Have you ever worked for a small business owner as a General Manager or COO? Have you listened to the business owner’s vision for the company and then turned it into reality? If so, you may be an Integrator!
The terms Visionary and Integrator are a key part of the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®) or Traction®, from the book of that name by Gino Wickman. The result of Wickman’s many years consulting with businesses under $50 million, EOS is a method for running a small business that ensures clear vision, consistent direction, and effective business practices.
When Wickman wrote Traction in 2007, he clearly defined the roles of Visionary and Integrator.
The Visionary (business owner) is the idea generator, understands the Big Picture, and sees the future of the company and the industry.
The Integrator helps the Visionary achieve their vision for the company by managing the Leadership Team, creating and executing action plans, developing metrics, holding people accountable, and driving results. The Integrator has direct experience in sales/marketing, operations and finance, enabling him to successfully manage the Leadership Team, guiding and coaching them to be successful in their roles. The Integrator frees up the Visionary for the big things that will move the business forward.
If you are an Integrator, congratulations! Only about 2% of people have the skills to be an Integrator. An Integrator must be able to translate the Visionary’s vision into actionable steps, lead the company’s Leadership Team in executing the action plan, and manage company resources while ensuring consistent focus on the business goals. And since Visionaries outnumber Integrators 6 to 1, that makes Integrators all the more in demand.
I’ve been an Integrator since 2001 (before the book was written SM), working with Visionaries to get their small companies on track and growing. With experience as a President, CFO, COO and Product Manager, I bring a broad background to the Integrator role. And with experience in several different industries, I always bring fresh ideas to new situations.
My broad background in finance, marketing and operations has helped me:
Acquire our largest competitor and increase sales 50%
Achieve ISO9001-2000 international quality certification
Improve on-time delivery from 72% to 96%
Drive the turnaround of a struggling importer and increase its annual sales 200%
Reposition a struggling subsidiary with an entirely new business model in a different industry.
I am also very experienced in using EOS at my various clients. I enjoy taking the Team through the 90-day Meeting Pulse®. That is, we set our goals at a Quarterly Meeting, and then we work through the EOS process over the next 13 weeks at our weekly L10 Meetings®, working to complete our Rocks before the end of the quarter. When we meet for another Quarterly Meeting, the team looks back at what we’ve accomplished and how far the company has come. They are proud and excited and always say, “Let’s do it again!” So we create another set of Rocks and begin again the process of moving the company forward.
If you’re a Visionary considering hiring an Integrator, please reach out to me via LinkedIn, at 651-247-1993, or at roger@rogerscherping.com. I look forward to discussing how I can free you up so you can do the Big Things that will move your company forward.
All trademarks above are registered trademarks of EOS Worldwide
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