We have successfully rolled out EOS to our executive team, but our middle managers are treating the weekly meetings and scorecard tracking as a bureaucratic exercise. How do we get them to see the value in these tools?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When middle managers treat the tools as a bureaucratic exercise, it is usually because they were handed the system without understanding the purpose behind it. They see it as micromanagement from the top rather than a tool to help them lead. To change this perception, you must show them how the tools solve their specific daily headaches. Do not just tell them to run a Level 10 Meeting™. Show them how that meeting will eliminate the constant interruptions, random emails, and alignment issues they face with their own teams. Next, involve them in defining their own departmental metrics and Rocks. If you dictate their scorecard numbers from above, they will not own them. Instead, ask them what weekly numbers they need to see to know their department is healthy, and let them draft their own quarterly goals. Finally, make sure the leadership team is modeling the behavior. If your executives skip their own meetings, ignore their scorecards, or bypass the Accountability Chart, your middle managers will quickly dismiss the system. Engaging an EOS Implementer can accelerate this cascade. A professional can run training sessions specifically for your management team, helping them understand that there is a consistent, correct way to do EOS® that makes their jobs easier.