I am a huge fan of gapingvoid, a company focused on culture design. One of their daily blogs talked about a company’s purpose, and defined a leader’s job as, “. . . to find the slice of glory in ‘what’ we do, no matter how mundane, and find the people who are excited by that.”

If there was ever a statement that would resonate with every EOS Implementer™ in the world (there are 350 of us as of this writing), this is it.

We refer to a company’s purpose as its Core Focus™—it is “why” a company is in business; it is not “what” a company does.

One thing is certain in business: companies and people lose focus and they get off track. Sometimes we even get a little smug and think since we are succeeding in one area, we can succeed anywhere.

A company’s Core Focus™ already exists. It is simply waiting for you to discover it and clarify it. And once you accomplish that, you and your Leadership Team must make every decision against your Core Focus™.

As I help Leadership Teams discover their purpose, they sometimes learn they are doing things that don’t fit. I have watched clients eliminate what doesn’t fit during this discovery and excelled as a result of it.

Here’s a checklist of the characteristics of a well- defined Core Focus™:

1. It’s stated in three to seven words
2. It’s written in simple language
3. It’s big and bold
4. It has an “aha” effect
5. It comes from the heart
6. It involves everyone
7. It’s not about money
8. It’s bigger than a goal

When you wake up in the morning and think about what you’re going to fight like hell for, it’s probably not going to sound like a typical corporate mission statement.

We’re human—we need to feel inspired every day. It’s pretty simple. If you want a team dedicated to making incredible things happen, give them a reason.

You may know your purpose on a high level, but articulating it and identifying your Core Focus™ can sometimes be difficult. When you’re in the thick of things and too close to it, it can be hard to define. If you need some help talking through it, I invite you to use the consult form below to request a call with me. I’ve had a lot of experience working in the weeds of a business, helping the leadership team discover their purpose. I’d be happy to help you, too. Let’s work together to articulate your purpose, define your Core Focus™, and get your company pointed in the right direction.

As a former backpacker, I was taught, “backpacking is the art of knowing what NOT to take.” Think about that for a moment—it is about focusing on the essentials because the remainder will not achieve your desired outcome.

The Appalachian Trail is 2,200 miles long, and we were fastidious about what NOT to take. We did not want our backpacks to weigh more than 60 pounds at any given time; one criterion was that every item in our packs had to serve at least two purposes.

EOS^®is about knowing what NOT to take; only we describe it as the entrepreneurial 80/20 rule. In short, the rule asserts that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts.

I encourage leadership teams to focus on the essentials that will drive the results they want to get from their business. One of the first concepts we discuss is the ability of a leadership team to simplify everything in their company. As companies grow it is not uncommon to build complexity. Perhaps to make sure nothing gets missed, or to ensure everything gets done the way we want it to get done. Leaders must master the skill of reducing complexity and obsess about simplicity. If leaders approach complexity as the enemy, it will really help them get clear about what they have to do.

The EOS Foundational Tools™ are all designed to help you simplify everything:

• Accountability Chart: creates absolute clarity around what needs to get done
• V/TO™: a 2-page strategic plan that focuses everyone on the company vision
• Rock Sheet: the 3 – 7 priorities for the next 90 days
• Level 10 Meeting™: 90 minutes weekly to work “on” the business and solve issues
• Scorecard: 5 – 15 activity-based, leading numbers that get you the results you want

Notice the numbers associated with the tools—a 2-page strategic plan, not the 50 page, bound document; 3 to 7 priorities, not 45; 90 minute focused meeting, not 3 hours; and 5 to 15 leading numbers, not 25 lagging numbers.

Remember, it is all about knowing what NOT to take. If you need help figuring that out, you can chat about it with me. The consult form below is your direct ticket to good advice from someone who knows EOS^®and has walked in your shoes. It’s tougher than you think to simplify—but complicating business processes makes them less likely to be followed. So let’s focus on the 20%, leave the 80% behind, and use the essentials to move your business forward.

I have written about a company’s Accountability Chart and Core Processes in previous blogs.

Your Accountability Chart defines your organization’s structure. It creates absolute clarity around what needs to get done, who is going to do it, and how accountability is going to flow between and among the seats in that chart to ensure it happens. An Accountability Chart gives you the truth about your company if you get it right. And the right structure will bring the right questions to the surface.

Core Processes are conceptual sequences of events that enable people in a business to do what they do. Your company has a handful of Core Processes that will create consistency and peace of mind throughout your organization when they are documented, simplified, and followed by everyone.

Think about five questions when you create your Core Processes:

1. Why do we do this?
2. When does the process begin?
3. When is the process complete? What is the specific, tangible deliverable?
4. What can we measure to know if the process worked well or poorly?
5. What’s the handoff? Who gets the deliverable and what do they do with it?

Why am I reminding you about your Accountability Chart and Core Processes today? Because there is a great connection between these two tools.

Think about a sports team you like—i.e.: football, soccer, baseball, basketball, etc. Now envision where the athletes stand on their respective field, and what position they play. Each position is their seat on the Accountability Chart—it is the team’s structure as they prepare to play the game.

Core Processes are what happens when the ball is in play. Each quarterback, pitcher, third baseman, point guard, etc. consistently follows a prescribed series of steps as they play the game. Core Processes are your playbook.

Connecting these two tools may help you see the value of each one.

Have you defined your Core Processes or finalized your Accountability Chart? Creating them is the first step, and connecting them is the second. If you’ve approached a bump in the road and need to talk it through with someone who knows the tools inside and out, let’s schedule a call. You can pick my brain with no obligation simply by filling out the consult form below.

I hope to talk with you soon about developing these tools, and show you how connecting them can make a powerful impact on your business.

Dan Sullivan, founder of Strategic Coach says, “Your procrastination is inner wisdom that tells you the goal is really great, but you’re not the one to do it.”

Sounds rather counterintuitive, doesn’t it? Well, actually it isn’t. You may find yourself committed to a new opportunity or a Rock that is exciting and clearly designed to achieve great things for your company and your team. Yet you may be wondering how you are going to accomplish it. Perhaps there are some aspects that are not quite your skill set. Perhaps there are some aspects that you absolutely do not like to do. That is when procrastination sets in.

If you are working in an organization, there is probably someone on your team who is great at the task you are procrastinating. Have a chat with that person; they may thoroughly enjoy and easily accomplish what you will postpone.

When you take advantage of someone else’s capability by enlisting them to perform an activity that takes you closer to your sweet spot, you add value to that person. You’re telling them how they can be incredibly important and useful in the organization. You also give that person a chance to multiply their abilities.

Perhaps you are a solo entrepreneur as I am, and you cannot occupy all the seats on your Accountability Chart. This is the time when you need to rely on others to ensure you remain focused on what you do best—i.e.: your sweet spot. 

At PureDirection, I rely on several experts to do what I either dislike doing or for which I have limited knowledge or skill and (gasp!) don’t want to learn. If you read my blog posts, you have been introduced to a colleague who edits my blog (I sometimes misorder paragraphs), adds the finishing touches, and corrects my grammatical and typographical errors. And then she posts the blog with unfailing precision to my website. Were it not for Laurie Zinn at Line-By-Line, LLC, I would not blog if I had to do the hard work myself.

Who can you rely on to eliminate your procrastination?

If you’d like to talk about your Rocks, your Accountability Chart, or how to delegate the tasks that aren’t in your sweet spot, please use the consult form below to schedule a free call with me. As an EOS Implementer™ and business owner, I have experienced procrastination and understand the impact it can have on you and your business. Let’s figure out together what you are best at, and delegate the rest to someone who shines in that space. You’ll turn your procrastination into productivity, and focus your time where you will truly move the needle in your business.

Here we are at the final stage of organizational change—new beginning. In the first two parts of this series, we discussed how a Leadership Team and an entire organization may initially feel a sense of loss as EOS^®is introduced, and with time everyone will enter the neutral zone where learning starts to take place.

The new beginning is the point at which people understand EOS^®, and the tools make sense and are in use throughout the organization. Everyone understands the organization’s Core Values, the Vision, how the organization will achieve that Vision, and their respective role in moving the organization forward. 

In the new beginning stage, the organization has accepted EOS^®as its operating system, and the Leadership Team’s mind is more at ease. The organization is more fun—and more profitable. Keep in mind people will periodically get stuck, hit a stumbling block—it’s only natural as we learn new material. Be sure to reinforce teaching where needed, without any sense of criticism.

It’s important to remember that each person will move through the stages of organizational change at their own pace. The organizations that receive the intended value from EOS^®are those that internalize every aspect of EOS^®, and that takes time.

How much time? I can’t tell you how much time. There is no specific date to which a Leadership Team or an organization can point and say “Aha, we have operationalized EOS^®.”

EOS^®is a process, and you often need the support of someone who knows the system to guide you through the phases and to hold you accountable. That’s where an EOS Implementer™ comes in. We help you see the value of EOS^®and how it can work in your company, and we stand by your side and cheer you on when you accomplish your goals.

If you have any questions about EOS^®, the three stages of organizational change, or how to implement it in your organization, please fill out the consult form below to request a free, 15-minute phone consultation with me. When you progress through the EOS^®process, your company will have a new beginning.

You and your entire organization are now well on your way to harmoniously orchestrating the Six Key Components™ of EOS^®. Congratulations!