A Model to See You Through the Crisis

For companies running on EOS (and even those who aren't...yet), the Entrepreneurial Operating System offers a playbook for this unprecedented moment. The following are the six components that make any business strong. Let's look at each component through the lens of a crisis. 

1) VISION: To be a strong organization, you have to have everyone aligned around your company's vision. Imagine a company, with all workers remote, that is not rowing in the same direction and not understanding the purpose, direction, values, and plans of the business? That adds chaos to disruption.

2. PEOPLE: To be a strong organization, you have to have all the right people in the right seats. This means everyone has to live your core values and be great at their jobs. Imagine a company today where that's not true, and how disadvantaged they are compared to one that's strong in this component. If you have right people in the wrong seats (they get your core values but aren't effective in their jobs) you're limping as you try to get work done remotely. If they're wrong people in right seats (they do their jobs well but they don't adhere to your culture and values) they cause massive upheaval even in the best of times. In a crisis, they're especially toxic. So you need the right people in the right seats, right now.

3. DATA: To be a strong organization, you have to measure key data points weekly and have people responsible for achieving those measurables. Right now, wouldn't you want to be a business that can manage to its numbers, with individuals taking real accountability, even when they can't be together?

4. ISSUES: To be a strong organization, you have to have a streamlined process for solving issues as they arise. Companies that run on EOS know how to identify, discuss and solve their issues systematically. There is no issue, even in a crisis, that can't be "IDS'd" if you know how to do it.

5. PROCESS: To be a strong organization, you need to have your core processes documented in a simple way, and then followed by everyone. Imagine a company with processes that are not written and followed in a time like this. If you're strong in this area, your business has a far better chance of continuing no matter what the disruption.

6. TRACTION: To be a strong organization, you need two things: accountability through a handful of 90-day goals, with champions for each one; and a weekly leadership team meeting (virtual, of course) that's highly organized, formatted, efficient and that leads to specific short-term action items that will be done by next week's meeting. The EOS Level-10 meeting format accomplishes all those goals.

The 8,000+ companies that run on the Entrepreneurial Operating System are going to make it through to the other side of this disruption. If you don't run on EOS yet, you can start by reading Traction by Gino Wickman.

#eos #traction #Covid-19 #smallbusiness #GinoWickman