If you’re familiar at all with EOS, you’ve heard or read the phrase, “Clarify, Simplify and Achieve Your Vision.” I’ve been thinking a lot about that phrase lately, and let me say explicitly that it’s a lot more than a tagline.
Take just the first word – “Clarity.” A skeptic might find it easy to dismiss a word like that as a bit cliché, or as “easier said than done.” So how does clarity create real, enduring value? Let me count the ways:
- More than 30 of my clients have made major “People Moves” after using the Accountability Chart, Core Values and People Analyzer to clearly identify the root causes of at least one frustrating and costly People Issue
- By answering the eight questions on the V/TO, another 30+ clients have aligned themselves around a common Vision. With everyone rowing in a single direction, the team spends less time worrying, analyzing and arguing, and more time getting things done.
- Clarity also helps create real value for your company when you reach outside the organization. Several of my clients have used the V/TO, Accountability Chart and other EOS Tools to quickly and clearly tell investors, key hires and strategic partners where they’re going and how they plan to get there.
This last point can’t be stressed enough. An entrepreneur who can clearly explain where the business is going and how it plans to get there is surprisingly rare. It’s even better when you’re able to do that and show a potential partner that you have the right people and processes in place and have learned how to consistently execute on your plan. When you can do that, you’ll stand out as the owner of a rare and precious thing – a truly great business.
Don’t take my word for it. I’ll close with a direct quote from the owner of a company just beginning its EOS journey:
“The V/TO was one of the single best selling tools I’ve ever had with an investor. In a very short period of time, he got what we were about, where we were going and how we planned to get there. It was pretty cool.”
