…won’t get you there.”

Feeling stuck in the day-to-day operations at your organization? Not sure why your organization is not moving in the direction you envisioned?

If so, I have a simple question for your consideration today: What do you anticipate will be different next quarter if you don’t do anything different today?

One of the assurances of EOS^® is that it helps Leadership Teams organize their business so they are able to build a solid, well-run organization. As a result, you create so much clarity that there is little room possible for confusion, disorder, or stagnation.

And when an organization develops clarity, each individual in the organization:

• knows they fit the organization’s Core Values
• is motivated by the organization’s Core Focus
• understands the purpose of their seat on the Accountability Chart, and their responsibilities are clear
• has a measurable that reflects their deliverables, their definition of success
• has a voice and is heard in order to spur debate, build trust, and solve issues
• is part of a system that helps them develop personally and professionally
• understands the organization’s system to balance their time and life capacity for work

I have seen leadership teams create this degree of clarity within their organizations. They eliminated their obstacles, achieved their visions, and grew to heights they could not previously imagine.

There are multiple business operating systems available. I happen to be partial to EOS^®; however, they will all help you operationalize your business. Just be sure you choose one operating system. Having more than one will not create clarity. It will lead to chaos because everyone will be speaking a different language.

If you want to know more about EOS^®, why I chose it as the business operating system for my former company, and why I’m partial to it to this day, let’s talk. Simply fill out the consult form below and we’ll schedule a convenient time to chat.

EOS^® has many of the tools you need to get unstuck and moving in the right direction. “What got you here won’t get you there,” so let’s take the necessary steps to make your business everything you always envisioned.

The dictionary defines trust as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.”

When I work with leadership teams, they frequently inform me that they trust each other. I’m sure they do, as I observe them demonstrating the level of trust that mirrors the quoted definition.

We all know trust between and among individuals is built over time. Leadership teams gradually build accountability, which helps build trust. They see Rock completion rates increase. Weekly To Do’s become “Done.” Leadership teams become more open and honest with each other.

These examples are a form of trust, but are they the level of trust that creates a high-performing leadership team that fights for the greater good every day?

There are two kinds of trust all cohesive leadership teams need to develop.

1. Predictive Trust. This is the trust defined as “assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something.” This is the knowledge that when Elmer says he will help you with a project, he actually does. Or knowing the company accountant will routinely research all accounts receivable that are past 90 days due.
   
   Predictive trust is what leadership teams build over time. It is the understanding that each person will adhere to their commitments, do what they need to do.
   
   This type of trust is exemplified in leadership team members being accountable—but it isn’t enough to help a leadership team reach their true potential.
   
   
2. Vulnerability-based trust. This type of trust will help a leadership team reach their true potential and go further than they or others expected. It requires us to become vulnerable relationally. It’s when we can admit we don’t know everything—that we made a mistake—that we need help with a Rock or an issue. And it is knowing your colleagues are here to help you, not criticize or demean you. Vulnerability-based trust places yourself in your colleagues’ hands. It is what allows a leadership team to achieve results beyond their wildest dreams.

Does your leadership team possess both these kinds of trust? If you’d like to build predictive or vulnerability-based trust in your business, or you just want to learn more about EOS, let’s set up a time to talk. Please use the consult form below to request a free phone call with me.

Oh—one more point. To build predictive and vulnerability-based trust in your organization, the leader has to take the leap of faith and go first. Ready? Set. Go.

There is a story in Traction by Gino Wickman about a CEO who is out for a walk one day. As he is walking along a trail, he falls off a cliff—and on the way down grabs onto a vine. So there he is, swinging on the vine. He looks up and it is a thousand feet to the top of the cliff; he looks down and it is a thousand feet to the bottom. He looks up again, and supposing he has nothing to lose, he asks, “Is anybody up there?” A booming voice responds, “Do you believe?” He hesitates, not sure what else to do, so he says, “Sure.” That same voice booms back, “Then let go of the vine.” Grimacing, he looks up and asks, “Is anyone else up there?”

As entrepreneurs and CEOs, we tend to hold onto the vine, meaning we don’t let others in our organizations help us operate the organization. You’ve heard the old adage, “if you want something done right, do it yourself.” That is the essence of letting go of the vine.

It’s difficult to let go of the vine. It’s scary to let go of the vine. After all, you started the company—you wore all the hats—you figured out how to provide the service or the product your clients love. 

But there is life after the vine. Thoughtfully delegating activities that you truly do not enjoy doing will help you share the entrepreneurial burden with your team. It will help you and your teams break through to the next level so you can work “on” your organization, not only “in” your organization.

Letting go of the vine helps you do what only you are uniquely qualified to do in your organization. And when you allow other team members to participate, you help them strengthen their skills; you help them do what they are uniquely qualified to do. It provides your team clear accountability and allows them to work in a coordinated manner with you.

Will you accomplish this overnight? Of course not. You will most likely let go of the vine for a bit and tighten your grip again at some point. Over time, however, you will find yourself letting go of the vine for increasingly longer periods of time. So—give it a try and see how much clearer your life and your organization can be.

If you want to learn more about letting go of the vine or speak with someone who has done it, I would be happy to share my experience with you. As a business owner who implemented EOS^® in my own company, I know first hand how hard it is to let go of the vine. But I did it and so can you. 

I invite you to request a conversation with me by using the consult form below. I am happy to answer any of your questions about EOS^® or talk about my own experience walking in your shoes. Together with your Leadership Team, I’m confident you can let go and unleash the growth your business is just waiting to realize.

It is time, once again, for me to quote gapingvoid, a company focused on culture design: 

“Your future self is more important than your present self.” 

This statement made me smile. Why? Because as entrepreneurs, it is easy to focus on our organizations. As a Visionary, it is easy to focus on our next great idea (okay, the next 15 great ideas!). We are usually so absorbed in these endeavors that we forget about ourselves.

I had coffee with a business associate yesterday, and we both chuckled at the memory of an old business cartoon captioned, “No one ever went to their grave saying, ‘If I’d only gotten one more contract!’” The point in all of this is that we owe it to ourselves, our organizations, our families, and our friends to spend time focusing on ourselves.

There are lots of ways to work on your future self; it all depends on which aspect of your future self you want to work on. Today I am focusing on a Clarity Break™.

The purpose of clarity breaks is to take time to work “on” ourselves rather than only “in” the business. Schedule some alone time, get out of your office and home, take a deep breath, and clear out all the mental clutter. That may mean finding a quiet corner in your favorite coffee shop; or a picnic table at a local park; or any other comfortable place where you can be alone. And alone includes no electronics—so put that cell phone on airplane mode. Better yet leave it in the car.

Sit with a pad of paper and a pencil, and jot down whatever comes to mind. This is not a time to judge what comes to mind, simply write it down and see where it takes you. Sometimes this is where I find my best idea, or remember a “to do” that I missed. And it’s also a time when I clear out the head trash that is distracting me.

How often should you do this? Well it depends. I recommend at least every two weeks. Personally, I notice the effect when I don’t take a break every week. This is a time to work on you, and you deserve that. This time creates safety and stability, and you need that to focus on your future.

So pull out your scheduler, pick a day and time, and where it asks if you want to set this as a recurring meeting—hit ‘forever.” It’s time to create your future self.

Want more ideas on how to shape your future self? If you’d like to pick my brain, ask questions about clarity breaks, or learn more about EOS^®, please fill out the consult form below to schedule a time to talk with me. Take the time to work on you. Shaping your future self with clarity breaks can bring you direction, refined purpose, and a better overall work-life balance.

Communication is the response you get from people. Let’s think about that for a moment. 

When we talk about communication, we generally focus on how we communicate, what we communicate, when and where we communicate.

That is all well and good, and I’m not suggesting we stop considering those aspects of our communications. Today, however, I would like you to think about another facet of communication: the essence of communication is the response you get.

I recently saw a statistic on my LinkedIn feed that said 46% of people leave a meeting having little understanding of the information they heard. I don’t know the source of that percentage; however, the number is startling and disconcerting. And it led me to wonder what each of us can do to ensure that statistic is not representative of our communication skills or prevalent in our organization. 

So here are five thoughts for your consideration:

1. The burden to communicate clearly always falls on the presenter, not the listener.
   
2. Be present; don’t allow your mind to wander as you talk with people. Take three deep breaths before you respond.
   
3. Slow down. People don’t hear what you say, they hear what they think you said. Our brains interpret what we hear and automatically make subtle changes in the message.
   
4. Listen to understand. Don’t listen to vote.
   
5. Ask great questions. The answers will add clarity to your communications and help you appreciate what people heard.

The next time you make a presentation or have a one-on-one conversation, pay attention to the response you receive. It may be just the feedback you need to be an even better communicator than you are today. It certainly helped me!

Do you want to talk more about communication strategies and the role it plays in EOS^®? I invite you to complete the contact form below to schedule a 15-minute consult with me. I can speak to the importance of communication both as a business owner and as an EOS Implementer™. Communication is a crucial part of the EOS^® process. Let’s use it to make sure our message is heard and understood.