How EOS Is Positioning Bestway for Unprecedented Achievements

By Riley Wiles

It was something Bestway’s leadership realized a few years ago as we took a good look at our team:

We had never had a stronger collection of talent in the four decades of this company’s history. It wasn’t just how many people we had. It was their drive, their grit and their intelligence in making things happen for our clients.

If having great people was all you would need to achieve lofty goals, we could put this team on autopilot and just let them go.

But that’s not how it works. As much as leadership needs the team to perform great, the team needs some critical things from leadership as well. Above all, it needs to know the vision for the organization, and the plan for how it’s going to get there.

Our Path from Good to Great

Bestway President Jay Devers and others in the leadership group thought we could benefit from looking at some external resources, and the one that resonated with us the most was the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), which provides formats and action steps. As author Jim Collins said in his classic business book, “Good to Great” – get the right people on the bus, and in the right seats.

The EOS trainers we brought in were amazing. They understood our goals, immediately saw the strengths of our team, and gave us an exceptional format to pursue goals and deploy the right people.

The initiative gave everyone a clear understanding of their own key performance indicators (KPIs), while also giving team members the opportunity to tackle some rocks.

What are rocks?

Within EOS, rocks are projects that last for a quarter and give people an opportunity to tackle challenges in front of their peers and earn recognition for doing well.

Our people did such an amazing job knocking these rocks out of the park, and in the process they learned how to work within the formats and structures EOS provided to turn Bestway into a well-oiled machine.

We came out of the process having redefined and clarified our core values, and more clearly outlined our goals. We also imparted each member of the team with a clear understanding of their role in the process – and of what would be expected of them going forward.

The team’s response has been phenomenal. Now every team member assesses each action and decision by measuring it against the company’s clear goals, and the team member’s clearly understood role in meeting them.

Moving forward, each team member attends a weekly Level 10 meeting – a critical part of EOS that lasts 90 minutes and helps leadership teams to maintain focus, accountability and discipline.

For me, the EOS process put Bestway in a position to grow without losing what I love most about it. I’ve never been the biggest fan of the corporate world, and I love Bestway’s heritage as a family-owned business. I never want to lose that.

But after growing so quickly from just 10 people to nearly 40, it was clear we couldn’t be successful if we didn’t embrace more sophisticated methods. It’s hard to keep that many people in direct contact with upper management every day, and there has to be a way for people to understand and operate within the company’s values and vision.

EOS gave us a way to do that without sacrificing any of the family culture. This process has completely rebooted how we communicate with one another, and it’s been amazing to see how our people have adapted so quickly. From the youngest team members to the most seasoned veterans in the industry, they have dived in and made this come to life.

My favorite outcome of the EOS process is our redefined core values:

People First. We care for each other and for our customers, and we do whatever it takes to look out for each other and for them.
Be Flexible. When others stop, we get started. It’s great to have a plan – and we always do – but this is logistics, and you have to be ready to make adjustments at any moment. We are.
Strive for More. Every day is an opportunity to improve. We love the process of becoming better versions of ourselves, and we love what that means for our customers.
Have Fun Being Your Best. Doing well and helping others is a joyful experience at Bestway. We wish everyone had such a good time doing this.

We put them on display throughout the organization, and you can clearly see our team members living them.

Bestway has always been a great company. EOS-powered Bestway is poised for unprecedented achievements. It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.