Get A Grip: Book Overview

Are you struggling to get your business back on track? Do you feel like your company has hit a growth ceiling and internal issues are holding you back?

In Get A Grip book, Gino Wickman and Mike Paton offer a comprehensive approach to overcoming business challenges. They introduce the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a framework designed to help companies align their vision, people, and processes.

Read on to discover how Swan Services, a fictional company, implements EOS to transform their struggling business into a thriving organization.

Overview of Get A Grip

In the entrepreneurial world, obstacles often arise that challenge the vision and cohesion of a business partnership. In the Get A Grip book, Gino Wickman and Mike Paton explore how Swan Services, a technology firm encountering rapid growth and internal struggles, implemented Wickman's Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) to overcome these hurdles.

EOS is a comprehensive management framework designed to align teams, streamline operations, and drive growth. The book follows Swan Services as it adopts key EOS components—from establishing core values and accountability structures to strategic planning and execution processes. By embracing EOS, the firm's leadership team transforms its culture, regains focus, and reignites its capacity for innovation and expansion.

Swan Services Hits a Growth Ceiling

Swan Services, once a beacon of innovation and entrepreneurship, found itself grappling with significant internal challenges that threatened its growth and the stability of its core partnership. After experiencing a breakout year, the company hit a growth ceiling, with revenue and profitability stagnating.

In its eighth year, Swan Services had reached an impressive revenue of over $7 million. However, the company's growth rate plummeted from an expected 14 percent to a mere 1.5 percent increase. The first quarter of the year showed no growth at all, and profits took a hit as expansion investments failed to deliver the anticipated results.

The leadership team's inability to confront problems head-on exacerbated the situation. Instead of addressing issues directly, they often resorted to finger-pointing and exhibited misalignment in their actions. Carol, who oversaw the financial aspects of Swan, found herself in the midst of internal strife characterized by disunity and ineffective problem-solving. Eileen, another executive team member, frequently sacrificed personal time for work duties, yet the committee meetings she attended were often disrupted by conflicts and a lack of dedication.

Mounting Internal Issues

Swan Services faced a perfect storm of internal challenges. The company grappled with increased wages, the departure of key staff members, and a weakening of their core values. The sales team's performance added to the woes, failing to meet revenue goals in three out of the past five quarters. This issue was compounded by a growing trend of customer attrition.

Leadership meetings often devolved into dysfunction, with discussions frequently straying due to conflicting viewpoints. As a result, critical issues remained unresolved, with the team often attributing these challenges to external circumstances they believed were beyond their control.

The founders' frustration reached such a fever pitch that they contemplated dissolving their longstanding collaboration. Eileen and Vic found themselves at odds while navigating their leadership positions. Their disagreements exposed a fundamental division that influenced both their personal and professional relationships.

When the team was assessed using core values, it uncovered significant shortcomings, particularly the absence of trust and a hesitance to engage in candid conversations. Vic's failure to grasp the discussions surrounding Sue's decision to resign highlighted the existing communication void and perpetuated a culture where assigning blame was commonplace.

During a heated discussion, the tension among the company's founders became palpable. Eileen's choice of words, labeling Vic with an offensive epithet, signaled a partnership in jeopardy, mirroring the wider turmoil throughout the organization. This unaddressed tension led to serious discussions that hinted at the potential dissolution of their long-term business collaboration.

Implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System

To address these challenges, Swan Services turned to the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a structured and comprehensive strategy designed to tackle business challenges effectively. EOS, developed by Gino Wickman, gained recognition with his book Get A Grip and has since helped numerous organizations strengthen their leadership, harmonize operations, accelerate growth, and build unified teams.

The EOS framework rests on six essential components: the company's shared goals, its employees, the information it uses, the obstacles it encounters, the methods it implements, and the advancements it makes. By focusing on these areas, EOS helps organizations like Swan Services align all team members with a common objective, fostering a more cohesive, successful, and enjoyable corporate atmosphere.

Implementing EOS successfully addresses business hurdles by establishing a clear direction that leads to concrete, actionable outcomes. Companies often see improved team output and increased financial returns as a result. The effectiveness of the EOS process hinges on having a facilitator who ensures that the company utilizes the necessary instruments for each essential element.

Key EOS Tools and Strategies

Swan Services integrated several key EOS tools into their daily operations. These tools helped transform conceptual business strategies into actionable steps, leading the team to recognize their duties, focus on essential tasks, and address challenges efficiently.

One crucial tool is the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO), which ensures the entire organization is moving in the same direction. Another is the detailed Accountability Chart that specifies the responsibilities and functions of each individual. The company also implemented prioritized "Rocks" - a few essential objectives to be accomplished within a quarter.

Methodically organized meetings, such as the Level 10 Meeting, helped maintain the leadership's focus on their targets. The Scorecard, a diagnostic tool, was used to identify patterns and trends and improve decision-making.

To ensure unity in the organization, Swan Services made sure every team member was aware of their distinct duties and synchronized them with the broader objectives and key milestones of the company. This approach enhanced the team's efficiency by allowing individuals to concentrate on tasks that aligned with their strongest skills.

By using these tools and strategies, Swan Services succeeded in improving its operational effectiveness and realizing its vision with precision. This led to profitable growth and a more unified work environment.

Mapping Out Swan's Future Direction

With the EOS framework in place, Swan Services turned its attention to devising a clear approach for future initiatives and setting up a strategic plan to achieve those objectives. Alan, a key figure in the company, emphasized the importance of ensuring that everyone in the organization was completely informed about the strategic direction.

Establishing Core Values

Swan Services committed to laying the foundation of its organizational culture by establishing fundamental principles. These core values were used to guide both the hiring and firing processes, maintaining accountability within the company's ranks.

The process of defining Swan's Core Values involved in-depth conversations to evaluate, maintain, eliminate, or combine different values. They identified values such as possessing humble confidence, embracing growth as a necessity, prioritizing assistance, acting with integrity, and honoring commitments.

To ensure alignment with these principles, Swan Services employed a scoring system and methods such as an appraisal process. They understood that these values must be incorporated into daily life as a routine practice, not just words on a wall.

Defining Swan's Unique Selling Proposition

Swan Services delved into its core competencies, pinpointing its particular passions and areas of keen interest. The company's main focus became resolving real-world problems with suitable technological innovations and developing a distinguished business comprised of a remarkable team.

Swan stood out due to three key traits: the workforce's authentic passion for their positions, the adept application of technology in solving business problems, and an unwavering dedication to fulfilling commitments. This concentration served as a steadfast guide to maintain and propel the central mission forward.

Setting Long-term and Short-term Goals

The leadership group dedicated themselves to setting a decade-long target that was both aspirational and attainable. Swan Services set a financial target to achieve $40 million in revenue while also striving to attain a 15% net earnings margin. This required a shift in their strategic planning to meet these objectives.

The team also developed a detailed projection of where the organization should stand in three years, emphasizing key milestones to be reached along the way. They established immediate financial objectives, aiming for an $11 million revenue target and diligently working towards achieving a net profit margin of 10%.

The aim was to set precise objectives that included positioning team members effectively, nurturing a vibrant environment within the organization, and reinforcing crucial foundational structures. The group's commitment to these objectives was reinforced through visualization practices, which integrated these aspirations into the communal pursuit of the ten-year goal.

Implementing Significant Changes

As Swan Services worked to implement the EOS framework, they realized that significant changes in business often necessitate difficult decisions and a firm commitment to transforming established norms.

Discontinuing Non-core Activities

One of the toughest decisions Swan Services had to make was discontinuing activities in sectors that did not align with its core focus. This included offering additional staffing solutions. Although these services contributed to the company's income, they strayed from its core purpose of resolving real problems with suitable technological interventions.

The leadership team contemplated a complete withdrawal from this particular business area, acknowledging the present shortfall. They decided to focus on the organization's fundamental strengths, thus enhancing its ability to deliver increased value in its primary fields of expertise.

The discussion turned to considering whether to divest the portion of the business focused on supplementing workforce or to form a strategic partnership with an entity that specialized in this domain. This move signaled Swan Services' commitment to its core focus and strategic plan, even when it involved letting go of certain business segments.

Restructuring the Leadership Team

The leadership team at Swan underwent significant changes to facilitate this deep-seated transformation. They used the Accountability Chart as an essential tool in this process, helping to clearly define roles and responsibilities. Each position of significance within the organization was assigned to a specific leader.

As a result of this restructuring, Sue assumed full ownership of the sales role, and Art's position in marketing was reconsidered. During conversations, evaluations were conducted to ensure that team members understood their duties, showed enthusiasm for their tasks, and possessed the necessary competencies to execute their responsibilities effectively.

The organizational blueprint provided by the Accountability Chart specified key roles and responsibilities and established the structural framework of the company. It further uncovered organizational shortcomings, as evidenced by unfilled roles, prompting additional conversations to address these concerns. Eileen and Evan each led their respective divisions, ensuring that their initiatives aligned with the broader goals of their organizations.

Implementing Structured Procedures

While overhauling its management team, Swan Services concurrently standardized its core processes. To enhance efficiency and reduce misunderstandings, the organization meticulously recorded, refined, and standardized its fundamental procedures.

Each department within the organization started to track specific metrics, highlighting the organization's dedication to being accountable. These metrics, reflecting customer satisfaction and engagement, were expected to be evident in the collective performance figures. The Scorecards provided a clear view of the organization's condition, which aided the leadership team in making strategic decisions.

For instance, the team overseen by Tom, which handled operational management, was charged with fulfilling the objectives outlined in their department's Scorecard. This innovative approach underscored the importance of aligning closely with the core functions and aims intrinsic to the organization's framework.

The understanding that certain clients weren't in sync with the business's most lucrative elements prompted the adoption of a strategic approach that prioritized customers according to the financial benefits they contributed to the company.

Annual Planning and Quarterly Reviews

Swan Services employed a structured method to transform its annual goals into measurable, concrete targets, commonly known as "Rocks." This approach helped the company maintain focus and track progress throughout the year.

Developing the Annual Plan

Swan Services' annual plan outlined particular goals and main areas of focus for the year ahead. The firm's goals, in harmony with its overarching mission, were assessed using precise fiscal metrics and measurable project milestones.

For example, Alan's strategy board outlined a plan scheduled to end on December 31, 20XX, which included goals like generating $7.25 million in sales, attaining a 5% profit margin, and completing 20 projects, each with a value of $100,000.

The planning process also included setting goals such as adopting a formal business approach (EOS), improving marketing and sales initiatives, hiring key staff, and recording the fundamental procedures. The objectives of the yearly plan were meticulously evaluated to gauge their feasibility, with the understanding that reaching 80 percent of these goals signified a well-judged equilibrium between ambition and practicality.

Quarterly Sessions for Review and Planning

Swan's planning process was substantially improved by including regular meetings that took place every three months. During these Quarterly Sessions, the executive team at Swan gathered to review past successes, recommit to core goals, tackle current issues, and strategize for the priorities of the next quarter.

The Quarterly Session's agenda usually included a review of achievements from the previous quarter, the development of vision and strategy, and the setting of key goals for the upcoming quarter while addressing important issues. During these gatherings, goals were set for the upcoming quarter, tracked for progress, and evaluated based on the extent of their fulfillment.

The selection of quarterly Rocks was made from a previously established list. Team leaders had the responsibility of setting and achieving distinct goals that aligned with the overarching plan for the year. The organization's primary objectives were detailed in a Quarterly Rock Sheet, which pinpointed particular targets and designated individuals to manage them, thus highlighting the significance of clear accountability and the achievement of goals.

Improved Leadership Collaboration

The implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) transformed the communication and collaboration methods within the leadership team at Swan Service. The collaboration and effectiveness of the group improved due to regularly holding structured meetings called Quarterlies and Annuals.

The transformation was strengthened through consistent quarterly meetings dedicated to reviewing and setting the annual strategy and its primary goals. These meetings established a rhythm for strategic execution and teamwork. During these gatherings, participants delved into the process of scrutinizing and pinpointing objectives that had strayed from their original course, while also setting SMART goals.

The dynamics of leadership developed by engaging with others and by methodically applying tools such as the Responsibility Matrix. These instruments were beneficial in defining duties and ensuring that gatherings were productive, while guiding the team toward shared objectives.

While the specific impacts of the Entrepreneurial Operating System on how teams work together weren't explicitly detailed, the overall beneficial results, such as achieving financial targets, suggested that the leadership team's unity and collaborative efficiency had been enhanced through the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System's strategic approaches.