When working with teams to implement EOS, after understanding the Visionary role, sometimes we have multiple people in the organisation who want to be the Visionary.
The Visionary role sounds sexy and exciting. Some people pride themselves as being idea-generators or coming up with an unique innovation – and are concerned that the only person who can be creative or an idea generator in the company is the Visionary.
Typically, not always, but typically, Visionaries are the founder or co-founder of the organisation and operate at 30,000 feet. They approach things with a big picture view, have a new idea every other minute, and are often not good at the detail.
Half the time, organisations don’t have a Visionary, only an Integrator on their Accountability Chart. The Integrator is the glue that hold together the major functions of the organisation, removes obstacles and barriers, and are really great at and love people management.
The purpose of the Accountability Chart is to structure the roles and responsibilities and functions of each of those roles, not dictate who can talk to who or where ideas come from.
Ideas can come from anyone, at any level of the organisation.
An example is a person on what would be considered the front line, in this case a driver in a logistics company, who had the idea for a potential new customer. His company took the idea, got in touch with them and was able to conclude a large contract – a big win for the company.
How EOS helps you do this
When you run your business on EOS, it enables you to create an open honest transparent environment so people feel they can share their ideas, they will be listened to and acknowledged for creating them.
Often when working in creative industries or sectors, people can be resistant because they fear an operating system will stifle their creativity. However, once they experience EOS, they realise it creates an open culture which encourages team members at every level to bring their best ideas and contribute.
There are several tools in EOS which help create this open, ideas-generating culture.
The Issues List is the place to capture everyone’s creative ideas, innovations, solutions and dreams of how the business can operate.
Once it is on the Issues List, an idea can either be discussed at the weekly Level 10 meeting or added to the long-term Issues List on the Vision Traction Organiser, to be discussed at a Quarterly or annual EOS session.
The Visionaries role is to come up with innovative ideas, and be the thought-leader, researching and developing sector trends in the market and the big picture direction.
When you have an open structure in your business, and an open and honest culture, this can encourage team members at every level of the organisation to bring their best ideas and contribute.