Why Traction First?

When I chat with business owners and leaders about starting their EOS journey, they often ask, "Why Traction first?"

One of the main principles of EOS is "Traction first, Vision second." At first, this might seem a little counterintuitive, but it’s actually a smart strategy designed to set your company up for long-term success and here's why this order is key.

When you start running on EOS, we focus is on gaining Traction. This means putting in place the tools and disciplines that help your leadership team get control and run your business more smoothly.

It includes setting clear priorities, improving communication, and effectively solving problems. By instilling a culture of accountability through discipline, it helps creates a more stable foundation to build your vision on.

Once the basics of Traction are in place and working well, the team can then shift their focus to the Vision, while having a clearer understanding of what the company can realistically achieve.

This makes the Vision-setting process more grounded and attainable, rather than overly ambitious or abstract. With a solid operational base, the company can set a Vision that’s both inspiring and realistic.

As Gino Wickman likes to say, “Vision without traction is merely hallucination.” The sequence of "Traction first, Vision second" in EOS is not just a procedural step but a strategic approach designed to ensure that a company is well-organised, disciplined, and executing effectively before it embarks on defining and pursuing its long-term Vision.

If you would like to find out more, get in touch.

-RF