Seven Keys to a Successful EOS® Rollout

As a company’s key leaders master EOS®, there comes an exciting—and sometimes scary—milestone in implementing EOS®. It is time to show the rest of the company how to use it. 

We call this the “Rollout,” and it is typically introduced in a meeting where everyone on the senior leadership team presents one aspect of the system.

Whether you roll EOS®out to one management tier at a time or take another approach, there are several things you can do in advance to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Here are seven keys to a successful rollout:

#1: Set a reasonable time frame for the rollout.

Remember, it took your leadership team about 60 days, in addition to three all-day sessions with your Implementer, to learn what you are now going to teach. Make sure you allow ample time for everyone else to get up to speed.

#2: Make sure everyone on the leadership team knows the Five Foundational Tools and your Core Values cold.

This means not just knowing each tool’s contents and how to use them, but also having a prepared explanation of each tool and Core Value ready to share with others at any time. This is a great time to share your Core Value Speech.

#3: Have your key documents prepared in advance.

Exactly how and when you roll out the Five Foundational Tools is up to you; whatever you choose to do, you should at least have a simple sheet that sets forth your Core Values and one that introduces the Five Foundational Tools.

#4: Develop a rollout presentation that every member of the senior leadership team takes part in.

This approach is far more powerful than having the CEO/President stand up and give one long, detailed speech. Involving the entire senior leadership team demonstrates to your employees that you have become a healthy, cohesive team that is on a mission to achieve the company’s vision, and you are inviting them to join you on that quest.

One of my clients used an informal meeting format. The leadership team sat on stools at the front of the room and tag-teamed the presentation, rather than each senior leader presenting one tool and presenting in the seated order.

#5: Practice your rollout presentation.

Once you have figured out which topics will be addressed by whom and everyone has written his/her speech, then practice, practice, practice! Do a dress rehearsal with everyone who will be involved in the presentation. The more you practice, the more confident you will be when you give your talk, and confidence is key if you want your words to get your workforce as fired up about EOS®as you are.

#6: Consider giving some of your key thought leaders a sneak preview.

If you have a few star employees who are thought leaders and are especially strong on your Core Values, give them a preview. You may get some valuable feedback from these folks, and it will give you a chance to rehearse your rollout presentation.

#7: Try to over-communicate your message.

Actually, over-communicating the message can’t be done; you can’t repeat yourself enough. Repetition is essential to creating clarity in your organization. You will have to say key words like “vision” and “core values” at least seven times before people begin to take notice and really start to listen. The advice I give my clients is, “Tell ’em 7 times, 7 ways.” Just keep talking about EOS®in your rollout meeting, your weekly Level 10 meetings, in company newsletters, emails from the Visionary and/or Integrator, and in your one-on-one conversations. Try to repeat yourself “too much”, and you’ll probably be doing it almost enough.

As you plan and prepare for the rollout, remember you do not have to roll out all the tools at once. Be sure to roll out the tools with which your leadership team is comfortable, understands completely, and is satisfied. For example, if the leadership team is not yet completely satisfied with the Scorecard, you are not ready to share it with the rest of the company.

One final point to remember as you plan your rollout is that this is the beginning of a process. It will take about two years for this system to fully gel with everyone and become the backbone of your company’s culture, but ask anybody who has seen the process through to the end — it’s worth the wait!

As an EOS®Implementer, I have the exciting privilege of leading each company I work with through their own EOS®journey. My excitement stems from walking in your shoes—owning a business, working in it instead of on it, and more or less feeling like I was spinning my wheels. But EOS® helped me change all that. EOS® is a set of simple, practical business tools that gave me a foundation and focus, and I’m confident it can do the same for you.

Do you have specific questions about the process or would you like to know more about the rollout? If so, please use the form below to request a 15-minute phone consultation with me. The EOS®Rollout marks a new chapter and direction for your company. Let’s talk about how to get it started.