Bottlenecked, gridlocked, congested – there are lots of ways to describe how it feels when a business gets stuck. We’ve all been there at some point in our work, and once you realize you are there, you immediately start searching for ways to get “unstuck.”
Before implementing EOS® in my business, my number one pet peeve was repeating myself. It was frustrating to feel like people weren’t listening to me, and it also seemed incredibly inefficient to say the same thing more than once. And anyone who knows me, knows that I am all about efficiency!
Employees perform most of the activities that, if measured, are usually leading indicators of future outcomes. You can’t know how well your business is doing without understanding how well the people in your business are doing. When you spend more time focused on leading indicators you’ll spend less time (after the fact) pouring over income statements and analyzing trailing indicators.
You can’t be a Great Boss if you shy away from giving feedback, both positive and negative. When you see something, you must say something. Failing to say something speaks volumes about what is important to you.
“Spreading true rumors” is a phrase I picked up when reading Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Advantage – Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. Lencioni says that the rumor mill is the most pervasive means of communication in most companies – spreading misinformation and causing confusion in the company.
Instead of trying to stop the spread of information by word of mouth, Lencioni suggests that leaders should take advantage of this medium and spread true rumors.
If you’re reading this, you just might be that founder, owner, and visionary who really struggles to let go. The company is your baby. You’ve had a hand in every aspect of it for years, and you don’t know how to feel comfortable unless you keep doing that. If that sounds like you (or the person you work for), don’t worry. You have plenty of company. And there’s hope.
