BAT _ MAP : CORE ALIGNMENT TOOL
ROBIN WAS already waking up most nights at 2 a . m . with cash flow concerns . She was tired and frustrated after more than two decades of running a family business by the seat of her pants . A few months earlier , a business coach suggested she read Traction by Gino Wickman , and a light bulb went off . The book described her company ’ s situation and provided a system to remove the frustration . Robin wanted to end the pain , so she learned how to implement the system through a training course . After completing the course , she started implementing it in her family company . An early step in the process is a tool that helps leaders see which people on the team show up in alignment with the company ’ s core values . The company ’ s leaders went around the table to score how they perceived each team member showing up in relation to the core value “ Doing What You Say ,” her brother rated her a “ plus-minus ,” which translates that “ sometimes ” Robin does what she says . It hit her between the eyes . She couldn ’ t let it go . She kept replaying it in her mind as she fell asleep . A few weeks later , she was running late ; a deadline would be missed . She called her brother from the car . He listened . He paused . And said “ plus-minus .” The phone went silent . Robin was starting to see her blind spots . She was not passionate about the business and felt stuck . It was taking a toll on her and her family . Fortunately , Traction had led her to a proven process called the Entrepreneurial Operating System , or EOS , which helped her reignite her passion by giving her and the team the tools it needed to remove the frustration and gain control of the business that was controlling them . Robin and the team finished implementing the system . After flatlining for years , the company experienced its best years . The 2 a . m . cash flow concerns went away . The company no longer needed Robin to fight fires . Robin was free to do what she wanted . Today , she is The Traction Expert . She implements EOS Traction for companies , empowering them to take control , remove the frustrations , build culture , and most importantly , get people on the same page with where they are going and how they are going to get there . But how does EOS work ? Robin explained , “ it is a complete system with simple tools that will help you get three things : Vision , Traction and Health .” Working with an EOS implementer , the leadership team works on strengthening the six key components of their business : Vision , People , Dates , Issues , Process and Data . The EOS implementer empowers leaders to address misalignment and dig down deep to get to the root issues holding the organization back from reaching its full potential . EOS helps leaders plan for expected results and then compare them to actual results to determine what must be addressed to achieve the company ’ s long-term objectives . From Robin ’ s unique perspective , she has seen how leaders are often unaware of how they come across to people within the company , and this creates blind spots that hold the company back . Robin told the story of implementing EOS with a company run by a “ dictator .” The dictator ran the business with short , crisp directives . “ Hello ” and “ Good morning ” were superfluous . The dictator was frustrated the leadership team wouldn ’ t lead . Robin witnessed the communication style escalate into a shouting match . The team members were frustrated with the dictator but were afraid to say anything . Robin used DISC personality profiles so the team members could better understand the preferred communication styles of each team member . They could see the leader ’ s profile . The reason why there was no “ Hello ” in the morning was not because the leader didn ’ t like them ; rather , it was just the way the leader was wired . And the leader could understand how the team members needed more interactive communication . Robin could see the team would not be able to implement EOS successfully until they could trust each other . She utilized Patrick Lencioni ’ s “ Start-Stop ” exercise from his book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , where each member of the team communicates what others should start and stop doing . Empowered by understanding their leader ’ s preferred communication style , team members spoke directly . They let the leader in on what they needed her to stop “ telling ” and start “ asking ”. This insight gave the leader the opportunity to own changing her behavior . The team bonded and is now crushing it . And it started with the leader saying “ Hello ” in the morning . Implementing EOS energizes Robin . Her client meetings often involve “ entering the danger ” to help the leaders see their blind spots that are difficult to see on their own and that people in the room do not want to bring up . Robin recalled one episode when at the end of a difficult meeting with a client ’ s leadership team , one of the partners came to her and with tears in his eyes said , “ I have been waiting to have that conversation for thirty years .” Can a Leader Be Confident EOS Will Generate a Return On Investment ? EOS encourages its implementers to offer the pay-for-value guarantee . At the end of each session , if the leader is not satisfied with the value delivered , then they only pay for the value delivered . Robin has never had a session paid at a rate below than the pre-agreed-upon price . Over the first year of implementation , a leadership team will spend on average forty hours at off-site leadership meetings and ninety minutes per week in productive leadership meetings to process issues and identify weekly action steps . And what type of results do companies get on their first-year investment ? Robin sees her clients earning a 3x – 10x return on their first-year investment . She described a recent client that doubled revenues and profits in its first year , another company that hit its three-year profit goal in two years , and a seventy-year-old company that had flatlined for decades but has now grown at 20 percent a year for three years running . For a full overview of EOS and a complimentary ninetyminute overview , please contact Robin Osborn at robin @ thetractionexpert . com .
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