At Invicium, we’ve always been certain about our company mission: to serve our customers in enhancing their brand’s visibility through print and marketing, and to lead the industry in print marketing, 3PL, & freight. We’re future-focused and committed to innovation in how we can best serve our customers.
But when we found our day-to-day operations running inefficiently along with frustrations among key staff, we knew we could do much better. We decided to stop chasing our tails, and call in some expert help to cast an outside eye over our operations.
We were fortunate to come across Dave Webster from EOS™. Dave offered us the opportunity to apply proven operational systems to Invicium, under his encouraging coaching method.
Through applying the EOS methods and developing an open and honest work culture, we have been able to turn things around and create a healthier, more productive business.
Meet Dave Webster
Meet Dave WebsterDave has had a long and varied career in business management, specialising in running marketing solutions. When looking for a fresh direction in his career, Dave came across the EOS network, and was immediately attracted to the authentic results-driven way that EOS assists its clients. Training to run the
EOS program complimented the skill-set Dave had developed over many years, and now after more than five years as an EOS consultant in Melbourne, Dave is highly sought-after by businesses of all kinds.
“One of the best things about being an EOS Implementer is the exposure I get to so many different types of industries. I would never have thought that I would learn so much about Cyber Security, American BBQ, Animal Stockfeed, Residential and Commercial Building, Recruitment, IT Services, Freight, and Logistics from my role implementing EOS! What I have discovered though, is that whatever industry you are in the issues and challenges that leadership teams are wrestling with are all the same.”
Dave Webster, EOS Implementer.
Who is EOS?
It’s all in the name; EOS stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System. Through a proven approach, EOS empowers entrepreneurs to truly get what they want from their businesses. Helping leadership teams align with the vision of the business, EOS systematically and permanently enhances business performance.
EOS was created in the US nearly 20 years ago, and has become a multinational corporation. With more than 275,000 companies currently using the system, EOS helps companies and entrepreneurs to achieve the revenue, growth, and profit they desire, while maintaining a better work/life balance.
Need strategic business solutions?
Common problems for SMB
Running a small to medium business comes with its unique set of challenges. If you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires rather than steering your ship towards new horizons, you’re not alone. Here are some common frustrations SMB owners face when trying to grow their business:
Loss of Control
It feels like the business is running you, and you’re not steering the wheel like you used to.
Alignment Issues
Getting everyone on the same page can feel impossible, leading to daily firefighting rather than forward momentum.
Overworked, Underpaid
Despite working hard, with many late night and weekend hours, the expected profits just aren’t rolling in.
Feeling Stuck
After numerous attempts to break through growth ceilings, progress is still elusive, leaving you unsure of what steps to take next.
Lack of Clarity
Where is your business heading, and how will it get there?
Inefficient Processes
Over time, processes may become bloated, leading to inefficiencies and wasted resources.
Financial Instability
Predicting cash flow can be difficult, causing stress over financial health and sustainability.
Are you experiencing these business frustrations? Calling in an operational specialist to rejuvenate your processes may be a useful next step.
Team Building and Strategy
We always look forward to our strategy days with Dave. We love the uplifting energy he brings to make our collaborations fun, as well as the very practical strategies he introduces.
What an EOS day looks like
Dave has us focusing on three critical pillars:
Vision
We work on getting our leadership team on the same page with vision alignment. We look at our big picture 10 year target, as well as our 3 year picture, and work our way into creating a 1 year plan.
Traction
Many companies are good at creating a vision, but lack accountability among staff and the necessary structure to put the vision into action. We were definitely in this boat when we first began with Dave, but now we have put some better processes into place and we are really gaining some traction.
Team Health
We’ve discovered that creating a healthy work culture and team environment is critical to our success. When team members have built a level of trust with management so that they are able to speak their mind, and together we can regularly have robust and candid conversations, our workplace is much healthier. Together we are able to work towards the greater good of Invicium, and ultimately our customers.
The EOS process
A few years ago, Invicium started out with the EOS basics. We have walked through each step of the process, and we’re now at the stage of checking in with Dave for our annual reviews, plus having additional workshops when we identify areas of growth we’d like to achieve.
- Focus Day – Understanding foundations
- Vision Building – Developing core values, purpose, and niche.
- Quarterly Priorities – Reviewing performance and setting goals for the next quarter.
- Annual Review – A complete review of the goals, achievements, and learnings, as well as goal-setting for the next 12 months.
There were a couple of things we thought were fantastic about the early stages of working with EOS.
One was when Dave walked us through developing a common language, which has become part of the way we communicate everyday at Invicium. By giving us some key words and phrases to use, we can understand one another a lot more holistically, and it’s much easier to make our points directly to one another. It has also taken some heat out of our communications; we now understand that we are each trying to identify and describe common problems, rather than trying to point fingers at other team members. The lunch room is a much happier place as a result!
The second thing we love and use regularly when approaching a problem is the IDS strategy.
Try this tip for your SMB
At your next staff meeting or team day, try out this EOS strategy. Pick one of your biggest frustrations or challenges as a business, and put it through an IDS process. IDS stands for Identify, Discuss and Solve. By approaching the problem as a team, and hearing what everyone has to say about it, you will begin to work together to solve a problem that vexes everyone, rather than butting heads and blaming one another. Be prepared to let each team member have their say, and encourage creative problem-solving ideas. At the end of the discussion, develop some actionable steps the team can follow.
How have we grown?
Before we had regular workshops with Dave, Invicium lacked alignment and clear measurable steps to achieving our vision. After working with Dave for a couple of years, we feel clear about our direction, and confident in our ability to reach our goals. Best of all, our team can work more harmoniously together. We are much more productive and feel that we literally have more hours in the day!
As the co-owner of a small business and wanting to grow and expand to compete in our marketplace, we desperately need guidance and structure.
We were able to see both the benefits of our growth as well as the many new challenges of managing that growth. We knew that we needed help, and EOS appeared to be the solution we were searching for.
We chose to move forward with implementing the EOS system, and to work with David Webster as our business coach. In working with Dave, we have been able to identify our company structure, discover our values and vision, and develop meaningful goals that aren’t out of reach…and most importantly we have the tools to achieve them.
Dave’s guidance, combined with the tools of EOS, have provided my leadership team with clarity that I didn’t think was possible in such a short period of time. I am looking forward to continued growth without the fears of managing the challenges.”
Simon Fitzgreald, Managing Partner, Invicium.
Breaking through the ceiling of our previous output has meant that we can offer more services to our customers, focusing on the quality of our interactions and the outcomes we can bring them.
