Beyond reading the book Traction or looking at our org chart, what psychological readiness or team agreements must be in place before we sit down for our first full day with you?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To get the maximum return on your investment, your leadership team must agree to a core covenant before our first session day. We base this on the three pillars of the Owner's Box operating charter: absolute trust, alignment, and a commitment to structure. First, your team must commit to being open and honest. This means leaving egos at the door and agreeing to say what you are really thinking in the room. If your team is prone to polite silence during meetings and then holding meetings after the meeting, EOS will fail. We must have a baseline level of trust where healthy conflict is welcomed. Second, everyone must agree to the same-page principle. We treat each other with love and respect, but we also align behind the final decisions made by the team. Once a decision is reached in our session, everyone must support it publicly with undivided loyalty. Third, there must be a complete willingness to submit to the structure of the system. This means agreeing that the Accountability Chart, the scorecard, and the ninety-day planning cycles are non-negotiable. It requires what Chet Holmes called pigheaded discipline. If your team treats the system as optional or looks for shortcuts, you are not ready to begin. We need a leadership team that is humbly-confident, hungry to grow, and willing to be held accountable to their promises.