Getting Traction

Don Kardux is back with his most recent highlighted book.  Always fruit for thought, I hope you enjoy the read.

Don shares: 

Michael Matheson some nineteen years ago signed a Letter of Agreement with Business Navigators and now this spring he has asked us to work with his company again.

It is gratifying when clients who have graduated want to come back.

Michael is no longer the General Manage and son of the owner. He is now the President and owner of Matheson Heating , Air Conditioning, Plumbing and Electrical.

His company is over four times the size it was in 1997.

Michael and his leadership team have studied many of the books I have recommended and so, of course, it is time for him to recommend a book to me.

Gino Wickman is the Author of 'Traction' and the creator and head of a group called EOS which stands for 'The Entrepreneurial Operating System'.  This very practical book clarifies the six key components of EOS.

Practical?  Read what Gino writes in the introduction. 

"This book is not another silver bullet management book or flavor-of-the-month strategy. It contains no theory. It's based on real-world experience, practical wisdom, and timeless truths. More importantly, it works. Through hands-on experience, I have developed a practical but thorough method to help strengthen and re-energize your business."

The six key components are:

1.       Vision

2.       People

3.       Data

4.       Issues

5.       Process

6.       Traction

Each of the component chapters is filled with useful tools. For example I really liked  ' The Vision / Traction Organizer (V/TO) which simplifies strategic planning.

This metaphor is  illustrative of the clever wisdom found throughout the book and the difficulty of letting go of behavior which isn't working.

"An entrepreneur slips and falls off the edge of a cliff. On his way down, he manages to grab onto the end of a vine. He's hanging there, a thousand feet from the top and a thousand feet from the bottom. His situation seems hopeless, so he looks up to the clouds, and decides for the first time to pray. 'Is anybody up there?' he asks. After a long silence, a deep voice bellows down from the clouds: 'Do you believe?' 'Yes,' replies the entrepreneur. 'Then, then let go of the vine,' says the voice. The entrepreneur pauses for a second, looks up again, and finally responds, 'Is there anybody else up there?'"

You can also go to the EOS web site and sign up for weekly tips.

You receive some really good observations.

The Dutchman, in me, really likes that it is free.