Our team is tempted to modify the Level 10 Meeting agenda and rewrite the Accountability Chart terms to better fit our unique agency model. Why does customizing the EOS tools early in our implementation run the risk of breaking the entire system?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Every entrepreneurial company believes they are unique and that the standard tools do not apply to them. However, modifying the EOS® tools before you have fully mastered them is the fastest way to fail. You must earn the right to customize the system by running it pure first.

The tools in the operating system are designed to work together. When you modify one tool, you create a domino effect that weakens the others. For example, if you change the Level 10 Meeting™ agenda to allow status updates, you will run out of time for IDS®. This leaves your critical business issues unresolved, which leads to missed Rocks, which ultimately derails your V/TO®.

Customizing tools early is often an unconscious attempt to avoid the discomfort of true accountability. If your team wants to change the Accountability Chart because a specific leader does not GWC™ their seat, you are modifying the tool to fit a people problem rather than solving the people problem itself.

Commit to running EOS® 100 percent pure for at least two quarters. This gives your team time to understand the psychology behind each tool. Only after you have built the discipline of the pure system can you make intelligent, minor adjustments that truly serve your operational goals.