Customer Reviews

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read Traction in April 2010 and started applying it to my consulting business. We are an information technology consulting firm, with 10 consultants (including me) working on around 5 projects at any given time. Applying the EOS has brought about a big change in the way I approach my business. Our situation is typical of other consulting firms: 99% of the energy in the firm is spent on serving our clients, so not much attention is paid to "working on the business."

Rather than write a review of the book, I think some readers might benefit from seeing the practical application of the EOS model described in the book:

I did the Organizational Checkup candidly and scored 53%. Here's the status of the other areas:

1. Vision: Complete. Has been reviewed and updated with the input of the team. The V/TO is a very useful tool.

2. People: In progress. The Get It / Want It / Capacity assessment has been completed (with the team). The right person/right seat is a challenge because currently one person is occupying most of the seats. The book has given us the framework for right person/right seat and we are determining how to apply it without asking our team to overcommit themselves.

3. Data: We've created our initial scorecard, and we jointly reviewed it in May and June. The next monthly review is in mid-July, and we will be adding more metrics. More info here on my blog post: [...]

4. Issues: We had an external consultant spend time with us in June to observe our operations and provide us a candid assessment. As a result, we've got a list of issues and recommendations. The implementation of the major items is not yet certain. We have to face the choice between focusing on client work versus working on the business. Some of the issues won't be addressed until I remove myself substantially from client work and act like a CEO.

5. Processes: We were already fairly strong in the processes that affect our clients (project delivery, proposals, estimating, recruiting etc.). Some of our internal processes are being improved as a result of having worked on the scorecard.

6. Traction: We're not there yet (as of early July 2010). We need to make the tough choices (and accompanying investment in the roles) before we can have proper accountability, communication and teamwork for executing our plan and achieving our goals. Our focus remains on doing innovative things for our clients, and I believe that's the right thing to do. It will not be practical to hire a new CEO. So, I will be stepping away from billable roles, and "working on the business instead of in the business."

Overall, I highly recommend this book to any business owner who wants a frank assessment of what's going well and what can be done better. This book is like a mirror. In our case, it is motivational and will help provide a better experience for our team members and clients.

I was lucky enough to be one of seventeen Realtors to attend a workshop Gino Wickman presented several years ago. We were all 'small' business people looking for way to increase our selling potential. In one day Gino presented material that not only rocked our worlds, but gave us a plan to stop 'spinning our wheels' and gain the traction necessary to analyze, evaluate, set and meet our future goals. His ability to have us look inside ourselves to focus on purpose, activity and accountability has proven to be one of the best seminars I've ever attended. Can't find a Gino seminar? Yes you can! It's called TRACTION.

I have put the principles of "Traction" into place in my business and now focus on the activity that earns us the most income. I use to be everything to everybody and spent too much time earning too little for too much activity. This book is a must read for all business owners!

Ed Primeau

I wish I had purchased this book when I first heard about it months ago. The information is so logical and straightforward. Even skipping around and reading things out of order, I have new ideas for my business every time I read something from this book. The scorecard and numbers sections are invaluable.

I've read a lot of books on trying to reach optimal performance inside of organizations and this book was certainly one of the best. Very hands on, practical applications that are grounded in real life business applications. Most large organizations could benefit by having their CEO's read this book and to really check in to whether or not their companies are getting traction. If you are a leader in an organization, you will regret not reading this book!

Traction provides good direction on how business leaders should manage their company. Before founding a strategic planning firm I worked with Fortune 500 companies like IBM, Accenture, etc.. As an entrepreneur, I have also worked with many small companies that have 3 to 5 employees. I tell you this because Traction provides a great balance between the sophisticated management methodologies at larger companies and the simplistic approaches you see in self help business books all the time.

It's the right fit and I encourage you to read it if you are managing a small to mid-size company and already understand the fundamentals of business.

You can find resources to help you implement these types of methodologies at www.eosprocess.com (Book's Author). Our firm, Cornerstone Advisory Partners (www.cap-corp.com), is not affiliated with EOS, but can also provide strategic planning help.

Enjoy!

Dallas Romanowski

dallas@cap-corp.com

Gino Wickman's book has helped our organization in so many ways. We also had the pleasure of working directly with Ginao, which made it that much more rewarding. The concepts in this book, if followed, will make a tremendous impact on any business!

This book is an excellent guide to help all owners get their businesses on track! It is an easy read and has multiple tools/exercises that will pull your executive team together as well as your whole organization. It is a must read for those who are serious about growing their companies.

This is a great nuts and bolts process for operating a business. "Traction" is a simple read and walks you through a straight forward implementation plan. One of the best business books I have read.

This is my 3rd start-up company and it is off to the best start. We are exceeding our projections and we know it is because of we are executing the EOS Process. From vision to project accountability, the system is both simple and comprehensive.

Much of my career has been spent in consulting so I have had the privilege to see how a number of companies are run. I have not seen a more effective operating system than EOS. Traction provides the details you need to implement the process. It's not just concept and theory - it provides instruction that allows you to use the process. I recommend Traction & the EOS Process wholeheartedly.