Better Business, Better Life – Issue 115

This is a quote from the first article that I share below about Visionaries and integrators and the magic or rocket fuel that they create when you get these roles and relationships right.

When you understand the 2 roles and the relationship between these 2 key people, you’ll understand that together, they can create real magic.

But what happens in real life? Is it easy to get this right?

Sadly, not always.

This relationship is very much like a marriage. You have to find someone who shares the same values but also complements your weaknesses with their strengths.

The relationship should have natural tension, and both parties should be able to have robust and heated discussions, with the greater good in mind.

What do I see in the companies that I work with?

Here are 3 common issues that I have observed:

Not Letting Go

Sometimes, the Visionary isn’t prepared to let go fully.

They won’t give the full reins to the Integrator. This leads to confusion in the business and can lead to what we call end runs, when an employee goes around a manager to complain or get a better/different answer to his or her problem.

If the Integrator does not have full accountability to Lead, Manage & hold the team Accountable, then you will find people using their time with the Visionary to get what they want.

The best way to overcome this is to find the right Integrator that you fully trust so that you can let go.

Allow them to free you up to do the things that add true value to the business. You might enjoy the business more & you’ll have time to pursue other passions!

The Integrator is not strong enough for the Visionary

Some Visionaries (here’s looking at me!) can be quite strong in their opinions & their views on how things should be done.

The worst thing we can do is pick someone who is a ‘Yes’ person.

It’s important that we have someone to challenge us & balance our Visionary tendencies.

We are fast-thinking, fast-acting & may have a million different ideas at any time.

We may have one or two brilliant ideas that may change the world, but they’re usually accompanied by many more that aren’t that brilliant.

An Integrator’s role is to ensure that these ideas are ‘filtered’ before they reach the Leadership Team so that no effort is wasted & we all remain laser-sharp & focused on the end goal.

So, pick an Integrator who can match you in terms of strength.

Thinking an Integrator is a full-time role

Many businesses think of the Integrator as the COO, and so they think that this role needs to be full-time.

The reality is that EOS gives the Visionary & Leadership team shared accountability for delivering on the business plan.

The plan is written with the whole Leadership Team, and everyone has their Responsibilities, their scorecard for BAU, and their rocks for moving the business forward. The Level 10 Meetings help us with discipline and accountability to execute this each day.

So, the role of the Integrator is to integrate this EOS framework into the business.

This involves holding the team accountable for executing this plan, removing obstacles and barriers, working on special projects, running the level 10 Leadership Team Meeting, and ensuring that they keep the Visionary at bay and remain on the same page.

Unless there are significant special projects, then in reality, this can be a one-day-a-week role. With a number of special projects, it could be two days per week, but it’s rarely a full-time role on its own

You can have the Integrator wear another hat in the business, like the Operations or Finance and Administration Accountability. Sometimes, they may even hold the Sales and Marketing Accountability, but this is less common.

Or you can engage with a Fractional Integrator who only works in your business for one or two days per week and may also work with one or two other companies.

This is the ideal situation when you are starting & don’t need them to wear another hat.

If I’ve piqued your interest & you want to see where your natural tendencies lie, then please do take the Rocket Fuel test. Be sure to answer each question about what you love doing rather than what you ‘can’ do. Click here.

If you’d like to find out more about Fractional Integrators, please reply to this message and let’s have a chat. We may be able to help you.

I met Nimeesha through a LinkedIn connection.

We met & she shared with me what she & her Mum had achieved. It was impressive.

But they also had their fair share of challenges, which we chatted through.

After our meeting, I decided to buy her product, which I had bought at my local Woolworths store.

It was delicious & now we use it for all sorts of things.

If you enjoy Indian food, then I highly recommend you try it!

Here’s their story…

In 2008, Sobhna found herself locked out of the job market due to her age. She started her own small farmers market business, selling samosa and pakora. Several years later, she added traditional, healthy, and versatile curry pastes, which instantly became best sellers. Her vision is to share her passion for authentic Indian food with everyone.

Her vegan, gluten-free, keto-friendly, low sodium and low carb curry pastes are made using age-old Ayurveda methods, with layers of flavour bursting out in every jar!

Fully cooked out, they can be used to make meals and soups, marinades or as dips. For many years this was a hobby business for Sobhna, until Covid-19 hit and a few Facebook videos led to her going viral – this led to an online store, and two years later being stocked in Woolworths NZ and Farro Fresh