#10. V/TO - Traction: Executing Vision

An Overview of the Traction Side of the V/TO

The Traction side of the Vision/Traction Organizer¹ exists to answer a simple but demanding question: How does our vision actually get executed? Vision inspires, but traction determines whether that vision becomes reality. Many organizations fail not because they lack ideas or ambition, but because they lack a disciplined system for turning intention into consistent action. The Traction side of the V/TO provides that system.

Within the Entrepreneurial Operating System, traction is defined as disciplined execution. It is not hustle, urgency, or constant activity. Traction is the steady, repeatable practice of focusing on what matters most, measuring progress objectively, addressing issues directly, and maintaining a reliable operating rhythm. It is how leadership earns trust, how teams gain clarity, and how businesses move forward without burning out.

The Traction side of the V/TO is built around several core components that work together as an execution framework rather than isolated tools. At its foundation is the 1-Year Plan, which establishes a clear annual destination. This plan defines what success must look like twelve months from now, including revenue and profit targets and a short list of annual priorities. The 1-Year Plan acts as a bridge between long-term vision and short-term execution, ensuring that quarterly efforts are directional rather than reactive.

From the 1-Year Plan flow the 90-day Rocks. Rocks are the most important priorities for the next quarter. They exist because annual goals are too distant to guide daily behavior, while weekly task lists are too tactical to protect strategic focus. By limiting Rocks to only what truly matters, the organization creates clarity and accountability. Rocks are not aspirations; they are commitments.

Measurables provide the objectivity required to sustain traction. Instead of managing by feeling, opinion, or anecdote, measurables offer weekly data that tells the truth quickly. Effective measurables function as leading indicators, revealing whether the organization is on track before problems escalate. When reviewed consistently, they reduce emotional decision-making and create healthier, more productive conversations.

The Issues List is where honesty and courage are practiced. Every organization faces challenges, but only healthy organizations surface them, name them, and solve them. The Issues List ensures that problems do not remain hidden or unresolved. Through disciplined identification, discussion, and resolution, issues lose their power to quietly undermine progress.

Finally, the weekly Level 10 meeting ties the entire Traction system together. This meeting provides a consistent cadence for reviewing measurables, checking Rocks, addressing issues, and creating clarity for the week ahead. When run effectively, it becomes the stabilizing rhythm of the organization.

In essence, the Traction side of the V/TO is about alignment between words and actions. It transforms vision from something that sounds good into something that is lived out. Traction is not achieved through intensity but through consistency. Over time, this disciplined execution builds trust, reduces chaos, and allows the organization to move forward with confidence and purpose.

Next posts in this series….

#11. V/TO: The 1-Year Plan - Choosing what’s true
#12. 90-Day Rocks - Protecting focus in a distracted world
#13. Measurables - Replacing feelings with truth
#14. The Issues List - Practicing organizational honesty
#15. The Level 10 Meeting - Building a rhythm of trust and accountability
#16. Traction as a Way of Life - Consistency, formation, and finishing well

Download a copy of the V/TO at https://www.eosworldwide.com/dl-tools/

Stay tuned as we put the rubber to the road over the next week. It’s almost go-time.

¹Gino Wickman, Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business (Dallas, TX: BenBella Books, 2007Non-Affiliation Disclaimer

Disclosure: I am not affiliated with EOS Worldwide, Inc., nor am I an EOS Implementer. The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) tools and concepts referenced here are used for educational and illustrative purposes and are integrated with my own faith-driven coaching framework and biblical worldview.

The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), including tools such as the Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO), People Analyzer, and Level 10 Meeting™, is developed and owned by EOS Worldwide, Inc. Official EOS resources, books, tools, and information can be found at https://www.eosworldwide.com.