Choosing the Right “Operating System” for Your Business

When business coaches talk about selecting an operating system for a business, they aren’t talking about whether to go with Microsoft, Apple or Linux products. Just as a computer’s operating system organizes day-to-day activities and long term data points in order to simplify tasks and store information, a company’s operating system consists of the ways that business is carried out by the leadership team and all employees in the course of daily business.

Business coaching teaches us that an operating system defines the way the a business operates, including how priorities are set, how the plan and vision for the business are carried out, the terminology that is used, how meetings will be run and how communication with employees will take place. For leadership teams and the rest of the organization, a businesses operating system works like a playbook for the entire business, outlining exactly what play to run next in order to make the business more efficient and prepared for long-term success.

A company’s operating system is a 360 degree view into how the business operates and can either lead a business toward success or drag it down with unnecessary details or complications. A business coach will often use the analogy of a sports team when discussing a business operating system. Just as you can’t run a successful sports team without a clear, concise coaching method and team structure in place, a leadership team must also have a system in place that dictates how the business is run.

EOS is one operating system that keeps everyone in the organization on the same page. Even the most talented and most experienced leadership teams can’t be effective in running a business without first settling on a single operating system for the company. Having more than one system in place, or having no system at all only causes confusion and setbacks for the business instead of promoting growth and development. Implementing EOS means that businesses have a clear vision into their goals and can execute processes and solutions quickly and easily.