When you live these seven beliefs exactly as written in pages 41–43 of Data, your company goes from “flying blind” to “predictive autopilot.”
The Tale of Two Service Firms
Picture two 80-person IT-services companies: same market, same headcount, same 10-hour workdays.
- BlueByte embraced every one of the seven Data Truths
- GrayWave skimmed the chapter, nodded, and never changed a habit
Eighteen months later, BlueByte’s EBITDA doubled, cash-on-hand averaged seven weeks, and employee engagement scores hit 91 percent. GrayWave scraped by, missing quarterly goals four times straight and “holding cash for payroll” every third Friday.
What separated them? Belief. BlueByte’s leaders treated the seven Truths like non-negotiable laws of physics; GrayWave treated them like motivational posters. Choose your path and use this guide to install the Truths, verbatim, inside your 10- to 250-person company.
Why Data Sits at the Center of EOS
Vision sets the destination, and People row the boat, but Data is the GPS that tells you whether you’re actually moving or just churning water. Objective numbers cut through anecdotes, politics, and “hopium,” giving teams a clear windshield instead of a fogged-up rear-view mirror.
Yet numbers only work when you believe in the mindset that powers them. These are the seven Truths straight from pages 41–43 of Data. Treat them like commandments because companies that doubt even one Truth rarely reap the benefits.
Truth #1: What Gets Measured Gets Done
“The simple act of being serious about consistent measurement will create more awareness, which creates pressure to take action, which drives results.”
Install It: Choose 5–15 weekly leading indicators for your company Scorecard. When BlueByte put “qualified demos booked” on the board, sales calls jumped 28 percent in two weeks because reps watched the number turn red and self-corrected before their manager ever asked.
Be ruthless about what you measure. Wrong metric → wrong behavior → wrong result.
Truth #2: Managing Metrics Saves Time
“The time you spend creating [a Scorecard] and then reviewing it weekly will save you a bunch of time later in avoidable mistakes, miscommunications, and wasted action.”
Install It: Cap the Scorecard review at 30 minutes of your Level 10® Meeting. Red numbers jump straight to the Issues list, cutting side conversations. BlueByte’s leadership reclaimed nearly four hours per week after swapping rambling updates for a 10-second metric check-in.
Truth #3: A Scorecard Gives You a Pulse & Ability to Predict
“A Scorecard provides an accurate picture of your current reality, while also giving you a credible look into the future of your business.”
Install It: Treat each metric like a two-week rumble strip. When “pipeline dollars” dipped below target, BlueByte had 14 days to add outbound campaigns before revenue cratered. Leadership stopped bracing for surprises and started steering proactively.
Truth #4: You Must Inspect What You Expect
“Employees respect what management inspects.”
Install It: Review every metric, every Monday: no skipped weeks, no blank cells. If “hours logged” is missing, the Scorecard Champion pings the owner that morning. Consistency signals seriousness; inconsistency signals “optional.”
Truth #5: You Can Have Accountability in a Culture That Is High Trust & Healthy
“Accountability to each other is what drives trust; it doesn’t undermine it.”
Install It: Publicly praise green numbers. When a metric turns red, coach privately or in the Level 10, if the team can help. One-on-ones are optional in EOS and are used only when a seat’s number stays red for multiple weeks. BlueByte’s support rep missed “tickets resolved in 24 hrs” twice; her leader asked, “What’s blocking you, and how can I help?” and then provided macros and training. The number flipped green the next week, and trust was intact.
Truth #6: A Scorecard Requires Hard Work, Discipline & Consistency to Manage, but It’s Worth It
“No high-level math skills are required… but commitment and consistency are non-negotiable.”
Install It: Block 20 minutes Friday afternoon (or first thing Monday) for prep. Automate data pulls where possible; manually enter the rest without fail. BlueByte’s Ops Manager fought the discipline for two months, then admitted the habit saved her triple the time in firefighting.
Truth #7: One Person Must Own It
“One person needs to be responsible for the discipline of completing the Scorecard each week.”
Install It: Designate a Scorecard Champion, often the Integrator, whose sole job is ensuring every cell is filled by 9 a.m. Monday. If the champion is out, they appoint a backup. When GrayWave forgot to assign ownership, their Scorecard arrived half-blank three of the first six weeks, killing momentum.
AI Assist: Pressure-Test Your Numbers in Two Minutes
Need fresh ideas or a sanity check? Open ChatGPT and paste this prompt:
“Act as an EOS Implementer. For my [industry] company (revenue [X], headcount [Y]), list 5–15 weekly, leading indicators for a company Scorecard and one number per seat in this Accountability Chart: [paste chart]. Return a table with ‘Metric,’ ‘Owner,’ and ‘Why It Predicts Success.’ Flag any gaps where Truth #1, #2, or #3 is missing.”
Compare the model’s list to your real-world levers. Keep the gems, discard the fluff, and finalize your Scorecard.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
| Pitfall | Violated Truth | Quick Fix |
| Vanity Metrics (tracking impressions instead of leads) | #1 | Swap for an activity that directly drives revenue. |
| Skipped Reviews | #4 & #6 | Lock Scorecard review into the Level 10 agenda; never skip. |
| Shared Ownership | #7 | Assign a single name per metric and a single champion for the whole card. |
| Metrics Turn Red but Nothing Happens | #2 & #5 | IDS® immediately; coach, don’t blame. |
| Data Lag (numbers updated days late) | #3 & #6 | Automate feeds or track a faster proxy metric. |
Your 7-Day Sprint to Live the Seven Truths
- Print the Seven Truths and post them in your conference room
- Draft or refine your Company Scorecard (Truth #1)
- Assign a Scorecard Champion and confirm owners for every metric (Truth #7)
- Schedule a 30-minute Scorecard review inside next Monday’s Level 10 (Truths #2 & #4)
- Cascade one departmental Scorecard this week (Truth #2)
- Give every seat a number—use the AI prompt if stuck (Truth #3)
- Coach, don’t criticize when a metric turns red; celebrate the first all-green week company-wide (Truth #5)
Repeat this rhythm for 13 weeks. Hard? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Ask BlueByte’s CFO, who now forecasts cash within ±3 percent and sleeps eight hours a night.
Bottom Line
When your entire leadership team truly believes:
- What gets measured gets done
- Managing metrics saves time
- A Scorecard gives you a pulse and the ability to predict
- You must inspect what you expect
- You can have accountability in a culture that is high-trust and healthy
- A Scorecard requires hard work, discipline, and consistency to manage—but it’s worth it
- One person must own it
…then numbers become a powerful tool, not a paperwork chore. You’ll spot problems early, steer with confidence, and watch profit climb while stress falls. Ready to start? Download the free 90-Day Scorecard Template and lock in Truths #1–#3 this week. Master the rest, and your business shifts from uncertain to unstoppable.
