Unity of Purpose, EOS, and Agile

Leadership has a lot of responsibility for a company. This is obvious, but sometimes, the most critical aspects of how leadership moves a company forward are overlooked or seen as fluff.

I see this as well when companies want to implement agile software development to improve the speed of their development teams.

What is this fluff I speak of?

Unity of Purpose.

Most companies I’ve worked with have struggled to prioritize this. They failed to identify a mission or vision statement, have clear values, and uphold and live those values.

Many leadership teams see these things as nice to have. They don’t see them as more than pretty words on a website or hung on the walls in an office.

When I come into a company to help, the development teams are overwhelmed. While there are many process improvements, mindsets, and behaviors that I can coach on changing, the real problem is that there lacks an apparent unity of purpose.

What is Unity of Purpose?

There are many things that, to some, can seem insignificant on their own but add up to huge tidal waves of productivity.

Clear Mission and Vision for the company.

Everyone in the organization should be able to remember the company's mission and vision, why we do what we do, and how we do it.

Clear Company Values

These are the behaviors we want to see in every interaction, internally and externally. Respect for People should always be included.

Clear Goals

Having a clear goal means everyone can identify what work is required to achieve the company’s desired outcomes. This is a clear distinction from outputs. Outputs mean everyone’s busy; outcomes mean everyone’s productive.

Unity of Purpose has some clear benefits for your organization:

Decision Making: When everyone understands and aligns with the company's mission, vision, and values, making decisions supporting the organization's goals becomes more straightforward. This empowers employees at all levels to make choices that align with the company's direction, reducing the need for constant oversight and micromanagement.

Increased employee engagement and motivation: Employees understand how their work contributes to the company's success, giving them a sense of meaning and purpose in their roles. Employees who feel connected to the organization's mission and values are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their work.

Enhanced collaboration and reduced conflict: With a shared understanding of the company's goals and values, employees are more likely to collaborate effectively and work towards common objectives. A strong Unity of Purpose reduces the likelihood of conflicts arising from misaligned priorities or competing agendas.

Increased resilience and adaptability: In times of change or uncertainty, a strong Unity of Purpose is a guiding light, helping the organization stay focused on its core objectives. When faced with challenges or setbacks, employees united by a common purpose are more likely to adapt, persevere, and find innovative solutions.

Improved customer experience and brand reputation: A company with a clear mission and consistently upholds its values creates a positive and memorable customer experience. Consistency in messaging and actions across the organization helps build customer trust and loyalty, ultimately strengthening the company's brand reputation.

Unity of Purpose also allows your organization to create organization and team norms. Norms are a set of agreed-upon behaviors and expectations that guide how team members interact and work together. These norms help create a positive and productive team culture by clarifying communication, collaboration, and problem-solving processes. Some examples of team norms include:

• Encouraging open communication and asking for help when needed.
• Using designated digital platforms for work-related discussions.
• Ensuring that meetings have clear agendas and that all attendees have a specific role.

By establishing explicit team norms, organizations can foster an environment where employees effectively understand what is expected of them and how to work together towards common goals. This clarity reduces confusion, minimizes conflicts, and enables teams to focus on delivering value. Moreover, well-defined team norms can help attract and retain employees who align with the company's culture and values, creating a more cohesive and unified workforce.

EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) provides a toolbox and guidance for clearly defining the company's mission, vision, values, and goals.

• It provides a structured framework for setting goals, prioritizing tasks, and measuring progress.
• It helps leadership teams identify and address issues more effectively, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making.
• It improves communication and collaboration by creating a shared language and understanding of the company's priorities and objectives.
• It clearly defines roles, responsibilities, and expectations, enhancing accountability and performance.

However, the first step comes from your company’s mission, vision, and values outlined in the Vision Traction Organizer, V/TO. EOS helps companies establish the components for creating a unity of purpose in their organization.

Agile practices benefit from Unity of Purpose in the following ways:

Alignment with company goals: When a company has a clear mission, vision, and values, it becomes easier for agile teams to align their work with its overall objectives. User stories, features, and priorities can be defined to contribute directly to the company's goals, ensuring that agile teams are working on the most valuable initiatives.

Improved prioritization and decision-making: A strong Unity of Purpose helps agile teams make better decisions when it comes to prioritizing tasks and features. When faced with competing priorities, teams can refer to the company's mission and values to determine which work items will impact the organization's success.

Enhanced collaboration and communication: Agile methodologies emphasize collaboration and communication among team members, stakeholders, and customers. When everyone shares a common understanding of the company's purpose and goals, it becomes easier to have meaningful discussions, provide feedback, and work together towards a shared vision.

Faster adaptation to change: Agile teams are designed to be flexible and responsive to change, allowing them to adapt to new information or shifting priorities quickly. With a clear Unity of Purpose, agile teams can more easily determine how to adjust their work to accommodate changes while delivering value that aligns with the company's objectives.

Increased motivation and engagement: Agile teams thrive on a sense of purpose and the ability to see the impact of their work. When team members understand how their efforts contribute to the company's mission and goals, they are more likely to be motivated, engaged, and committed to delivering high-quality results.

Metrics and feedback loops: Agile practices rely on metrics and feedback loops to measure progress, validate assumptions, and continuously improve processes. A clear Unity of Purpose helps define agile teams' metrics and success criteria, ensuring they measure what matters most to the organization. Agile teams can make data-driven decisions that support the organization's overall direction by tying metrics and feedback to the company's goals and values.

Unity of Purpose is crucial for any organization striving to succeed. By clearly defining the company's mission, vision, values, and goals, leaders create a shared sense of direction and purpose that guides decision-making, prioritization, and collaboration at all levels of the organization.

EOS provides a structured framework for establishing and maintaining Unity of Purpose, offering tools like the Accountability Chart and Level 10 Meetings to ensure everyone is aligned and working towards common objectives. When combined with Agile practices, a strong Unity of Purpose enables teams to deliver value more effectively, adapt to change quickly, and continuously improve their processes.

However, the benefits of prioritizing Unity of Purpose extend far beyond just EOS and Agile. Organizations with a clear and compelling purpose tend to have more engaged and motivated employees, better customer experiences, and stronger brand reputations. They are also more resilient in the face of challenges and better equipped to seize new opportunities.

Establishing and maintaining a Unity of Purpose should be a top priority for leaders looking to drive meaningful change and achieve lasting success. By investing time and effort into defining the organization's mission, vision, values, and goals and ensuring that these elements are deeply ingrained in the company's culture, leaders can create a powerful foundation for growth, innovation, and long-term success.

So, if you haven't already, take the time to clarify your organization's Unity of Purpose. Engage your team in the process and ensure everyone understands and embraces the company's direction. By doing so, you'll be well on your way to building a more focused, aligned, and successful organization, no matter the challenges and opportunities ahead.