The Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS) helps leadership teams clearly articulate their core values; understand who they are; and the reason they exist. It helps them create a one-year plan with goals, and strategies to reach them.
But it does so much more if you let it!
The next critical step is to clearly communicate these messages to the rest of the organization. You must be intentional about pulling the system all the way through to engage your teams and build and enhance your culture. And culture may very well be the last frontier anyone can truly compete on. Strategies and tactics can be copied, but no one can duplicate your culture.
Engaged employees are those committed to the organization’s values and goals; motivated to contribute to its success; and feel personally aligned with the mission. In short, they feel connected.
There are mountains of articles and information on this topic, so allow me to summarize some of the reasons you should care about this.
Happy employees help businesses thrive. Remember the California happy cow campaign? Great cheese comes from happy cows. Listen to the cows.
People like to know and understand where they’re going. No one marches forth in the dark with confidence. Forget all those scary movies where people boldly head down to the basement in the dark. That doesn’t happen in real life. Ever.
Great talent is hard to find, and it’s expensive to replace. Some research by Gallup suggests that less than one-third of the American workforce feels engaged in their jobs and that it’s one of the top reasons for people to leave an organization...more so than their pay.
When people hesitate to implement EOS®, it’s because of what I call “The Fear of Getting Naked.” They know it means they have to make themselves vulnerable and open to change for the good of the organization. For those prepared to take that plunge (you can wear your swimsuit if you want), it will be the refreshment you seek, and an important step to breaking through whatever ceiling is holding you down.
In the next blog, I’ll talk about taking that plunge. Stay tuned!