 I just returned from Sweden where I had the opportunity to visit the Vasa Museum. The museum displays the only almost fully intact 17th-century ship that has ever been salvaged. The 64-gun warship sank on her maiden voyage, a mere 10 minutes after setting sail. Just a slight breeze caused the ship to list to one side and take on enough water to sink it. The ship built to intimidate its enemies never so much as made it out of Swedish waters.
What can businesses learn from this story? First, it begs the question: How solid is your ship? Are you equipped to handle the breezes of business, whether that comes in the form of an economic downturn, the loss of a key employee, or a lack of clear direction even when the sails are full? The ship’s captain even tested the stability of the ship before setting sail by putting it in the water and having crew members run back and forth across the deck. He knew then that there were issues, but who wanted to tell the king that his mighty warship proved to be unstable just being moored in front of the palace? The Captain was given orders by a navy admiral to set sail. As someone who works with leadership teams of all shapes and sizes, it was hard for me to, again, not draw some business parallels! Even in “successful” organizations, there can be a tendency to overlook issues or people problems for a whole host of reasons. There may even be a desire to hide those issues from managers, bosses or owners for fear of the repercussions. After the ship sank, the king launched an investigation to find the person responsible for the tragedy. After a long, drawn-out inquiry, they ended up pinning it on the architect who had died before the ship was finished. What a waste of time and energy. But it represents a real pitfall organizations can easily fall into: Spending their time and energy figuring out who is responsible for problems, rather than proactively working to identify and solve them before they do serious damage. If only the king had known about EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System)! EOS®, is a complete set of simple concepts and practical tools that have helped thousands of organizations. Implementing EOS® will help leadership teams get better at three things:
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 With the holiday season upon us, it seemed like an appropriate time to ask clients and users of EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) about a “few of their favorite things” when it comes to using the system. Brown paper packages tied up with string aside, here’s what they had to say: “The laser focus it (EOS®) places on your business has helped us hone in on our strengths, purpose, abilities, etc. And the totally objective accountability measures helps hold employees and yourself accountable in a much gentler way.” -- Kathy Wickstrom, CEO Getting clear on your company’s vision is no small feat, so let me comment on the first part of Kathy’s answer. There are really two parts to creating clarity on the vision front. The first part is about taking time to articulate things like your Core Values (the short list of characteristics or traits that make up the fiber of your organization’s culture that everyone is living by); your Core Focus (answering the questions of WHY your organization exists, and WHAT your organization does); and honing in on your marketing strategy (understanding your ideal client, and identifying what you do better than anybody else). It may sound easy, but I’m talking about really getting dialed in on these. The second part of creating clarity is making sure that everyone in the organization is on the same page with every aspect of the vision and strategy. Everyone. Repeatedly. Those messages need to be reinforced over and over again to help keep the focus clear. If you take a “one and done” approach, you might be surprised how easy it is to steer off course. The EOS® model has a system for ensuring that the vision and strategy of an organization are carried out by creating a meeting pulse (structured weekly and quarterly meetings) used at every level of an organization. Enter accountability...the second part of Kathy’s answer. Every quarter, teams within an organization identify what the top priorities are for the next 90 days and then commit to getting them done. By checking in with each other weekly, it helps hold everyone accountable to these commitments. It’s not personal. It’s not micromanagement. It’s not a question of trust. It’s just a way to help each other stay on top of the priorities. I like to think of it as a shot of encouragement each week from your team. Thanks, Kathy, for your insights. Here’s to a GREAT 2019. Curious about what others have to say?
I'll share a post each week, so stay tuned!  With the holiday season upon us, it seemed like an appropriate time to ask clients and users of EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) about a “few of their favorite things” when it comes to using the system. Brown paper packages tied up with string aside, here’s what they had to say: "Using common terminology and practices throughout the organization. It helps people to quickly get on the same page." -- Tom Geiger, CEO Heritage Bank When everyone in an organization is on the same page, and all that energy is moving in the same direction, powerful things happen. There’s less confusion, less chaos, fewer mistakes, and it’s fun to come to work! If you’ve ever traveled to a country where you don’t speak the language, you can appreciate how frustrating it can be to communicate and how unsure you can feel if you’re left to guess or assume things. EOS® is an operating system that provides both a common language and set of principles for organizations to live by. This passage from “What the Heck is EOS®?” puts it best: A team of average people running their company on one operating system (the methods used to plan, prioritize, communicate, measure, structure, etc.) will outperform a team of high achievers, each doing things their own way, every day of the week.” Boom. Thanks for your insights, Tom. You’re spot on. Curious about what others have to say?
I'll share a post each week, so stay tuned!  With the holiday season upon us, it seemed like an appropriate time to ask clients and users of EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) about a “few of their favorite things” when it comes to using the system. Brown paper packages tied up with string aside, here’s what they had to say: “EOS® is a practical system that has provided a strong foundation for my growing business.” -- Caytie Pohlen-LaClare, Owner/President, The LaClare Group, Inc. “How big do you have to be to use EOS®?” This is a great question and I get asked it a lot. While a “typical” EOS® company is between 10 and 300 employees, it can work for smaller organizations, too. In fact, I've helped many solopreneurs grow their business using the same concepts and tools. When I met Caytie, she had grown a successful global meeting planning services company but wanted to take it to the next level, and wanted to do it strategically. By diving into the Accountability Chart, the roles and functions for her business became clear, and so did her next hiring move. The process has helped guide her decisions and it shows on her bottom line. Cheers, LaClare Group! 2019 is sure to sparkle even brighter. In my opinion, it’s never “too early” to start using the concepts and tools of EOS®. I’ve heard more than a few users lament that they wished they’d implemented an operating system earlier in their organization’s growth, and about how many headaches it could have prevented. I couldn't agree more. Curious about what others have to say?
I'll share a post each week, so stay tuned!  With the holiday season upon us, it seemed like an appropriate time to ask clients and users of EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System) about a “few of their favorite things” when it comes to using the system. Brown paper packages tied up with string aside, here’s what they had to say: "Accountability. It keeps us all committed to working together." -- Elaine Wyatt I love this answer, and couldn’t agree more. One of the many positive outcomes of using EOS® is that it allows Leadership Teams and Departmental Teams to be ultra clear about their priorities and puts a system in place to execute on those priorities. It takes the guesswork out of wondering where things are at because teams are coming together every week to check in with each other and hold each other accountable for achieving the established goals and priorities. It’s a beautiful thing to see teams working together in support of each other and the organization. Thanks, Elaine, for sharing. You and your team have much to celebrate as 2018 comes to a close! Curious what others have to say?
I'll share a post each week, so stay tuned!  Heck, yeah, Mint Roofing! Looking fine, scoring fine!Mint Roofing has been an EOS® company since 2011/12 (EOS is the Entrepreneurial Operating System outlined in the book Traction). EOS is based on the philosophy that strengthening each of the six key components of an organization helps it become GREAT and HEALTHY.
Last week, the entire office staff at Mint Roofing reviewed the EOS model together and then scored each of the components from 0-100. It’s unrealistic to score a 100. We can all strive for perfection, but rarely can it be achieved. That said, scoring between 80 and 100 means you are strong and functioning optimally. Check out those numbers! It is not uncommon for an organization to score in the 20-40 range on some (or all) of these components before there is a concerted effort aimed at improvement. Here’s a very brief recap of each: Vision: The organization’s vision, goals and priorities are all aligned; and everyone in is on the same page. Everyone. People: It starts with determining the right structure for the organization, and then having the right people in the right seats. Everyone’s roles and accountabilities are clear. Data: This allows you to keep a pulse on the business using factual, objective information. It’s just a handful of numbers used to create transparency and “see” where you’re at. Issues: This is the ability to identify and solve all key issues at every level of the organization, by identifying the root cause of challenges...not just the symptoms...and make them go away. Process: Identifying and documenting your core processes (the key things you do on a regular basis) creates consistency and efficiency. When followed by all, it frees up energy to be used in other more productive ways. Traction: This is all about having consistent weekly and quarterly meetings to work ON the business, and setting 90-day priorities (known as rocks). Without this, the Vision will only be words on paper. Is achieving greatness really that simple? Yes. Is it easy? No. Talk to anyone who has implemented EOS, and you will hear amazing stories of transformation. With that, you will also hear about what it takes to make the often difficult choices it requires for the good of an organization. The results, however, are worth it. Curious about the health or your organization? Take the Organizational Check-up.™  WHY is a hot topic these days, and those who know me also know I’m a big Simon Sinek fan. He has authored several books including, “Find Your Why.”
What’s sad is that way too many business leaders quickly dismiss this important concept as fluffy...something for the “marketing team” to figure out. But as one CEO who was recently brought to light on this subject, told me, “I now see that everything starts with your WHY. If you don’t know your WHY, it’s like planning a wedding before you know who you’re going to marry.” I guess I never thought of it that way. What it comes down to is this: We all have people, causes and organizations that we are drawn to because there’s a connection. There’s a fit. We get them and they get us. Our personal WHY aligns with the organizational WHY. And boom…that’s when the magic happens. This explains a lot when it comes to understanding why some teams work and others don’t. It’s why some teams and organizations excel and some fall flat. The law of attraction is at work. So if a company, nonprofit, or other organization has never taken the time to articulate its WHY, how can they possibly know how to attract and connect people to successfully carry out their mission or cause? And vice versa, how can anyone identify or support an organization with gusto and vigor if they don’t understand what, exactly, they’re connecting to? Trying to be all things to all people is exhausting. And it’s not sustainable. That’s why teams burnout and individuals get frustrated. Either the individual WHY doesn’t align with the tribal WHY, or in the absence of an articulated WHY, people naturally start looking out for their own self interests. There’s another term for that, I just can’t write it here. Hint: It rhymes with Hit Show. ;) Do yourself a favor. Take time to discover your WHY. It’s a journey worth taking.  All of us remember the Hans Christian Andersen fable of the emperor who was deceived into thinking he was wearing beautiful new garments. These garments, he was told, were invisible to those who were stupid or incompetent. The emperor, not wanting to appear stupid or incompetent, parades through the crowd wearing only his underwear. The crowd plays along because THEY don’t want to appear stupid or incompetent either. It isn’t until a small child cries out the truth (uh...he’s not wearing any clothes, folks), that everyone is forced to admit the reality of the situation.
Oh, the business lessons we can learn from this story! When teams can’t or won’t be open and honest with each other, they are simply parading around in false clothing. You become your own worst enemy. Organizations desperately want to be led by people willing to do the right thing, and make the hard calls. That’s what healthy teams do. To become a healthy team, you need to “get naked” the right way:
For some teams, having an outside facilitator can be extremely beneficial. If you think you need one...get one. Becoming a healthy team takes time and practice. Be kind. Be patient. Be intentional. Do what it takes to be a great team.  I was recently talking to a friend who had read Traction, a long time ago, so he asked me to provide a quick recap to refresh his memory. As I provided the highlight reel of this operating system widely used by organizations of all shapes and sizes to articulate direction and accountability, he began to nod and then said, “Yeahhhhh...I remember now. It all just seemed so...simple.” Skepticism crept across his face.
Simple? It was not the reaction I was expecting, but it got me thinking: What’s wrong with simple? And how many other leaders out there have had a similar reaction? I’ll never know the answer to that, but let me shed some clarity on the concept of simple:
The art of simplicity is anything but simple. But our job as leaders is to communicate a course for our teams clearly and articulately. So if that makes Traction simple, so be it.  The leadership of any organization worth its salt and pepper, has taken the time to clearly articulate their core values (the foundation on which all is built); along with who they are; and why they exist. They’ve got a one-year plan with goals, and a strategy to reach them. They are crystal clear on all of these.
Nice work...this is important stuff. But failing to clearly communicate these messages to the rest of the organization is a missed opportunity to engage your teams, and build and enhance your culture. And culture, my friends, is perhaps the last frontier anyone can truly compete on. Strategies and tactics can be copied, but no one can duplicate your culture. Engaged employees are those committed to the organization’s values and goals; motivated to contribute to its success; and feel personally aligned with the mission. In short, they feel connected. There are mountains of articles and information on this topic. So for those of you who are StrengthsFinder fans, allow me to use my strengths of Input (read voraciously and file away lots of bits of information) and Arranger (now let me put them into a context for you) to summarize some of the reasons you should care about this. Happy employees help businesses thrive. Remember the California happy cow campaign? Great cheese comes from happy cows. Listen to the cows. People like to know and understand where they’re going. No one marches forth in the dark with confidence. Forget all those scary movies where people head boldly down to the basement in the dark. That doesn’t happen in real life. Ever. Great talent is hard to find, and it’s expensive to replace. Some research by Gallup suggests that less than one third of the American workforce feels engaged in their jobs, and that it’s one of the top reasons for people to leave an organization. More so than their pay. Trust me, I could go on. But I think you get the idea. Shine a light...and shine it brightly. People need to hear the messages with great consistency and repetition. I’m an EOS implementer (a.k.a. Traction coach). And I care not only about helping teams get clear on their picture, but that they have a plan to share it with everyone. That’s where the real magic happens. And if you need help creating the magic, we should talk. |
AuthorMICHELE KROLCZYK Archives
March 2019
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