Applying the Who, What, and How via EOS (Traction)

Last week, I shared the importance of the "who, what, and how" in your business or organization. Today I show you how we applied this to our new company.

An organization without a clear "who, what, and how" will inevitably fall short of its potential. It will limp along, doing just enough, reacting to outward forces, bouncing around like an ocean buoy. Inevitably, it will be a shell of what it could be. And for some, that's OK. Mediocrity is the battle cry for most of our population.

But if you want your organization to thrive, create opportunities for your team, and serve your customer/member/patient/etc. to the utmost, you must have a clear "who, what, and how."

You may be wondering: "How do I create this? Where do I start?"

There are many systems that can be used to brainstorm, discuss and memorialize your "who, what, and how." I like EOS (Traction), and so do thousands of others.

In the EOS implementation process, the initial steps are establishing core values (who), developing a core focus (what), and then generating a 10-year plan (how).

Here's how this looked for Trinity Builder Solutions when we walked through these steps in early 2023:

Core Values (Who)

What We Came Up With:

• Good Humans - We are honest, kind, and above all, care for our team and our clients.

• Relentless - We consistently pursue remarkable results no matter the obstacles.

• Self Aware - We are honest about our strengths and weaknesses, doubling down on the former and shoring up the latter.

• Exacting in Nature - We're willing to dive into the smallest detail, knowing foundational failure often begins with a hairline crack.

• We Are Process-Driven - We evaluate and improve our processes at every opportunity.

My Thoughts on the Results:

Notice these elements describe the team, not the company. It's common to confuse the two.

If you focus on building the right team, the organization (which is simply a combination of people and processes) becomes a manifestation of the people.

And doesn't that sound like a team you'd like to work with? Who wouldn't want to be paired with good humans who are driven, self-aware, precise, and adhere to a process?

And furthermore, wouldn't you love to be a client of this group of people? Wouldn't you have immense confidence in them? Couldn't you expect excellent results? Yes, yes, and yes!

Core Focus (What)

What We Came Up With:

• Why does TBS exist? (Our Purpose)

  • We are the best fabrication facility, by any measure, within 150 miles of Salida, CA.

• What does TBS do? (Our Niche)

  • We fabricate stone quickly, ideally in large quantities.

My Thoughts on the Results:

Perhaps you're thinking, "Wow, that's really simple. You want to be the best in the geography you serve, and you want to fabricate a lot of stone."

Yup. It is that simple. And that's intentional. Because simple provides clarity. Simple is easy to measure. Simple can be repeated every. single. day. Quickly and succinctly.

And notice how restrictive the niche is. Think of how many things TBS can't do. That's intentional. At this moment in time, we need to double down on one service (stone fabrication) and pursue more extensive projects. That's it.

Now, can the purpose and niche change over time? Of course. I'll get to that at the end.

10-Year Target (How)

What We Came Up With:

• Necessitated by growth, we will relocate to a new location by 2033

• We will operate three CNC saws

• We will run two shifts to accommodate the demand

• Our new site will be in the Stockton area to help center more in our service geography

• We will fabricate 30 slabs /day, which will generate $15.6 M of revenue

My Thoughts on the Results:

I love the boldness of this plan. It casts an inspiring vision for me and the team. It also makes me uncomfortable in its audaciousness.

Will we hit this target? That doesn't really matter, quite frankly. Because it's much more about our actions and behaviors along the way.

If we make decisions each year, quarter, week, and day that point towards this 10-year target, I'm confident that no matter where we end up, we'll be in a better spot than if we had no target at all. We can’t get hung up on the target but must focus on the action along the way.

What If Things Change?

The pushback I hear most often when it comes to developing a "who, what, and how" goes like this: what if we spend all this time coming up with these things and end up needing to change them?

Um, then we'll change them.

Yup, so long as changing them makes sense, we'll do it. And once we change them, we'll pursue the new direction with exceptional urgency and boldness.

We can't hold the goals with such reverence that they become inflexible. Otherwise, they don't truly serve the purpose of moving the organization forward in the best way possible, and that's the entire point! To move the team forward together. It would be insane and negligent to put the plan's importance over the organization's needs.

I hope this newsletter helped you see how simple and powerful it is to establish your "who, what, and how." I write about things like this (and other random topics) each Saturday. May I ask a favor? Would you forward this to one person you think might find it valuable? I appreciate it. 

Books of Note: I just finished Bitter Brew: The Rise and Fall of Anheuser-Busch and America's Kings of Beer, the story of one of the oldest and most established companies in America (well, until they were sold…). I love business biographies, and this one did not disappoint. While I feel the author is a mediocre writer, and while it did not seem like he had too much access to the "inside" or the organization, I did appreciate how he told the company's story while introducing significant historical context. For example, learning how a brewery survived prohibition was fascinating. (I won't spoil the answer for you…)

I’d love a follow over on Twitter and Linkedin, as I post things there that are either too brief for the newsletter or are just entertaining things I come up with over a responsibly-sized serving of Blanton’s.