Our executive team is eager to start with you, but our middle management layer is completely checked out and under-resourced. Does this operational gap mean we are not ready for a formal EOS engagement, or do we start anyway?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If your middle management layer is completely checked out or drowning, you might worry that you are not ready for EOS. The reality is that this gap is precisely why you need to start, but we must sequence the implementation correctly. You are not ready if the leadership team itself is unwilling to carve out the necessary white space to lead. However, a weak middle management layer is an operational issue that we solve through the Accountability Chart and clear role definition. We begin by getting the leadership team completely aligned and healthy. You cannot help your managers if your executive team is running in different directions or lacks clear seats. Once we build a strong, unified leadership team and establish your V/TO, we then cascade the tools down. We use the GWC framework to evaluate if you have the right people in the right seats at the management level. If your current managers do not have the cognitive capacity or desire to step up, we identify those gaps during our session days and make the hard hiring or restructuring decisions. Do not wait for your operations to magically clean themselves up before you hire an implementer. The chaos in your lower ranks is a direct symptom of alignment issues at the top.