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Is Your Perfect Integrator Hiding from You? Brenda Violette, Violette Business Services

Discovering Your Perfect Integrator™: Unveiling the Hidden Gem Within Your Team

As amazing as visionary entrepreneurs are, they still need the perfect counterpart to manifest their vision. This counterpart, often referred to as the Integrator™, can sometimes be lurking within your existing team, just waiting for recognition. So how do you identify them?

In their book Rocket Fuel, Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters discuss a few ways for a Visionary to find their perfect Integrator™: 

  • First, if you have any co-founders or partners, one may naturally be an Integrator™ to complement your Visionary nature.
  • Second, you may have an internal or virtual team member who stands out as a natural Integrator™.
  • Third, you may go outside the company and hire a new person, someone with a fresh set of eyes.

In this article, we’ll discuss the second avenue: spotting that Integrator™ from within your ranks. 

Spotting the Perfect Integrator™ in Your Midst

Your perfect Integrator™ could be in your midst as we speak. You just need to keep your eyes and mind open to find the right fit. Perhaps they’re part of your leadership team or a rising star yet to be given a leadership role. They could be new and not very well known, or they may have been on your team for a long time. Either way, it’s time to start looking for your perfect counterpart. 

When looking for the perfect Integrator™ who will be the peanut butter to your jelly, it's important to keep in mind that it’s not about how long someone has been with your company or their current role. It's about their skills, aptitudes, and attitudes. 

Guiding Your Search: The Ideal Integrator™'s Job Description

In Rocket Fuel, Wickman and Winters lay out a potential job description for your perfect Integrator™, serving as a blueprint to identify potential candidates within your current team. Let’s look at some of the roles and responsibilities of your ideal Integrator™ so you have a clearer picture of what to search for in your team.

Responsibilities of the Ideal Integrator™:

1. Ensure Team Cohesion & Drive Superior Outcomes:

  • Description: Helps to foster a harmonious team environment, ensuring all team members are on the same page and align with the company's direction and vision. The book describes this as everyone “rowing together in the same direction.”
  • Example in Action: An Integrator™ might spearhead weekly team sync-ups, emphasizing collaborative goal setting and ensuring everyone understands their role in the bigger picture. If you've noticed someone consistently rallying team members around a shared vision or objective, and they regularly take on more than their fair share of responsibility for the communication and performance of the team, that’s a prime example.
  • Questions to Ask Yourself: Do you have a salesperson or marketing professional who motivates the rest of the team or leads by doing? Do you have a leadership team member who goes above and beyond to clarify the vision and expectations?

2. Provide Swift and Effective Troubleshooting:

  • Description: Act as the primary point of contact during challenges, offering rapid resolutions and ensuring smooth operations, even when the going gets tough.
  • Example in Action: When a project hits a snag, an Integrator™ is the individual who systematically dissects the problem, liaises with the right departments, and comes up with actionable solutions. Consider instances where a team member took the reins during crises, devising strategies that kept things running seamlessly.
  • Questions to Ask Yourself: Who do team members approach when facing challenges? Who has become the unofficial problem-solver in your organization?

3. Embodiment of Company Vision through Compliance and Advocacy:

  • Description: Vigilantly upholds the company's core values, ensuring adherence to processes and procedures that align with your company's vision.
  • Example in Action: This person might constantly reference the company's vision statement in meetings, ensuring projects stick to it. They might even revisit and refine standard operating procedures to better mirror your company's core values.
  • Questions to Ask Yourself: Who in your team understands your vision as well as you do and actively influences others to see and live it? Is there someone frequently advocating for processes and procedures that reflect your company’s core values?

Characteristics to Prioritize in Your Integrator™ Search

As you think about finding your Integrator™, you’ll want to consider the following traits and think of specific team members who possess them.

Problem-Solving Prowess:

Without a doubt, your perfect Integrator™ must be a problem solver. They must be able to collect data on issues, think them through, and determine the best course of action that aligns with your company's values and vision.

The Pillar of Accountability:

Of course, anyone who works with you at a high level must be responsible and hold themselves accountable. The buck stops with them. They need to embrace responsibility and thrive under it.

Sturdy and Unwavering:

An Integrator™ will, at times, bear uncomfortable news. They need the grit to remain steadfast, ensuring decisions aren’t swayed by external emotions, even if those emotions stem from you.

Agile and Resilient:

Rapid change demands adaptability. Your Integrator™ needs to exhibit resilience, adjusting seamlessly to shifts while ensuring they remain attuned to the company’s pulse.

Mastery in Training and Metrics:

Last but not least, your perfect Integrator™ must be proficient in training or overseeing others who do the training. They also need to have an intimate understanding of leadership metrics. Ideally, they will be part of the team that creates and analyzes those metrics.

The Perfect Combination: Ham & Eggs Analogy

In their transformative book, Wickman and Winters describe the complementary flow, fit, and function of an effective Visionary – Integrator™ duo, encapsulating it with the “ham and egging it” metaphor. 

Where one is weak, the other is strong. When one makes a mistake, the other picks up the ball and runs. In a nutshell, they complement each other perfectly, just like ham and eggs. When you’ve found this person, hold on tight. You have a rare gem who will help you grow your business, weather any storms, and help create and celebrate many victories over the years.

Finding Your Perfect Integrator™ Fit & Setting Them Up For Success

Now that you’re equipped to get out there and find the egg to your ham, what’s next? Well, finding your Integrator™ is only half the battle. The real challenge lies in empowering them to thrive in this dynamic role, ensuring they align perfectly with your vision and the EOS® framework you've adopted. But the good news is that you don’t have to go at it alone! 

Here’s how I can help:

  • Fractional Integrator™ Assistance: If you’re already running on EOS® and are collaborating with an EOS® Implementer™ or have graduated but haven’t yet found your perfect Integrator™, I’m here for you. I can step in as a Fractional Integrator™, bridging the gap until you either hire the right fit or recognize and elevate someone from within.

  • Mentorship & Onboarding: Once you have your Integrator™, whether they're freshly hired or promoted internally, I can guide and mentor them, ensuring a seamless integration into the EOS® system and aligning them with your visionary goals.

Your company's next level of growth and harmony is just a conversation away. Schedule a call with me today to unlock the full potential of your Integrator™ and elevate your business to unprecedented success.

Your Insights Matter: I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article and your experiences in the Visionary-Integrator™ dynamic. Drop a comment below, and let’s foster a rich dialogue for EOS®-driven businesses.

About the Author Brenda Violette

Brenda Violette, Founder and CEO of Violette Business Services, LLC, is a highly experienced and sought-after Fractional Integrator™ and Mentor based in Connecticut. With a remarkable track record of over 30 years in leadership, Brenda excels in administration, operations, and people management. As a relentless learner, Brenda actively engages in multiple EOS®-based Visionary/Integrator™ communities and holds esteemed memberships in the FIM (Female Integrator Mastermind) and Advanced Integrator™ Mastery Forum in Rocket Fuel. She’s also a distinguished Rocket Fuel Mastery Program graduate and a certified Kolbe Consultant™. With a keen focus on driving growth and making a positive impact beyond profit, Brenda guides Visionaries to achieve their strategic goals. Brenda brings transformative value to her clients and partners exclusively with companies operating on the Entrepreneurial Operating System® (EOS®), who are already working with an EOS® Implementer™ or have graduated from the program. Discover how Brenda can propel your business towards significant growth and sustainability while freeing you to fulfill your role as the Visionary. Visit www.BrendaViolette.com to learn more.

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