The 6 EOS Components of Entrepreneurial Success: Issues (Part 4 of 6)
The EOS component of Issues is meant to dissolve the negativity surrounding obstacles and challenges throughout an organization, so they can be resolved without the emotion that usually surrounds this area of operations.
“We’ve got an issue to work out.” Hearing that statement or any variation of it can send shivers down our spine. We tend to think that issues are bad, and we want to avoid them. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) maintains that a company’s leadership team sets itself up for optimal success when it welcomes issues and tackles them as they start to form rather than react to them after they’re fully developed.
Problem-solving is a key skill for every member of your leadership team. The EOS component of Issues is meant to dissolve the negativity surrounding obstacles and challenges throughout an organization, so they can be resolved without the emotion that usually surrounds this area of operations. One of the most productive approaches we’ve found was to remove the bad rep from the word “argument,” and then learn to argue correctly. When your leadership team follows this, the best ideas will win.
It gets ugly
An issue is a problem. If you approach business leadership with the EOS method, areas of operation are owned by a specific member of the leadership team, and he or she is expected to be able to report on this area using objective data. It’s a by-the-numbers view that’s supposed to remove interpretation or second-guessing.
Problems often begin when this issue comes up for discussion—which is mainly because there are stakeholders involved, so it becomes an argument. It’s human nature for the owner of this area of operations to feel protective.
The sad truth about these types of discussions within most leadership teams is that the best solution to the issue seldom wins. It’s usually the loudest idea, which is championed by the person who has the biggest emotional attachment to the issue—the owner of this area of operations.
We’ve already learned from our closer study of the EOS concept of data that the productivity and success level of your leadership team is greatly enhanced when you’re able to remove the subjective element from what’s measured. This same concept must be applied to working through issues the team uncovers.
Otherwise, subjective elements can quickly result in emotions taking power over data, damaging the resolution process as a result. Leadership team members lose their cohesiveness, and your team devolves into a group of individuals who are not working together.
This is where the EOS concept of Identify, Discuss, and Solve – or IDS – comes into play. IDS provides an outline for effective problem solving that encourages the participation of the entire leadership team in each step of the process, resulting in a cohesive and comprehensive plan to eliminate the issue for good.
Identifying the issue
You know have a problem, but where is it coming from? The first step of working towards a resolution is to define problems as clearly as possible. Often, we find that what we thought was the issue, is really a result of a larger underlying problem that hasn’t been addressed.
As your leadership team works through identifying the real issue, there should be no assumptions. Fully identifying an issue requires that you provide a clear background on the situation at hand, discuss how the issue impacts the present while considering the possible impacts the issue can have in the future. This context provides the team with a clear understanding of what is going on and how to best approach the discussion around the issue.
Discuss. The right way to argue about issues
This brings us to the next step in the IDS model, the discussion.
You’ll want to put everything out on the table, giving every member of the leadership team an opportunity to share their thoughts on the issue. It’s important to create an open environment where everyone feels comfortable giving input and asking questions.
We’ve come to expect that engaging in an argument with someone means there’s a winner and a loser. How is that possible if those participating in what you’re calling an argument are on the same team and working for a shared outcome? Aren’t we all striving for the greater good?
Author Daniel Coyle says it best. “The problem is, it’s really hard to argue well. Like any collision, every argument brings risk – will it damage our relationships? Hurt our status? As a result, many of us tend to avoid arguments, or (worse) engage half-heartedly, surrendering our position at the first sign of pushback.”
We recommend his book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, as a way to understand how to transform the way your leadership team resolves operational issues. In it, Coyle writes that the key is to change the way you think about arguments.
Our default response to them is to view arguments as negative. They create tension. Coyle’s research has shown him that strong leadership teams flip this upside-down. They instead view argument as a welcome process. What’s more, they don’t look at it as an occasional negative bump in the road. It’s a continual exercise which becomes part of obtaining feedback, locating the objective data, and using it to get better.
Coyle offers some tips he collected after observing groups.
- Keep it open. Coyle suggests holding arguments—and yes, he still calls them that—in public places. Why? It becomes a normal occurrence, getting back to his idea of being a continual exercise.
- Keep it civil. It’s fine to argue with energy or passion. It’s inappropriate to inject sarcasm or personal attacks. Neither are qualities of a member of your leadership team.
- Keep it focused on the issue. Ever notice how many arguments end up becoming a bridge to other subjects? “While we’re on this subject, let’s talk about…” Be vigilant and stay on point.
- Affirm the connection. Successful leadership teams are confident in their relationships, but some things still need to be said. They are truthful when they end an argument by expressing their gratitude.
We’ve learned from working with leadership teams that we are failing if there’s a winner and a loser in discussion we have about an issue impacting our operations. Only individuals can lose in an argument. Good teams learn that the only objective that matters in an argument is getting their point across—and the point they present is in service to the solution.
Solving the problem for good
When you work as a team to fully understand the problem at hand, finding a solution becomes much more manageable. The important thing is to leave the meeting with a concrete decision on how to proceed to solve the issue.
Coming up with the final solution will require some additional discussion. It is important that the solution is presented to and agreed upon by everyone on the team. Remember, we’re working for the greater good of the company, this isn’t personal.
Once the agreed upon solution and next steps are set, the owner of the issue becomes responsible for seeing that the action items are completed and reported on within the designated time frame, usually one week.
When you let go of the emotion and fear that often accompanies an argument, you can focus on the real issue at hand. The IDS model allows your team to leave their egos behind and work together to understand the problem and take action towards creating a permanent solution. What is your business doing to effectively solve problems?
Empower your Leadership Team and improve efficiency, increase value, and foster collaboration to get better results. A professional Facilitator can ensure that all of your members are on the same page, so you can kick your business up a notch. Connect with The Profit Recipe to Achieve Traction.