Business Banter with Tom and Kerry Kerry: This month, we’re diving into a topic that every business owner has faced at some point, and most do not love talking about. Employees. More specifically, what happens when an employee just is not working out. Whether it is performance, attitude, or simply not fitting the culture, these situations can be uncomfortable, emotional, and sometimes avoided longer than they should be. But they are also a very real part of running a business. Tom and I talk about this often, because how you handle these moments matters. Not just for that one employee, but for your entire team and your culture. So Tom, let’s get into it. How do you actually deal with a problematic employee? Tom: I wish I could say that all my businesses have the best employees and I never have to worry about letting someone go. That simply would

I recently sat down with a Leadership Team during one of our EOS Worldwide sessions as we worked through their 10-Year Target. The 10-Year Target is question 3 on the V/TO (the Vision/Traction Organizer). In total there are 8 questions and together, they form what I call a non-binding contract between these members. When every single member of the team has clarity and alignment around every single word of the V/TO with “care and consideration”, that is what we call “the greater good” for the company. In this case, the company spoke about their 10-Year Target as 10X’ing themselves. Dan Sullivan wrote a book called 10x is better than 2x. I love it. It’s a very clear and singular goal. Here’s the thing though. If you want to achieve 10x growth; if you want to be a 10x company, then you have to actlike a 10x company – and that

A leadership team was reviewing their Rocks from last quarter. They’d completed six out of seven—solid execution by most standards. But when I asked what progress they’d made toward their annual goals, the room got quiet. One leader finally said, “These just felt like our regular jobs. Did we actually move the business forward?” They’d done the work and checked the boxes. But completing their Rocks didn’t feel like winning—it felt like treading water. The Frustration: When Priorities Feel Like Your Day Job Here’s the complaint I hear regularly from leadership teams: “Our Rocks just feel like busy work. They’re projects we have to do anyway. They overlap with our regular responsibilities. Where’s the strategic progress?” This frustration shows up in different ways: Rocks that could have been on the list any quarter Priorities that feel more like maintenance than momentum Completing Rocks without feeling like the business actually moved

During an annual planning session last week, we were working through a SWOT analysis with the leadership team. We’d covered strengths and weaknesses—an honest assessment of the things internal to them that they controlled. Then we moved to external opportunities and competitive threats. The team went deep, identifying what was working, what wasn’t, and what they saw on the horizon. As we reviewed the list together, one of the owners spoke up: “I have another one, but I’m not sure what list it belongs on. It feels like a threat though… falling out of love with the business.” He went on: “I’m not sure the profit we’re making is worth all the effort we’re putting in. I think I might be falling out of love with this.” His leadership team looked at him, a little worried. But then they nodded—they’d been feeling it too. The stress, the long hours, the