If you’re a Visionary CEO, you’ve likely considered implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in your business. To make it work, you need a second-in-command, like a COO or Integrator, to handle day-to-day operations.
But while EOS promises to free up time so you can focus on strategic vision, many companies struggle to onboard their Integrator. It's common for the first or second attempt hiring an Integrator to fail, reflecting a massive waste of time and money for those companies.
At The Metiss Group, we offer Integrator onboarding and services that have helped turn struggling EOS implementations into success stories. Our experience has taught us where these companies go wrong – and more importantly, how you can avoid their common mistakes when hiring an Integrator.
In this post, we’ll explore the three most common reasons Integrators fail, from failure to delegate to lack of executive buy-in. You'll also learn actionable strategies, like using job scorecards, to ensure total clarity around an Integrator’s role.
What is an Integrator?
An Integrator is your company’s second-in-command. The role is similar to a Chief Operating Officer or Chief of Staff.
It’s a term coined by Gino Wickman, the founder of the Entrepreneurial Operating System. Under EOS, the Integrator is the one and only direct report to the Visionary, a.k.a. the CEO. The Integrator manages the day-to-day operations of the business, which ideally frees up time for the Visionary to do what they do best: dreaming up new ideas.
The entire executive team reports to the Integrator. This differs from a typical CEO/COO relationship, which might divide direct reports evenly.
Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, many companies don’t set their Integrators up for success, which causes the Integrators to quit within their first year.
Why do some Integrators fail?
We’ve found three common problems companies face when hiring their Number 2 or Integrator:
Visionary doesn’t want to release control
Lack of buy-in from leadership team
No structured way to track progress
Visionary doesn’t want to release control
In the beginning, visionaries love the idea of letting Integrators take control of the day-to-day. “I’ll have so much more time for other projects!” they think to themselves.
But then the Integrator comes on board, and the Visionary doesn’t want to delegate. This could be for a few reasons.
The Visionary gets their identity from the day-to-day operations and can’t imagine what they’ll do with their new free time
The Visionary doesn’t trust the Integrator
The Visionary is scared that delegation is an admission of failure
It’s like a new parent who hires a babysitter for the first time. Putting their baby’s health and safety into someone else’s hands is terrifying, to say the least. And for many visionaries and CEOs, their company is their baby.
Lack of buy-in from leadership team
When an Integrator is hired, some on the leadership team may feel nervous about having a new boss.
And the worst part: it’s easiest for your best talent to find new jobs.
So, if the migration to EOS isn’t handled well, you might lose some of your top talent before the integrator even comes on board.
No structured way to track progress
Every role needs a job scorecard or some tracker to measure success. An Integrator is no different.
EOS recommends a Weekly Same-Page Meeting. But without clear structure, too many things can be left to the imagination, and it becomes impossible for the Visionary to know if the Integrator is delivering real results.
That’s why The Metiss group helps its clients implement quarterly progress-tracking meetings with the option to switch to monthly as needed.
BTW — huge props to EOS for creating their amazing framework. We at The Metiss Group run on EOS, and we know firsthand how much of a difference it makes.
How to ensure success when hiring an Integrator
At The Metiss Group, our Visionary/Integrator hiring process starts with creating a thorough job scorecard for the Visionary. This scorecard complements the EOS Accountability Chart, but with much more detail.
This step of the process includes gathering input from all the stakeholders – including the people who were previously reporting directly to the Visionary. By discussing the new reporting structure with the C-suite first, you’ll help them understand what to expect under the new organizational structure.
An important piece to keep in mind during this stage is these stakeholders may not feel happy about the new process. In their mind, they’re getting demoted. Now instead of having a direct line to the Visionary, they have to go through some new guy — why would they be on board with that?
That’s why including them in the scorecard process is so important to ensure success. They can contribute to the conversation and have a say in the company’s new direction.
We’ll ask these stakeholders, “What are the things your Visionary does that bring the most value to the company?”
So, for example, if the stakeholders agree that the Visionary’s time is best spent speaking to key clients, everyone can now be excited to see that actually happen under EOS.
The next step of the process is to create the job scorecard for the Integrator. At this point, the leaders should be thinking to themselves, “If the Integrator does everything on that scorecard, my job is going to be so much easier and this company is going to be much more successful.”
Pro Tip: When you include leaders in the job scorecard process, they’ll start to feel excited about bringing an Integrator on board. They’ll be thinking to themselves, “If the Integrator does everything on that scorecard, my job is going to be so much easier.” |
Think back to the three reasons above why Integrators fail:
Visionary doesn’t want to release control
Lack of buy-in from leadership team
No structured way to track progress
The scorecarding process overcomes all three of these problems. It helps the Visionary understand how to delegate to the Integrator; it allows the leadership team to feel their voice is heard; and it provides a progress tracker so everyone can see how the Integrator is contributing to the team’s success.
The bottom line about problems with hiring an Integrator
Hiring a second-in-command or Integrator is crucial for Visionary CEOs who want to get out of the day-to-day. However, many companies fail to set their Integrator up for success.
Whether it’s the Visionary struggling to release control, the lack of buy-in from executives, or the absence of clear tracking methods, these challenges lead to a massive waste of time and money when hiring an Integrator.
At The Metiss Group, we help businesses hire and onboard Integrators who are not only a great fit but who also stick around for the long term. If you’re considering hiring an Integrator for your business, read more about The Hiring Process Coach™