At this point, you’re probably eager to put these tools to work in your organization. To help you get the fastest results in the shortest amount of time, I’ll outline the exact process that I use to implement each EOS tool with our clients. Ultimately, these will strengthen the Six Key Components.
The objective of this book is to teach the Six Key Components and the tools that will strengthen each of them. It’s written in a specific order using The EOS Model, basically top to bottom and right to left, in an attempt to keep the learning and understanding as linear as possible. While this is the best way to write this book and create understanding, the most effective order of implementation of each tool is different.
The objective of this chapter is to provide the exact steps in order. Following this process has proven to be the most efficient way to get the fastest results. Keep in mind that you can implement them in any order you choose, but I highly recommend you go straight down the list.
You might want to first check the overview of The EOS Process on page 63. After hands-on implementation with over 120 companies personally and an additional 300 with our team of implementers, I’ve learned the most effective way to proceed. I will first share the tool in the sequence and then the reason for that order. I won’t get into the specific how-tos, as they’re already explained in the earlier chapters.
You’ve learned a total of seven main tools in this book, with an additional 12 secondary supportive tools. Each stands on its own, but when they’re combined, you have a complete and holistic system for running your organization. As I’ve mentioned before, I suggest you implement each of the following tools only within your leadership team first. Make sure you and your leadership team have mastered them before rolling them out to the rest of your organization. Any chink in the armor of your leadership team will show up as a gaping rip to the rest of your people, so this step is vital. Once your team has fully embraced them, I’ll show you how to introduce them to the rest of your company.
The seven main tools are listed in the order of recommended implementation, along with the 12 secondary tools that go with them:
1. Accountability Chart (which includes People Analyzer and GWC)
2. Rocks
3. Meeting Pulse (which includes IDS, Level 10 Meeting, Quarterlies, and Annuals)
4. Scorecard
5. V/TO (which includes core values, core focus, 10-year target, marketing strategy, three-year picture, and one-year plan)
6. Three-Step Process Documenter
7. Everyone Has a Number
ACCOUNTABILITY CHART (WHICH INCLUDES PEOPLE ANALYZER AND GWC)
Begin by creating your Accountability Chart. The reason we start here with every client is that the chart goes to the root of most issues. First, you need to take a big step back and determine the right structure for your organization. Then you can put the right people in the right seats. Through this initial strategy, you will smoke out any people and accountability issues that are holding you back.
When complete, you’ll have absolute clarity on who is accountable for what. If this tool is set in place before you apply the remaining tools, they’ll be much more potent and effective because you’ll have created a world of accountability. For instance, with a completed Accountability Chart in place, you’ll draw up your V/TO with your leadership team with a more complete, realistic vision and plan for your organization. Without an Accountability Chart, you won’t know who clearly owns what. In this environment, teams tend to shoot a little higher, and there’s less productive discussion and debate due to increased bravado and lack of true ownership.
ROCKS
Once your Accountability Chart is complete, you should move to the second tool: setting Rocks. Once you know who is accountable for what, you set better Rocks. You want your team to evolve toward setting and achieving great Rocks every 90 days. The other reason Rocks are the second tool to implement is that it focuses your team on the most important priorities quickly and gets you to work on accomplishing them.
The reality is that the first time around, you will set mediocre Rocks and only achieve about 50 percent of them. This has been historically accurate for over 10 years with our clients. Within two or three quarters of setting and achieving Rocks, though, you and your team will become experts at Rock setting and achieving, accomplishing a minimum of 80 percent collectively each quarter.
MEETING PULSE (WHICH INCLUDES IDS, LEVEL 10 MEETING, QUARTERLIES, AND ANNUALS)
With your Accountability Chart in place and your leadership team laser-focused on their Rocks, the third tool to implement is the Meeting Pulse, specifically the 90-minute weekly Level 10 Meeting. This new habit is a bit uncomfortable at first. You’ll probably take four to eight weeks to really become comfortable with it. Still, the tool forces your team to single out what’s important every week and start solving the right problems.
Implementing the weekly Level 10 Meeting relies on the proper use of one of the secondary tools, IDS. The Level 10 Meeting forces you to use this tool to identify, discuss, and solve all relevant issues. This will help you gain immediate traction.
As for your quarterly and annual meeting pulse, you simply start those based on where you are in the calendar year.
SCORECARD
With momentum building, the fourth main tool to implement is the Scorecard. You need to develop your Scorecard into a powerful predictive tool, a process that takes one to three months. Soon you and your team will have an absolute pulse on your business. During this developmental process, you will create real accountability as you identify the right activity-based numbers to measure and clearly identify the person who ultimately owns the number. This will create instant results and ownership.
V/TO (WHICH INCLUDES CORE VALUES, CORE FOCUS, 10-YEAR TARGET, MARKETING STRATEGY, THREE-YEAR PICTURE, AND ONE-YEAR PLAN)
The first four main tools create a strong foundation of traction, accountability, and a platform from which to execute your vision. That leads to the fifth tool, the V/TO. One of the secrets to The EOS Process is that we always start with traction first and then vision. This means that we first build a strong foundation for execution with the first four main tools, then we build the vision. Frankly, the vision work is relatively simple when there is little or no discipline and accountability. Without a nuts-and-bolts foundation, devising a vision is easy. That’s why it’s so fun for many consultants who spend their time doing two-day strategic planning sessions.
Doing the tough work of putting a strong foundation of accountability in place leads to much more intense and productive planning work. You can have great discussions of what the right plan is for the organization, because your people are now being measured and held fully accountable for the objectives of the company.
Still, a question I’m often asked is, “How can you create an Accountability Chart and set Rocks before you know what your vision is?” The truth is, most organizations have a pretty good idea where they’re going already. After all, they’re not exactly starting from scratch.
The real questions to ask are these: How are you going to get the best bang for your buck with these tools? Where will you get the most impact in the shortest period of time? What I’ve learned over the last decade with over 400 companies is that this approach is it.
THE EOS FOUNDATIONAL TOOLS
The Accountability Chart, Rocks, Meeting Pulse, Scorecard, and V/TO are known as the EOS foundational tools. Implementing them into your entire company produces 80 percent of the results. As you expand the use of these tools, it’s important to introduce them one tier at a time until each person in that tier understands and embraces them, just as we did with the leadership team.
Every company moves at its own pace. Our fastest client, a 50-person organization, rolled out the foundational tools from top to bottom in six months. In contrast, our slowest client, a 70-person company, needed over three years. Neither is bad or good—you can only move as fast as you’re able to absorb the changes. A good rule of thumb is about a year. Also, a larger company will take longer than a smaller company. By the same token, a company with more tiers (layers) takes longer than a company with less. To date, our smallest client has three people and our largest has 1,700.
One important note for companies with multiple locations: It’s vital that the manager at the off-site location fully embraces and understands each foundational tool before rolling them out to the next tier in his or her location. Many times, leadership team members need to be present at locations to help teach, guide, and show support for the tools. So, if you have multiple locations, it adds an inherent level of complexity to your organization. It’s just the reality of your business model. Accepting this reality is the first step to solving it. Plan on spending the necessary time at these locations until full implementation is achieved. This additional time can be achieved through physical visits, conference calls, and webinars. All have worked well with our clients, and every company is different in terms of which approach works best.
THREE-STEP PROCESS DOCUMENTER
When you have the foundational tools fully implemented in your entire company and everyone is clear and has bought into them, the next step is documenting and training your core processes using the sixth main tool, the Three-Step Process Documenter. This is typically a six- to 12-month process, including documentation and fully training everyone.
One additional note is that some clients do begin implementing this tool prior to full implementation of the foundational tools. A simple rule of thumb is that if you feel you’re on track with the implementation of the previous tools and your leadership team has the capacity, then go ahead and overachieve by getting a jump start on implementing this tool.
EVERYONE HAS A NUMBER
The seventh and final main tool is that everyone must have a number. With most of our clients, this is the last domino to fall. While a highly effective tool, without the first six main tools in place, it’s less effective due to a lack of follow-through that stems from a lack of accountability, discipline, and strong management. However, with a strong foundation in place, everyone having a number in your organization gives you increased results.
ONGOING IMPLEMENTATION AND REINFORCEMENT
Once the above seven main tools are implemented along with the additional 12 supportive tools, it’s important to know what ongoing implementation, reinforcement, and management look like, because getting your head around all the tools at once is a lot and can get overwhelming.
Here’s a snapshot: Imagine all of the above-mentioned tools fully implemented. Every quarter, you’re in a full-day quarterly session with your leadership team, resolving all key issues, reviewing last quarter’s Rocks and setting next quarter’s Rocks, getting better and better at it every 90 days. Every year, you participate in a highly effective two-day annual planning session, challenging every aspect of your V/TO and putting a rock-solid plan in place for the coming year, with everyone on the same page.
You’re hiring, firing, reviewing, rewarding, and recognizing all of your people around core values and using the People Analyzer for all people decisions. As your organization grows, you’re making the necessary evolutionary changes to your Accountability Chart, always focused on structure first and people second, ensuring the right people are in the right seats.
You participate in a weekly Level 10 Meeting with your leadership team, reviewing your Scorecard to assure all numbers are on track. You review Rocks to make sure all priorities are on track. You’re solving all relevant issues for the week. As a result, you’re executing well as a team. In addition, each department is doing the same.
Every 90 days, you deliver a quarterly state-of-the-company meeting. That keeps everyone in your company on the same page, sharing the same vision. Each person is setting and achieving his or her individual Rocks. Your company is growing. You’re achieving your goals and building a great company.
This picture can be achieved. It is just a matter of implementing each tool in the order in which I’ve laid them out for you in this chapter.
If at any time you get stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for help.