Swan Services was falling apart at the seams. Despite growing revenues, the leadership team couldn’t agree on anything. Meetings were painful marathons that solved nothing. The owner, Vic, was working 70-hour weeks but felt like he was losing control. Key employees were threatening to quit. Sound like your business? This is the opening scenario of “Get A Grip” by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton, and it’s a situation that thousands of business owners face every day.
Unlike traditional business books that present concepts and theories, “Get A Grip” takes a revolutionary approach. It’s an entrepreneurial fable that follows Swan Services through their first year of implementing EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System). Through the eyes of Vic and Eileen Swan and their leadership team, readers experience every breakthrough, setback, and transformation that comes with getting their business under control.
What makes this book essential reading is its brutal honesty about what it really takes to transform a business. While “Traction” explains what EOS is, “Get A Grip” shows you how it actually works in the messy, complicated real world. It’s the difference between reading a recipe and watching a master chef cook – you see the techniques, but more importantly, you see how to recover when things don’t go as planned.
EOS in Action: Beyond Theory to Practice
For those unfamiliar with EOS, it’s a comprehensive business system designed to help leadership teams get more of what they want from their businesses. EOS strengthens the Six Key Components: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. It provides simple, practical tools that help businesses clarify their vision, gain Traction, and build healthy, functional teams.
While “Traction” serves as the EOS textbook, laying out all the concepts and tools, “Get A Grip” serves as the workbook, showing exactly how to implement these tools in a real business facing real challenges. It’s the companion guide that answers the question every reader of “Traction” asks: “This sounds great, but how do I actually do it?”
The unique value of “Get A Grip” is that it doesn’t pretend implementation is easy. Through Swan Services’ journey, we see the resistance, the confusion, the breakthroughs, and the setbacks that are part of any significant organizational change. It’s this honesty that makes the book so valuable – readers can see their own struggles reflected and find hope in Swan Services’ ultimate success.
Meet Swan Services: Your Business in Disguise
The genius of “Get A Grip” is creating a company that feels universally familiar. Swan Services is a facilities services company with about 40 employees and $8 million in revenue. But the issues they face transcend industry:
- A Visionary owner (Vic) with big ideas but poor follow-through
- A leadership team that can’t agree on priorities
- Departmental silos and finger-pointing
- Good people in the wrong seats
- No clear accountability for results
- Meetings that waste time and solve nothing
- A culture of “heroic” firefighting instead of systematic problem-solving
As you read about Swan Services, you’ll likely recognize your own organization. This recognition is powerful – it shows you’re not alone and that these problems can be solved.
The Journey: Four Quarters of Transformation
The book follows Swan Services through four quarterly sessions with their EOS Implementer, Alan Roth, plus the ninety days following each session. This structure mirrors the actual EOS implementation process, giving readers a realistic timeline for transformation.
First Quarter: Creating the Foundation
The story begins with a two-day session that sets the foundation. We watch as the leadership team:
Discovers Their Core Values: Through heated debate, they identify what truly defines Swan Services: “Do the Right Thing,” “Grow or Die,” and “Help First.” The process is messy – team members argue about wording and meaning – but the result creates clarity about who they are.
Defines Their Core Focus: After much discussion, they crystallize their purpose and niche. The debate between being “all things to all people” versus focused excellence plays out in real-time.
Creates Their 10-Year Target: Setting a bold vision for the future forces difficult conversations about what’s realistic versus what’s comfortable.
Agrees on Their Marketing Strategy: Identifying their ideal customer and proven process creates surprising clarity about who they should (and shouldn’t) serve.
Sets Their 3-Year Picture: The team paints a vivid picture of what Swan Services looks like in three years, making the vision tangible.
Establishes 1-Year Goals and Rocks: Moving from vision to execution, they set specific goals and 90-day priorities.
The book doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges. We see Carol (VP of Operations) resist accountability, Art (VP of Finance) struggle with sharing numbers, and Evan (VP of Sales) defend his lone wolf approach. These conflicts feel real because they are real – they happen in every implementation.
Second Quarter: Gaining Traction
Ninety days later, the team reconvenes. Some Rocks were completed, others weren’t. The book shows how to handle both success and failure:
The Accountability Chart: Perhaps the most dramatic part of the story unfolds as the team creates their Accountability Chart. Sue (Office Manager) realizes she’s in the wrong seat. Evan faces the reality that sales management isn’t his strength. These are painful realizations, handled with grace but unflinching honesty.
Rock Setting: The team gets better at setting achievable Rocks, learning from their first quarter mistakes.
Data and Scorecards: Art finally opens up the numbers, and the team creates scorecards for each seat. The resistance to measurement and the breakthrough when everyone sees the power of data is compelling.
Third Quarter: Momentum Building
By the third quarter, transformation is visible:
People Changes: The difficult decisions from Q2 are implemented. Sue transitions to a role that fits her strengths. New people are hired using the Core Values as a filter. The book shows these transitions honestly – they’re hard but necessary.
Process Documentation: Carol leads the charge in documenting core processes. We see the resistance (“We’re not robots!”) and the breakthrough when processes actually make life easier.
Level 10 Meetings: The team’s weekly meetings transform from painful wastes of time to productive, energizing sessions. The book shows exactly how this happens, including stumbles along the way.
Fourth Quarter: Organizational Health
The final quarter brings it all together:
Everyone on the Same Page: The entire organization now understands and uses EOS tools. The contrast with the opening chaos is dramatic.
Issue Resolution: The team has become skilled at IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve), tackling root causes instead of symptoms.
Cultural Transformation: Swan Services has transformed from a reactive, firefighting culture to a proactive, accountable organization.
Key Lessons from the Journey
Through Swan Services’ story, several critical lessons emerge:
Leadership Team First
The book emphasizes that transformation starts with the leadership team. Until Vic, Eileen, and their team get aligned, nothing else matters. We see how their initial dysfunction cascades through the organization and how their eventual alignment creates positive ripple effects.
The Power of Outside Perspective
Alan Roth, the EOS Implementer, plays a crucial role. He’s not a consultant telling them what to do – he’s a facilitator helping them discover their own answers. The book shows when outside help is valuable and how to use it effectively.
Incremental Progress
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a healthy organization. The book shows that progress comes in waves – two steps forward, one step back. This realistic portrayal helps readers set appropriate expectations.
The People Component is Hardest
The most emotional parts of the story involve people decisions. When Sue realizes she’s in the wrong seat, when Evan admits he can’t manage salespeople, when tough personnel decisions must be made – these moments are handled with compassion but clarity. The book shows that avoiding these decisions is cruel, not kind.
Implementation Insights and Common Challenges
Through Swan Services’ struggles, “Get A Grip” illuminates common implementation challenges:
The Accountability Struggle
Watch how team members initially resist clear accountability. Carol doesn’t want numbers on her Scorecard. Evan wants to keep doing things his way. The book shows how to work through this resistance without being harsh or dictatorial.
Meeting Discipline
Early Level 10 Meetings are disasters – people show up late, skip the agenda, and avoid real issues. The gradual improvement shows that meeting discipline is a learned skill, not a natural talent.
Rock Setting Reality
First quarter Rocks are too ambitious, too vague, or too numerous. The team learns through failure how to set SMART-R Rocks (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound, and Right).
Cultural Resistance
Not everyone embraces EOS immediately. Some employees see it as “corporate nonsense” or “the flavor of the month.” The book shows how consistent application and visible results overcome skepticism.
The Tools in Action
What makes “Get A Grip” invaluable is seeing EOS tools used in context:
The Vision/Traction Organizer (V/TO)
We watch the team build their V/TO piece by piece, seeing the debates and decisions behind each element. It’s no longer just a template – it’s a living document born from real struggle and agreement.
The Accountability Chart
Creating the Accountability Chart isn’t just filling in boxes – it’s confronting hard truths about who should do what. The emotional journey makes the tool’s power clear.
The Level 10 Meeting
We experience good meetings and bad meetings, seeing exactly what makes the difference. The specific agenda items come alive through examples.
IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve)
Multiple issue-solving sessions show how IDS works with different types of problems. We see the temptation to jump to solutions and the discipline required to dig for root causes.
How Technology Enhances the EOS Journey
While “Get A Grip” was written before modern EOS software existed, today’s readers can leverage technology to smooth their implementation journey. The challenges Swan Services faced – keeping documents updated, tracking Rocks, maintaining Scorecards – are significantly easier with digital tools.
Digital Transformation of EOS Tools
Modern software addresses many pain points we see in the book:
- Living Documents: No more version control issues with V/TOs and Accountability Charts
- Real-time Scorecards: Automated data collection replaces manual spreadsheet updates
- Rock Tracking: Progress visibility keeps everyone accountable between meetings
- Meeting Management: Digital agendas and timers maintain Level 10 discipline
- Remote Participation: Distributed teams can fully engage in EOS practices
EOS One: Purpose-Built for the Journey
As the official EOS platform, EOS One is designed specifically for companies on the journey depicted in “Get A Grip.” It provides structured support for each phase of implementation, from initial V/TO creation through ongoing Level 10 Meetings.
The platform addresses specific challenges we see in the book. When Swan Services struggles to keep everyone updated on Rock progress, when scorecards become outdated, when meeting preparation takes hours – these are the exact pain points EOS One was built to solve. The software doesn’t replace the human elements of EOS but amplifies them, making it easier for teams to maintain the disciplines that drive success.
Practical Next Steps After Reading
Inspired by Swan Services’ journey? Here’s how to begin your own:
Immediate Actions (This Week)
- Share “Get A Grip” with your leadership team
- Schedule a discussion about which Swan Services challenges resonate
- Assess your current state against the Six Key Components
- Identify your biggest pain points and priorities
Short-term Planning (Next 30 Days)
- Decide whether to self-implement or hire an EOS Implementer
- Schedule your first two-day session or begin with one tool
- If self-implementing, start with the Accountability Chart or Level 10 Meeting
- Set realistic expectations based on Swan Services’ timeline
- Consider what tools (manual or digital) will support your journey
First Quarter Goals
- Complete your V/TO as a leadership team
- Begin weekly Level 10 Meetings
- Set and track your first Company Rocks
- Start measuring with a basic Scorecard
- Address any obvious people issues revealed by the process
Assessing Your Readiness
Before beginning your EOS journey, honestly assess whether you’re ready:
- Leadership Commitment: Is your leadership team willing to be vulnerable and change?
- Time Investment: Can you commit to quarterly planning and weekly meetings?
- Openness to Accountability: Will you embrace clear metrics and ownership?
- People Decisions: Are you prepared to address wrong people/wrong seats?
- Investment Mindset: Do you see this as an investment, not an expense?
If you’re hesitating, remember Vic Swan’s initial reluctance. The journey isn’t easy, but the destination is worth it.
The Ripple Effects of Transformation
By the end of “Get A Grip,” Swan Services is unrecognizable from its chaotic beginning:
- Revenue has grown 40% with better margins
- Employee satisfaction and retention have improved dramatically
- The leadership team works as a cohesive unit
- Vic and Eileen have their life back
- The company is positioned for sustainable growth
But the real transformation goes deeper. The company has developed the habits and disciplines that will help them handle future challenges. They’ve built a foundation that will outlast any individual leader.
Conclusion: Your Story Awaits
Remember how “Get A Grip” began? A business in chaos, a leadership team at war, an owner working himself to death with nothing to show for it. By the end, Swan Services has transformed into a healthy, growing organization where people love to work and customers love to buy.
This transformation isn’t fiction – it’s happening in thousands of companies running on EOS. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t isn’t intelligence or resources – it’s the willingness to do the work that “Get A Grip” so vividly portrays.
The beauty of “Get A Grip” is that it shows you exactly what “the work” looks like. Not in theory, but in practice. Not in ideal conditions, but in the messy reality of running a business. Through Swan Services’ struggles and triumphs, you see your own path forward.
Your business may not be Swan Services, but your challenges are likely similar. Your people may have different names, but the dynamics are universal. Your industry may be different, but the need for vision, traction, and healthy teams is the same.
The tools exist. The path is proven. Support is available, whether through EOS Implementers, peer groups, or technology platforms like EOS One. The only question is: Are you ready to Get a Grip on Your Business?
Don’t wait for the perfect time – it doesn’t exist. Start where Swan Services started: with a decision that things must change. Read the book. Share it with your team. Take the first step on a journey that will transform not just your business, but your life.
Because in the end, getting a grip isn’t about control – it’s about creating a business that gives you freedom, fulfillment, and the impact you dreamed of when you first started. Your story is waiting to be written. Make it as powerful as Swan Services’ transformation, but make it uniquely yours.
