How Traction EOS is Transforming Our Digital Growth Agency

Nearly a decade ago, I discovered Gino Wickman's book Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business and the EOS philosophy. At that time, TMC was a small digital marketing agency among larger HubSpot agency partners. Over the years, I witnessed remarkable growth in companies that embraced the Traction EOS system, so I dove in. 

During one of our speaking engagements at a MAFSI (Manufacturer Agents for the Foodservice Industry) conference a few years back, I distributed copies of the "Traction" book as handouts to attendees. My passion for aiding companies in their growth journey led me to emphasize the importance of understanding a company's purpose as a foundation for healthy growth. While I introduced Traction to the industry years ago, our formal adoption and implementation throughout TMC occurred more recently. With leadership readiness within TMC and the agency's maturation, we were finally at a point where we could fully commit to the process.

I strongly advocate for Traction and the implementation of EOS, fully embracing Gino Wickman's book. The process begins with assessing your business through an organizational checkup. When I conducted this evaluation about a year ago, our scores were significantly low, highlighting the need for substantial improvement to establish a healthy growth infrastructure and operational system within our organization.

A Trip Through the Traction EOS with TMC

The Vision Component

As a marketing, sales, and growth agency, we initiated our journey with the Vision Component by convening as a leadership team to honestly define our core values. While we had an existing culture code, our evolution since 2017 necessitated a reevaluation. This process was transformative for our company, as it allowed us to solidify our core values and define our purpose. Delving into the Vision Traction Organizer enabled us to gain a clear understanding of our identity, differentiation from competitors, unique value proposition, niche, and primary focus. By aligning our marketing strategy with these insights and establishing revenue and profit accountability measures, we set the stage for transformative growth and success.

The People Component

Moving on to the People Component, our focus shifted towards creating a thriving company culture that embodies positivity and supports both our clients' growth and our own sustainability. This involved identifying the right people for the right seats, ensuring they are on the right growth trajectory, and making tough decisions about team members who may not align with our vision and values—a challenging task for any business owner and leadership. By aligning this process with the Accountability Chart, we established clear accountability structures for every aspect of our business functions. This clarity enhances confidence within our leadership team and fosters a cohesive and efficient work environment for our team of ten (and counting).

The Data Component

In the Data Component, the focus shifts to the quantitative aspect of our operations. Beginning with the Scorecard, we identify the five to ten key metrics that provide a weekly snapshot of our progress and direction. These numbers serve as leading indicators, offering insights into future trends rather than just current performance. We can proactively address deviations from our goals by monitoring these metrics. Each team member's accountability for specific metrics that contribute to the Scorecard ensures alignment towards our collective objectives, fostering a cohesive and goal-oriented work environment.

The Issues Component

We often struggled to address and resolve issues effectively, which was the focus during the Issues Component. Avoiding problems hindered our growth potential. By embracing transparency and openness, we are now tackling issues head-on, from significant challenges to minor concerns. Addressing the major issues first enables us to gradually resolve smaller issues. Proactively dealing with minor issues acts as a preventive measure against larger setbacks, creating a more efficient and sustainable operational environment.

The Process Component

Moving on to the Process Component, the emphasis lies in the importance of documenting procedures. At TMC, we have adopted a system called ClickUp to centralize all our processes with ongoing updates and refinements. Regular retrospectives allow us to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Special recognition goes to Brian Shearer for his dedicated work in implementing this system. We have clearly outlined our hiring (and termination) processes to ensure new team members can seamlessly integrate and comprehend the how and why of our business operations. Comprehensive documentation of processes is essential for facilitating a smooth onboarding experience and aligning new hires with our organizational practices. Welcome Kim Borne!

The Final Steps

The final step in the Traction Process involves integrating all components, including setting clear objectives (rocks), and ensuring alignment with the overarching company goals. The high-level company objectives (rocks) must be communicated effectively to the entire team, with individual goals aligning with these overarching targets. Establishing a meeting cadence that suits the organization is crucial. Implementing L10 meetings, which are well-structured, timely, and consistently run sessions, ensures a productive and efficient gathering that starts and ends punctually, earning it a perfect 10 out of 10 rating.

We are thrilled to reach a stage of consistent EOS implementation based on our learnings and definitions. After running a current organizational checkup, TMC has improved by over 30 points compared to eight months ago when we began this process. As a business owner, my confidence and clarity in the future of TMC Digital Media has risen to an all-time high. And that's exciting for our TMC family and our clients!

Implenting Traction? We Can Work to Help Implement Your EOS.

TMC's passion is helping our clients grow in the healthiest way possible. It takes the right vision, the right people, and the right processes, but it also takes accountability. I truly believe by aligning with our clients who have embraced Traction EOS, we can achieve greater success collaboratively.

Whether your business is small or large, new or old, Traction EOS is adaptable to any business model. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. I am eager to engage in healthy discussions about business growth with you.