What Should You Expect When You Start Using EOS?

The Entrepreneurial Operating System® has helped more than 4,525 companies to achieve better results with less effort. That’s a compelling track record, and it makes the decision to implement EOS® simple (but not easy).

Even so, you’re going to have several questions when you decide you need to implement EOS at your company. What will it feel like for your team to implement EOS? How quickly will you achieve tangible results? How much more work will it be for your team?

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What to Expect When Implementing EOS

I often tell leadership teams that it feels like building a house as you go through the EOS Proven Process. Here’s what I mean by that.

1) Tour the model unit (90-Minute Meeting™)

The first thing you’ll probably do when building a new home in a new neighborhood is to walk around the model unit. You peek in all the rooms, visualize yourself in that house, get all your questions answered. That’s what the EOS 90-Minute Meeting is like. Your team gets the chance to ask plenty of questions, get a “feel” for EOS, and visualize what it would be like with all Six Key Components of your business running strong.

2) Dig the hole (Focus Day™)

Once you’ve committed to building your house, you’ve got to tear away what’s already on the lot. Digging the hole for the house is messy, and in no time there are piles of mud everywhere. Surprising stuff can be uncovered as the foundation hole is dug out. You can clearly see where the house will go, but it might be difficult to see how it will all come together.

The Focus Day is much like this. We dig deep into your company’s structure, roles and responsibilities. It’s messy. Surprising stuff can be uncovered as long-needed conversations finally take place. Egos tend to get bruised.

At the end of the day its normal to feel excited, energized, exhausted and overwhelmed all at the same time. You can see that this will really help your team, but it’s probably not clear yet how it will all come together.

3) Frame the house (Vision Building™ Day 1)

The foundation is poured, and the frame is up. You can see the shell of the house as it’s starting to come together!

That’s what Vision Building Day 1 is like. The EOS tools are coming together from your first session and the system is making more sense. Things aren’t as overwhelming, and you can start to see the bigger picture of how your team can objectively address people Issues.

You’ve crystallized the Core Focus for your company, which gives you a tool to keep your team on track without being distracted by shiny stuff. It’s all starting to come together now!

4) Walk through the finished house (Vision Building Day 2)

Finally the day is here: you’re ready to walk through your finished place. It’s so exciting! It was worth the process, and you’re glad you didn’t take any shortcuts on the construction – this is your dream house, and you want to enjoy it for a long time.

There’s still a lot of work ahead as you’ll need to move all your stuff in, but you’re eager and excited to do it.

That’s how Vision Building Day 2 feels. The Vision for your company is finally clear, written and agreed upon by your leadership team. And wow, you have a strong leadership team with clear roles and responsibilities. Sure, the Issues List is long and you’ve got a lot to do, but you finally know what the Issues are, and you have a way of prioritizing them.

5) Move in and maintain your house (Quarterlies & Annuals)

Moving doesn’t go without its hiccups. Some of your old stuff doesn’t fit the style of the new place. Once you’re settled in, you’ve got to stay on top of housekeeping so you can enjoy your home for days, months, and years. It takes work, but it’s worth it. After all, your guests love coming over for holiday parties.

Quarterlies and Annuals are much like this. You’re now rolling out your company Vision using the EOS 5 Foundation Tools. It’s exciting, but it can be bumpy. Some long-time great people, who are amazing people, no longer fit a role at the company. Tough decisions get made along the way.

Resetting the team’s priorities (Rocks) every 90 days keeps everyone’s energy focused on the most important items for the company, so they aren’t unnecessarily spinning their wheels.

Every year during Annual Planning, your leadership team connects at deeper and richer levels. Vulnerability-based trust grows, and the team begins to break revenue and profit goals with less effort. And to think that this was a laughable fantasy at one time!

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Ready to Tour EOS?

Maybe it’s time to get that tour of the model home. Learn more about the journey of implementing EOS. Check out this video testimonial from Cherry Republic and read Get A Grip – it’s written as a business fable that shows you what teams typically go through during every step of the journey.

Ready to start using EOS? Contact me to schedule a 15-minute call to get your questions answered. Talk to you soon!