My agency runs on EOS—why should I care?
Like most of those who have spent their careers in creative fields, we love the work. We love the creative process — working with clients that have juicy problems and collaborating with our colleagues to bring them good ideas that have impact.
And while this might be our daily inspiration, in order to do this work we have to run a good business.
Enter the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a business framework created to help small businesses make good decisions, hold their team members accountable, and ensure their sustainability for the long term.
When talking with other agency owners, some have pushed back. “EOS sounds great for a manufacturing company, but we’re an agency! Creativity depends on a willingness to embrace chaos!”
We’ve been running our respective businesses on EOS for several years now, and here’s why we believe that it works.
Getting crispy on our vision, mission, and values
We are now doing for ourselves what we often do for others. The EOS process has helped us clarify where we are, where we are going, and what we have to do to get there. In a service business, it’s easy to get carried away by the latest client opportunity. We are now much more intentional about our business, which has helped guide our business development efforts and our hiring practices.
Building in accountability
Most agencies start small, and hopefully with a combination of smarts and hard work, we grow a sustainable business for the long term. In the early days, everyone wore many hats. And we thrived on this. Deadlines demanded that all hands be on deck. The organizational chart was pretty flat. Everybody knew everyone else very well. The issue became that with growth, this way of working became inefficient and confusing for clients and team members alike.
The accountability chart is one of the core EOS tools. It’s different from an org chart in that it focuses less on titles and more on roles. It clarifies who does what and it sets up two very important roles: the visionary and the integrator. The visionary is responsible for taking the long view of the business — what does the marketplace look like and what new services might we offer? The integrator takes that vision and helps it all come together, making sure the company stays on track and achieves its goals.
Solving problems faster and better
In the past, it was easy to let issues stew. Using the EOS tools of weekly team meetings, and the process of Identifying, Discussing and Solving issues, we make timely decisions — and when we come to a conclusion, we stick to it.
This discipline alone has made our leadership teams much more effective. What used to take months (or in some cases years) to solve now gets addressed in short order. This helps us get ahead of internal issues before they impact clients so we can deepen our engagements and better support our partnerships.
We’re in it for the long haul
One of the biggest reasons we started running our businesses on EOS was because we wanted to have a lasting impact. EOS helps us sustain a strong culture that in turn creates a business , in both good times and bad.
We’ve all heard the horror stories of agencies that just closed shop one day, leaving clients and employees high and dry. Running on EOS ensures that we have a strong foundation and sets us up to address problems before they become crises so we can be true strategic partners for our clients.
In addition to running on EOS, we are members of Nostos Network, a consortium of best-in-class agencies that provide strong solutions across disciplines and channels. We share ideas, wisdom, and experience with each other. As Nostos companies that also run on EOS, we are building best-in-class companies that confidently refer business to each other — we know our clients will be in expert hands because we’re committed to building strong cultures and sustainable organizations.
This article first appeared at Ingredient.mn. It was co-written by Emily Minner, Operations Integrator at Bullhorn and Catherine Gillis, Chief Operating Officer/Integrator of Ingredient, a food content marketing company that helps brands connect with consumers through their common love of food and the culture that surrounds it.
