Professional EOS Implementers® have two expectations for the sessions that they facilitate with their clients: That everyone is both open and honest. What does “open” mean? I explain “open” to my clients as “be intentionally curious simply to understand the other person’s view.” Each team member has a unique perspective or opinion. Sometimes that perspective has a lot of knowledge on a topic. Sometimes very little. In either case, each perspective is equally valuable – not because of the knowledge, but because of the mind in which that perspective resides. Mindsight is the recognition that there is a brain behind the face in front of me, and what goes on inside that brain – the thoughts, memories, and emotions – all form a set of unique opinions and perspectives. The person is unique and valuable, and therefore, so is their opinion and perspective. Being curious is a predominantly right brain function.

Are you always running out of time to focus on what matters most in your function and role?  Do you feel you’re always getting into things that should be handled by your team? According to Forbes at a 1991 dinner party, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet were asked the question of what’s the most important attribute that got them to where they are today, both answered, “Focus.”  When the leaders of the organization are focused on leading, the business thrives. So how do you allow yourself the time to focus on the right things as a leader?  You have to ask yourself these questions and in this order: Do I have the right structure? Do I have the right people in the right seats? Do I have enough time? You will never have enough time unless you have the right people in the rights seats.  You will never have the right people in

It seems that owners and executives are always running out of time while employees are running out of work. Consider this scenario: An employee enters your office and says, “Hey, I have a problem.” You ask her to explain. As she finishes up you say, “Let me think about that and get back to you tomorrow.” You just took ownership of her problem. You took the monkey off of her back and put it on yours. Joel Manby, author of Love Works, says this about how leaders react during crises: “Leaders tend to absorb decision-making. The opposite should happen.” Rather than absorbing (taking someone else’s monkey), delegate it. An employee needs to be developed to handle their own monkeys, not trained to hand them over to their boss. “Employees try to hand off monkeys when they lack the desire or ability to handle them. Help employees develop needed problem-solving skills. It’s

We’ve all faced situations that seem impossible to solve. It could be a health challenge, a personal relationship, or a business problem. What if the seemingly impossible were possible? If you’re over 40 years old, you remember when telephones were attached to the wall. The cell phone was a disruptive technology that made what seemed impossible possible — making a call from almost anywhere to almost anywhere else without a cord or cable attached to your phone. Sometimes technology makes what seems impossible possible. Sometimes it’s creative thinking — letting go of all you know and using a different approach. And sometimes it’s a combination of the two. Below are four examples of making what used to be impossible possible. Transforming poop into food. Yes, really! Don’t be grossed out yet. … microTERRA, a 2019 Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy (Techstars Sustainability) company, is developing an exciting technology! It filters

An entrepreneur recently emailed me this: “I’m so exhausted!” I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that or something similar (“I’m overwhelmed” is also common) from entrepreneurial leaders over the past three decades. Why does chaos develop? When building a business and adding employees, things quickly become more complicated! If there isn’t a highly effective, scalable organizational structure and systems for planning, organizing, communication, and accountability, chaos ensues. You’ll hear things like this: “What’s my role?” “I’m overwhelmed. What are my priorities?” “I’m doing different things. Whom do I report to for what?” Chaos is a time, energy, and financial suck. It stresses team members and gives them motivation to join the Great Resignation. The chaos formula. There’s a formula that illuminates how and why things get complicated and an increase in complication without the right structures and processes to handle them create chaos. The formula defines how many ways a communication can be initiated by one team member