It’s Monday — and Louis hates Mondays.
Not just because the joys of the weekend have (yet again) been ripped away from him — but because he’s going to have to sit through another boring staff meeting.
That never starts on time.
Never ends on time.
That rarely gets to the bottom of issues.
And does ANYBODY understand exactly what management means by “keeping it competitive?”
Louis stares at the clock wishing he could move the hands forward with his mind and counting Joe’s noisy slurps of coffee (27 so far. Joe doesn’t know it, but he just beat his previous meeting record of 25).
It’s super annoying.
But ironically, it’s also the most interesting part of the morning…
Keeping it real (efficient)
We don’t blame Louis for not wanting to sit through meetings like these.
We hate those kinds of Mondays, too!
- Those meetings are inefficient.
- They lack focus.
- They rarely solve problems.
- They don’t seem to create forward momentum or bring results.
As managed IT service providers (MSP), we’re all about effectiveness and intentionality. We exist to help our clients implement streamlined service with the right tools to meet their needs.
That’s why we use EOS (entrepreneurial operating system) at Varay.
What entrepreneurial operating systems advantages do we see in our company? Let’s talk about the basics of EOS.
What is EOS?
EOS is a framework used to help businesses (or any organization!) run effectively.
Meetings (like the ones Louis hates so much) are often more than an annoyance — they’re a symptom of an organization that needs focus.
EOS is a way to distill an organization’s values and prepare for growth — while casting vision, clarifying expectations, creating accountability, and making sure everyone is on the same page.
It’s a flexible approach to management that sets a rhythm and format for meetings, an avenue for team feedback, and a tool to execute a company’s goals.
EOS is one of many frameworks. The important thing is to have a framework that works for you— and execute!
What are the entrepreneurial operating system advantages for Varay?
As an MSP, we’re very intentional about our clients’ service.
To provide focused service, we’re very intentional about our internal structure as well!
At Varay, we have a broad base of clients from across industries — so we can see what’s working for others and implement it with clients in similar IT situations. Patrick, the president of Varay, learned about EOS in a similar manner — from other business leaders who were seeing great results from the system.
Patrick had insights and management strategies from books, peer groups, and other successful businesses — but EOS provided a framework to make all of these practices flow cohesively.
Teamwork makes the dream work
EOS has empowered us at Varay to set goals, create a scalable roadmap to achieve them, and evaluate how well we’re accomplishing our objectives. It’s helped us understand our team members and learn their needs and motivators. And it’s a tool to ensure that we have the right people — doing what they do best, with the support that they need — for maximum effectiveness.
In short, EOS helps us build a team of IT professionals that’s fluent in (and committed to) our core values.
We speak Varay-ese together
One powerful entrepreneurial operating system advantage for our team is shared vocabulary.
When team members aren’t exactly sure what is meant by phrases, it’s challenging to even identify gaps. Without a common organizational language, team members often don’t know what’s expected of them — or how to measure progress and success!
Remember Louis’s frustration with his boss’s “keep it competitive” phrase?
Competitive with who?
Competitive in what way?
How do you know if what you’re doing is competitive?
Are you really talking about cutting employee benefits?!
When people use the same words with different meanings, it’s great for sitcoms and for Shakespearean tragedies (King Lear, anyone?) — but not for reaching business goals.
Valuing time
Another powerful entrepreneurial operating system advantage is the focus on maximizing time.
Like we mentioned earlier, we feel for Louis having to count coffee slurps to keep his sanity in unproductive meetings! Louis’s meetings are terrible (in part) because they waste everyone’s valuable time.
It’s worth mentioning that there’s value in connections and fostering a positive work culture.
And sometimes a meeting’s purpose is to get to know someone!
But the purpose of weekly strategy, progress, and reporting meetings (called L10 meetings in EOS) is to keep the company’s objectives in focus.
EOS provides us with a predictable format for meetings, so that we avoid unproductive meetings! This structure keeps us on schedule, focused, and accountable — so that our team knows exactly what we need to do to succeed.
As Patrick puts it, “We need our L10 meetings to have an agenda, and to walk out with actionable items. Clients’ time is valuable, and we recognize that! We want to make sure we’re making the best use of their time — and that their needs are addressed.”
Are there entrepreneurial operating system advantages for our clients?
You remember the cliche answer to the interview question, “What is your greatest weakness?”
“I work too hard, I care too much, and I’m too devoted to my job.”
(Which is the same answer they would have given if the question had been about strengths.)
We’re (kind of) going to pull one of those answers!
How does the use of EOS in our internal structure benefit our clients? The same way it benefits us!
- A cohesive, focused team sets a high bar for quality IT service.
- The ability to identify gaps and enact solutions helps our clients implement the best IT solutions for their business.
- And valuing your time (and our teams’) ensures we’re meeting our clients’ needs efficiently.
Wins for our team are also wins for our clients — because the end result is effective service.
So while EOS isn’t the only framework out there, it’s helping Varay help you get the service you need.
Does your business need a more focused approach to IT service? Contact Varay for a free assessment.
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