In a survey of business owners, 82% of the respondents cited people issues as their number one frustration. Employees, partners, customers, vendors – they all weren’t on the same page!
In the EOS Process™, we address this frustration head-on by asking the leadership team three questions to strengthen the People Component of their business. Let’s take a look at these questions and what makes them so effective at resolving people issues.
Is This the Right Structure?
The Accountability Chart is the ultimate tool for leadership teams to design the right structure for their business. This question forces your leadership team to step back and ensure that you have designed the simplest and best structure to take the company to the next level.
The key here is that the structure isn’t designed around people, but around what the business truly needs. No company should be structured around the strengths or limitations of any particular person in the organization. The structure should be forward-looking, 6 - 12 months into the future, not what it is today.
This exercise is simple, but it’s often not easy. It forces everyone on the team to check their ego at the door, detach from their role in the business, and focus solely on what’s best for the organization.
Are All the Right People in the Right Seats?
Once the structure is right, we can move on to determine whether the right people are in the right seats (RPRS). RPRS simply means that everyone in the company shares the company’s core values, and they GWC™ their seat. They Get It, Want It and have the Capacity to do it.
In other words, everyone in the company is at or above the agreed-upon bar in the People Analyzer™. Anytime there is an RPRS concern, we capture it for the Issues List. Ultimately, wherever there are RPRS issues, they hold the team and the company back from achieving the Vision. They either don’t share the company’s Core Values, or they aren’t in the right seat (sometimes both)!
To answer this second question, go through the Accountability Chart. For each seat, ask if the right person is in the right seat. The goal is to get to the point where everyone on the leadership team can confidently say YES.
Do You Have Enough Time?
Does everyone on the leadership team have enough time to do what they need to do, and do it well, while living a balanced life? Most of the time the answer is initially no. Why? Because they are either in too many seats, they have RPRS issues with their direct reports, or they have failed to Delegate and Elevate™ to their highest and best use of time. They’re still hanging on to stuff that isn’t in their Unique Ability®.
If you don’t have enough time to give the business your best and also live a balanced life, you will make mistakes, drop the ball, and work longer and harder than you want. When everyone on the leadership team can confidently answer YES to this question, you’ll be in a great place to give your full creativity to the business, taking it to an entirely new level.
People frustrations are common, but your company can overcome them. Turn to the People Component of EOS® and take a fresh look at your situation. The strength of the People Component is in direct proportion to your leadership team’s ability to confidently answer YES to these three questions.
Next Steps
- Download a copy of the Accountability Chart from the EOS Toolbox™ to help you discover the right structure for your company.
- Check the strength of your company with the Organizational Checkup™.
- Request a free 90-Minute Meeting with an EOS Implementer to get a clear picture of what it looks like to run your company on EOS.
