What the Heck is a Business Operating System?

Imagine you arrive at the office one Monday morning. You flip on your laptop, go get a cup of coffee, and come back to your desk – only to discover the blue screen of death. Your laptop is completely unresponsive and you can’t do a thing because your operating system (OS) has crashed.

Without an OS, your laptop can’t function. And without an operating system for your company, your organization can’t function, either. Like your computer, your business needs an operating system to organize the way the organization functions. An OS ensures smooth communication between your leadership team and all your employees.

Businesses that run on a dependable operating system seem to run themselves. Businesses that don’t have an operating system feel like they’re out of control – no one is on the same page, employees are all rowing in different directions, the same problems keep popping back up, and there’s inefficiency and chaos everywhere – and accountability nowhere.

If you’re struggling to get your business under control, it’s time to consider implementing an operating system in your company.

Does Your Business Need an Operating System?

Have you ever wrestled with thoughts like these?

• It’s taking too long to grow the business, and I wish we could be more profitable.
• I’m working too many hours and not getting enough value from my company.
• I feel trapped – everyone and everything relies on me, and I’m probably going to die at my desk.
• We just can’t seem to get the company under control.

If these statements sound familiar, then you need a business operating system.

Check the strength of your organization. Take the online EOS^® Organizational Checkup.

What Is a Business Operating System?

Think of a business operating system like a playbook. For a leadership team to run a business effectively, it needs a playbook that lays out the expectations for each person on the team, at each moment of the game. This is the only way to ensure long-term success for your company.

A business operating system gets everyone in the company on the same page, with the same vision, working toward the same goals. Expectations, processes, and accountability are defined so that everyone is in sync and operating together like a well-oiled machine.

Without an operating system, your organization is sure to be dealing with miscommunication, individual agendas, and team conflicts that derail the success of your company. As a result, you’ll experience long hours, frustration, wasted time and energy, loss of your best employees, and lower financial returns.

Get Your Business Under Control

Many companies choose to develop their own operating system, or cobble together parts of various systems. Usually the results are mixed, and improvement is somewhat limited.

Other companies find a single time-tested and proven operating system that yields tremendous results they never dreamed were possible. For thousands of successful companies, the Entrepreneurial Operating System^® is that solution.

EOS helps leadership teams clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision faster. It is the mechanism that ensures everyone in the organization is aligned with the company vision and plan. EOS establishes a common set of rules with clear accountability, so that you have the right people in the right seats, consistently delivering the work you’re counting on them to do.

Next Steps

• Could EOS be the right operating system to get your business under control? – Download a free chapter of Traction.
• Download a free chapter of What the Heck is EOS? 
• Order What The Heck Is EOS? for every employee in your company. Save 50% off the retail price when you order 20+ hardcover copies of the book from our publisher.

This post originally appeared on the GPS For Small Business Blog on August 16, 2017.