put the work in. We have found that most successful EOS implementations happene when the team is more afraid of the status quo than the changes needed to take place.
Pitfalls: It is important to follow the process outlined in Traction: do not to cherry-pick what tools you want to use and what you do not want to because of time, resources or lack of accountability. For example, if you say you have L10 meetings but do not follow the agenda purely: having it every week, having a relevant scorecard or following the format, employees will not be clear on objectives and issues will not get resolved in a timely manner. The tools are there because they work to help your team function and be on the same page in every way.
Be open and honest ALWAYS. When you lay the foundation (your V/TO and Accountability Chart) it is essential that you get your vision out of your head and get everyone onboard with that vision. Equally important is that you have the right people in the right seat. Without being open and honest with these critical components, EOS will not be as effective, and your company will never be as you envisioned.
If you start out strong and results are promising…you are solving issues, everyone’s on the same page, you are hitting your financial goals…but then you hit a ceiling. Or if you started EOS but you are not seeing the results your looking for, always look back to see if you are using EOS purely and if you are using all the tools. EOS is a set of simple tools but they are not always easy to implement when you have other obligations in the way. It takes time, discipline and a lot of focus. There are no shortcuts!
“Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better.” – Jim Rohn
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