Tools Reveal the Real Issues

Tools help us stay on point, be more efficient and effective, and get the job done. EOS Tools have an elevated purpose – they also reveal hidden issues that fester and hide in the status quo, picking away at a leadership team’s ability to elevate and excel.

When clients commit to EOS, they commit to using the tools in the EOS Toolbox. They also make a commitment to one another – to be transparent, honest, and vulnerable. When that happens, the tools reveal the issues. When leadership teams trust the tools and the process, stuff that has never before surfaced bubbles up.

• “So and so isn’t nice and isn’t great at his job.”
• “I feel like I’ll be shut down for sharing ideas.”
• “We waste so much time in meetings and never seem to move the needle”

The list is endless!

Sometimes, the truths that surface are messy and ugly – they involve lawyers, hurt feelings, blame, and finger-pointing. We’re imperfect human beings, and our dark sides can prevail when we’re in the heat of it. Working through the mess is raw and painful and hard work, but getting to the root of the issue uncovers a cancer that’s been slowly spreading its yuck throughout the organization.

My job is to facilitate teams through the yuck. If they stay stuck there, they’ll experience year after year of suffering. By deciding to wallow in their darkest selves rather than working through tough issues, teams spiral down into their own unending version of hell.

One of the struggles doing this work is to emotionally detach from issues while still loving and caring for people – a lot. It requires patience and grace. I refuse to be a witness to self-destruction. I do my very best to help, but it’s a choice. Teams that choose to address the tough issues, struggle through the pain, and move beyond the status quo are courageous. I know unequivocally that there will be cleansing from the pain and that teams will emerge stronger and more cohesive because of the struggle, and that’s what enables me to help them push through.