Agency Management

OKRs Vs. EOS: Which Framework to Choose for Managing Your Agency?

Are you an agency owner searching for efficient methods to achieve your business goals? Then, consider two frameworks that you can use to define and organize objectives within your company - EOS and OKRs. Which one to choose? This post should help you decide.

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Choosing the correct framework allows you to concentrate on accomplishing your company objectives more quickly. EOS is widely used across all sectors because any business can easily utilize EOS to achieve its goals.

OKRs are no less important. Top firms like Amazon, Dropbox, and Netflix, utilize the OKRs approach because it focuses on achieving results and helping organizations transform their intentions into actual outcomes.

What is EOS? Definition

Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is a framework that combines six elements that help the company and its employees set universal goals and work collaboratively towards achieving them. Among the elements are Vision, People, Issues, Data, Traction, and Process. In this way, all business processes are being divided into sections that require a different approach.  

What Is EOS Made up Of?

  • Vision. The first step is identifying your organization’s values, purpose, and targets, as well as finding the strategy that will help your employees achieve these goals together.
  • Process. Analyzing the business metrics to determine your company’s strong points and limitations.
  • Data. Strengthening business procedures via recordkeeping and setting standards to ensure the smooth operation of your firm. Adhering to industry-specific data standards must also be covered here. So for example, businesses in the healthcare industry might adopt HIPAA compliant eFax software as part of their EOS, rather than settling for a less secure alternative. Formalizing expectations in this way preserves data integrity as well as operational efficiency.
  • Traction. Conducting frequent meetings to ensure everyone on the team is on the same page and moves toward a single objective.
  • Issues. Defining and prioritizing all concerns in order to begin fixing them
  • People. Putting together a team that shares your fundamental beliefs and outlining their roles and duties in your firm.

According to EOS Worldwide, this framework is human-centered, meaning that its mission is to make the most of employees’ potential thanks to the tools and strategies. It is believed that the EOS system is the best fit for middle-size enterprises with 10 to 250 workers. 

What are OKRs? Definition

The OKR architecture, popularized by Google in the 2000s, is built for fast-growing organizations. As Google openly indicated that OKRs played the main role in its business strategy, a vast number of businesses have embraced this structure to define and organize objectives within their company.

OKRs are well-known for their effectiveness in stretching your firm by selecting certain critical growth factors of growth to buckle down to. OKRs act as immensely effective means of achieving tremendous outcomes by assisting firms in making clear why a goal is vital and then narrowing it down to main areas of growth.

What Are the Main Differences Between EOS and OKRs? 

Despite the variations in the mechanics of these management systems, the idea of OKRs is close to that of EOS. OKRs may be used for a variety of objectives, whereas EOS is primarily aimed at businesses. Vision, coherence, and collaboration, on the other hand, are critical for both frameworks. The primary distinctions between the two systems are listed below.

Approach

EOS is meant to be a comprehensive “operating system,” equipped with tools like L10 talks (regular gatherings for corporate executives to discuss persistent challenges). A tool like this one offers an opportunity for detailed training in the fields that relate to employees and business processes.

Although OKRs can not substitute some of the EOS toolkit parts, they have the distinct potential to enhance a framework or platform and can be used as an independent goal management approach.

Timeframes

OKRs provide a more adaptable time period. Quarterly, yearly, monthly, and other goals might be established. Almost every key aspect of the EOS process, on the other hand, has a schedule where meetings are held on a quarterly and yearly basis (the Traction phase).

This schedule also includes one main goal that has to be achieved over the course of 10 years. The effective completion of each goal must generate obvious advantages in relation to the purpose.

Audience 

OKRs and EOS may be utilized in various business sectors, but EOS is primarily aimed at company executives and business owners. The EOS strategy is heavily focused on economic concepts. OKRs, on the other hand, can be adjusted to the specific needs of your project, business, or NGO. They can serve business managers, software developers, or offshore workers. OKRs may be used not only to manage institutional workflow but can also help achieve personal goals.

Can you use OKRs along with EOS for better results? 

There is an opportunity of using OKRs in tandem with EOS to develop and expand your enterprise. The two frameworks utilize techniques to manage business objectives and rely on metrics to evaluate growth. Both frameworks focus on setting priorities and relying on time-based measurements.

As a result of these essential characteristics being similar for both systems, and the fact that OKRs are flexible and scalable, they can be readily incorporated into larger frameworks, such as EOS. 

There are several ways top managers can mix both systems to reach objectives and prioritize goals. A good example would be the Rocks component of the EOS system. Rocks are established targets that represent the team’s primary 3–7 areas to pay attention to.

The OKR equation may be utilized to modernize Rocks: teams will set 5-7 goals, focusing on 3-4 quantifiable results. The OKRs framework can provide a more detailed goal alignment and help in managing the overall evaluation process.

Examples of Applying OKRs and EOS in Practice

The CEO of Avea Solutions, a behavioral health billing platform, says that the business’s targets were ambiguous which led to a lack of motivation from the employee side. However, implementing EOS helped the company foster transparency of day-to-day goals and accountability.

In his interview with Forbes, he tells how regular meetings according to the Traction method helped each worker determine the areas where they are underperforming. This system fostered a free dialogue between the colleagues and established a shared culture where everyone understands how to identify and reduce efficiency problems.

An employee of Siroop, David Frey, shared his team’s journey with OKRs. He said that there was a problem with making sure that different teams were working towards the shared goal. At Siroop, they started by defining the year’s main goal and then asked each employee to come up with personal quarterly goals.

They also agreed that if teams are to collaborate, they have to set common milestones. David concluded that by holding quarterly goal-setting meetings, teams were able to gain mobility and a strong emphasis on targets for the following months.

Recommendations on Selecting OKRs or EOS for Agency Owners 

If your company is ready to grow, it is critical to select a technique that not only resonates with your beliefs but also puts you on the route to your objectives. Take this into consideration while selecting a framework: 

  • The number of employees
  • Whether you are ready to get familiar with EOS tools or want to quickly move forward with OKRs
  • How fast you want to see a result  

No matter which one you select, keep in mind that goal management is only the first stage. Don’t get too caught up in the preparation that you overlook the implementation.

To boost engagement and responsibility, ask your team to participate in creating their personal goals (instead of simply distributing them). Constant communication will allow you to identify benchmarks and execute any required modifications along the route. 


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