Can EOS® transform your company? Yes, and Charlton Keultjes not only has the case studies to prove it, but he also has the training to help you easily integrate the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Charlton is a professional EOS implementer with over a decade of experience coaching owners and leadership teams. Jason invites Charlton to share his experiences using EOS at his former privately-held company. The pair also explore how this proven business operating system helps entrepreneurial organizations clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision.
“Everybody’s facing a ton of issues,” says Charlton, who points out that even teams meeting their benchmarks may struggle to feel accomplished or innovative. “We’re wearing a ton of hats and doing a ton of great stuff, but it’s so frustrating when you’re dealing with the same issues over and over and over.” EOS exposes pain points like the weekly meetings that don’t yield results and the disorganized org chart. Once the leadership team has identified barriers, EOS creates space to reimage roles and processes. EOS also allows teams to realign their daily strategies with long-term vision. “What Gino Wickman (the creator of EOS) wanted to do is give the everyday entrepreneur tools that can make them truly great without creating a bunch of bureaucracy,” Charlton says.
EOS employs six key components––vision, data, process, traction, issues, and people. “These are simple and practical,” Charlton says, adding, “It’s not to be confused with easy.” Implementation takes discipline and a commitment to accountability, two ingredients often missing from struggling businesses, not because the will isn’t there but because the organization’s structure is illogical or outdated. EOS is created “from a structure-first standpoint,” explains Charlton, “then we put people in.”
So, how do businesses define success under EOS? The answers are varied and speak to the system’s adaptability. “ Some people want more time with their family. Some want to be able to pass [their business] to the next generation. Some people want to grow,” says Charlton. Regardless of a company’s wish list, EOS helps teams identify what’s important, use the same language to explore opportunities, and break through barriers while keeping the organization from splintering into factions. “[EOS] is the glue that holds it together.”
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Entrepreneurial Operating System
Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business
The Three Signs Of a Miserable Job
QUOTES
“We have so many issues in companies, and I talk with clients, and they say, ‘Wow, geez, we don’t know what our issues are.’ You have so many! You’re dealing with ’em day in and day out. There’s therapy in getting ’em down on paper.”
“Most companies have vision, they have a product, they’re in the right market. They’re just not getting stuff done.”
“The things I think that we hear from people, whether it’s when they’re hitting the ceiling, or they’re just frustrated before they come to us, is they feel like they don’t have control of the business. [ ] EOS helps you get that control.”
“I love learning, love connecting with people, and then, I love sharing the things that I’ve learned to help those people solve their problems.”
CONNECT WITH JASON
CONNECT WITH CHARLTON
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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth, and achieve personal goals.
This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.
Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode: INxSQL Distribution Software, an integrated distribution ERP software designed for the wholesale and distribution industry.
