During one of our weekly team meetings earlier this year, someone shared a simple but honest thought:
“We’re all working hard, but sometimes it’s hard to tell if we’re moving in the same direction.”
It wasn’t a red flag; it was the kind of healthy, honest dialogue that naturally comes up in growing teams. Though for me, it was a moment of clarity: a reality check. As we evolve, so does our need for structure, visibility, and alignment. That comment reminded me that doing great work isn't always the same as doing aligned work, and that’s where intentional systems like EOS come in.
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is a simple, proven framework that helps businesses clarify their vision, drive traction, and build healthier, more cohesive teams. It gives structure to how we plan, meet, prioritize, and hold each other accountable, but it only works when tailored to the unique culture of a company.
Here’s how we’ve brought EOS to life at ConnectCPA, and why it’s been a meaningful step forward for our team.
1. The Backbone: Clear, Visible, Trusted Data
At the heart of EOS is the principle that smart decisions are made with clear, reliable data.
We’ve built dashboards and scorecards that give our teams real-time visibility into the metrics that matter most. We track:
- Departmental margin
- Monthly client satisfaction
- Deliverables completed on time
And it’s not just leadership reviewing these numbers; everyone sees the same data. That transparency promotes ownership, invites healthy conversations, and helps us stay proactive.
When data is reliable, it empowers. When it’s visible, it builds alignment.
This shared visibility has helped us work smarter, move faster, and celebrate the right wins.
2. A Unified System to Track Rocks, Issues, and Wins
EOS introduces simple, practical tools like:
- Rocks (your most important quarterly goals)
- Level 10 meetings (structured weekly team check-ins)
- Scorecards (key performance indicators)
- Accountability charts (clear ownership across roles)
- Issues Lists (an ongoing list of weekly issues to tackle)
We use ClickUp as our central platform to organize both everyday work and EOS structures. Within it, we house:
- Team and company Rocks
- Weekly to-dos
- Meeting agendas
- A live accountability chart using the Mind Map view
For our scorecard, we use Google Sheets, which allows us to collaborate and track performance in real time.
This system supports accountability without micromanagement. People know what they’re driving toward and how their work fits into the bigger picture.
For example, one department flagged an issue that had been quietly slowing them down. Before EOS, this might have lingered for weeks, or would have escalated too late. But the structure of the ‘Issues List’ gave the team a space to name it early, talk it through, and assign clear next steps, all in the same meeting. By the following week, there was already a resolution, and the fix had been added to our updated SOP.
That kind of speed and ownership isn’t accidental. It’s what happens when people know where to raise things, how to resolve them, and who owns the outcome.
One of the most impactful practices we’ve adopted is the ‘Segue’ at the start of each Level 10 meeting - where everyone shares something personal and something business-related. In a remote company, that moment of connection matters more than ever.
Here’s just a glimpse of what I’ve learned:
- Alexis (Payroll and AP Manager) is a LEGO master.
- Jeff (Head of Customer Success) is a geocaching expert.
- Dawn (Head of Bookkeeping) is an incredible baker.
- Adam (Head of Data) just did a two-day hike with his 4-year-old.
- Tom (VP of Operations) is part of a close-knit neighborhood that organizes family activities every weekend.
These little moments help build real trust, and that trust shows up in how we collaborate, support each other, and serve our clients.
3. Thoughtful Rollout
We didn’t roll out EOS overnight. And that was intentional.
We started with our leadership team, aligning on our Core Values, Core Focus, and 10-Year Target. From there, we will be introducing EOS by department, holding tailored sessions to connect each team’s day-to-day with the broader framework.
This staggered approach creates space for context and conversation.
When people understand the ‘why’, the team not only adopts the system, but they also engage with it.
Final Thoughts
EOS isn’t a quick fix. It’s a structure that only works when grounded in trust, culture, and clarity.
EOS has helped us:
- Strengthen alignment
- Improve visibility
- Stay human, even as we scale
And most importantly, it’s helped every person on our team better understand how their work connects to the bigger picture.
Structure should not feel restrictive. It frees us to do our best work. And EOS, implemented with care and intention, is helping us get there.
If you’ve ever felt like your team is doing great work but still lacking shared direction, EOS might be worth exploring. Not as a one-size-fits-all solution, but as a flexible framework to help your people thrive, and your business grow with intention.
