management
BUSINESS BUILDERS
Visionary and integrator tandem creates mix for EOS success by Barbara Voorhees
TIPS 1. The role of the integrator is to free the visionary from the dayto-day allowing them to focus on what they do best. 2. If you are feeling trapped by day-to-day operations or feel you are missing opportunities, consider talking to an Integrator. 3. Find the right Integrator to fill your needs, business size and budget. If you are not ready for a full-time integrator, consider a fractional integrator. 4. Visionaries and integrators are very different. They complement each other in order to create a harmonious relationship built on trust, clarity and vision. 5. Seek out organizations that have an integrator and ask them how their business has benefited since adding someone in that role.
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UPSIZE MAY • JUNE 2019
What is EOS and why your business should consider it EOS (a registered trademark of EOS Worldwide) stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System. It comes from the book Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman. EOS lays out a complete set of simple concepts and tools designed to help business owners and their teams clarify and execute their vision, become a healthier and more functional team, and successfully grow their business. There are more companies using EOS to run their organizations in Minnesota than in any other market. Business owners are attracted to its easily relatable concepts and tools. Whether a business tries a few tools for its particular situation, implements EOS by itself, or hires a trained Implementer to work with its team, EOS has grown a strong following in Minnesota. Key Players EOS revolves around three critical roles: • The visionary, typically the business owner, is the person with the vision and ideas for the business. They typically have that big picture ability to solve problems and those big relationships that get companies to the next level. • The implementer is an external coach, teacher and facilitator. Through a set of meetings with exercises, an implementer helps get the EOS tools in place. With quarterly sessions the implementer gets the team into a rhythm to achieve their goals.
• The integrator is a hands-on member of the leadership team who listens to the visionary’s ideas and then works with the team leadership to make that vision a reality. Integrators orchestrate the business functions and ensure accountability. Integrators free the visionary from the day-to-day, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives and relationships. Integrators rank high in operations skills, marketing/sales expertise, and financial acumen. The role of the integrator Many companies are founded by visionaries, and as the company grows the visionary fills the integrator role. However, few are able to do this successfully for long because the skill sets are so different. These visionaries find that operating the business with its many details is not for them and that having someone who can lead the major company functions, maintain accountability, and manage the day-to-day is the right answer. Like a chief operating officer or general manager, the integrator supports the visionary by directing the team. Integrators are well-versed in business operations and processes. They understand how each of the functions works individually and also how they work together. This knowledge creates alignment that gets everyone rowing in the same direction. Integrators get to the root of issues and resolve them effectively. Integrators act as the tiebreaker while maintaining unity within the organization.
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