As I began to read this book, I was reminded of a book co-authored by Chip and Dan Heath in which they explain why a few ideas "stick" but most don't. It can also be said about business initiatives in that some have "traction" but most don't. That is Gino Wickman's core thesis. As he explains, most entrepreneurs experience one or (probably) more of five common frustrations: lack of control, underperforming workers, insufficient (if any) profits, limited growth potential, and dysfunctional operations. In a phrase, they can't "get a grip" on their business. What they need is what Wickman characterizes as a "holistic, self-sustaining system that addresses the six aspects of a business": Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. What he offers is the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) that, if "mastered" (i.e. installed and then maintained properly), will enable business leaders to integrate the six components of their business "into a powerful framework that will help [them] gain traction and realize the vision [they've] always had for [their] company."

Traction, is a fantastic resource for business owners (one person businesses and up) who want to understand the PROCESS side of their business. The tag line for the book is "get a grip on your business", which is exactly what this book is written to help you do. Guiding you through a process to think through the stages of HOW a business works and apply that to your own business. Like many business books, you are thinking about the parts of your business: vision, marketing, plans, obstacles, etc. But the difference in this book, is thinking about these concepts from a SYSTEMS approach. This is invaluable and the glue that binds many concepts together. Many business owners have many of the ingredients of their business (vision, mission, goals, etc.) but struggle to know how to implement all the elements in a system that is sustainable. The traction concepts help to put it all together in a process that supports the owner to stay focused, clear and positioned to move forward.

Most EOS clients have recently finished their annual planning sessions (most in December and January).

Most entrepreneurs are flying blind – running their businesses on vague sensations, feelings and emotions, rather than data. During a week in which a company wins a big order, gets some positive feedback from a key client, and finally finds the right person to fill a key seat – the company’s owner(s) feel as though they run the very best business in the world. The following week, when the company loses a big sale, gets negative feedback from a client and has to deal with a few people issues – the owner(s) feel as though they run the most troubled company out there.

In considering all the different suggestions for how to have effective meetings, it’s important to focus on the desired outcome. Any meeting you conduct should first have clearly stated, meaningful objectives and a matching agenda to meet those objectives. Don’t meet because it just feels like you need a meeting.