Integrators have been jokingly referred to as “glue,” given that they bring alignment and integrate operations and roles across the board.
For the sake of clarity, we’re hereby including Gino Wickman’s definition, as follows:
The term “integrator” was coined by Gino Wickman in his best-selling business books “Traction and Rocketfuel.” You typically learn about integrators when implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) as a management practice for your company.
“An Integrator is a person who is the tie-breaker for the leadership team, is the glue for the organization, holds everything together, beats the drum (provides cadence), is accountable for the P&L results, executes the business plan, holds the Leadership Team accountable, and is the steady force in the organization.” (EOS Worldwide).
If this isn’t clear enough, let’s take a look at the matter in a bit more detail.
Why Do Businesses Need an Integrator?
This not-so-profound question may have a simple answer: digitalization. Even though the efforts in this regard have been ongoing, so much, in fact, that it would appear to an untrained eye that everything is going smoothly, it is just the opposite.
Just consider all those apps and tools, the eLearning craze, hybrid work models, the chaotic social media theater, and so on. If you think human brains can handle such drastic, rapid changes, think again!
The social moment is all but lost in the work today. With people having been forced to switch to an online existence, not everything is going smoothly.
As always, big changes need time; by the pace businesses are hurrying to transform every aspect of their operations, it would appear there’s literally none.
That’s where integrators step in.
These people do so much more than just “integrate” and bring alignment to new methodologies. As a matter of fact, they also deal with conflict resolution, in an attempt to bring together various roles and employees’ needs and hopes.
The human factor is customarily the trickiest one! Who could possibly pacify the different backgrounds and cultural norms in the context of remote work?
Integrators can through strategic consulting!
Focus on Agility
It’s a well-known mantra that a business is only as successful as its employees are engaged. On top of bringing all different personalities together and uniting them in a far-reaching goal, integrators also bring agility to organizations.
Scilicet, integrators drive business integration and differentiation by means of leadership, agile methodologies, and prioritization.
That’s why these people need a set of specific soft skills in addition to hard skills and expertise, including but not limited to business skills, data analysis skills, people management skills, situational leadership skills, decision-making, performance assessment skills and contribution skills.
How to Find the Best Integrator
Considering the complexity of the task, finding a peculiar integrator is obviously no easy feat. Some businesses prefer employing their senior managers with specific backgrounds while others look for professional integration services elsewhere.
Both approaches are legit; depending on the expertise of the employees, businesses may choose one option or the other. Nowadays, there are integrators for hire on a part-time or freelance basis; some businesses even offer these services exclusively.
However, it cannot be underlined enough that a stellar professional background doesn’t guarantee that the person will succeed at integration.
As already mentioned, soft skills play a crucial role in this matter, and so do character traits.
Below you’ll find some of the guidelines on the matter, but keep in mind that these aren’t ironclad rules. You should take your business’ specific circumstances into account when choosing the right person for the role.
Some of the skills an integrator should possess include:
· Balanced behavior patterns (mild manners)
· A balanced orientation
· Knowledge and competence needed for efficient decision-making
· Sense of unity and alignment with the company’s vision (crucial!)
· Ability to pinpoint and resolve disputes before they escalate
As for professional expertise, here are some tips:
· Skill sets compatible with the industry
· Capability to uphold the company’s core values
· Same or similar vision to the business
· New perspectives
· Innovative ideas
· Solutions to fill the gaps in business procedures
· Errors and mistakes in business procedures
· The capability to bring a positive challenge
If you need a solid starting point, focus on conflict resolution. Since integrators need to find a sustainable balance between different roles (and different people’s characters, thereby), it is essential that they are capable of dealing with all kinds of possible issues before they intensify.
This is best done by diversifying the roles, allowing for personalization while also making certain no business practices are suffering in the process.
The finest of integrators center on prioritization as the first step towards optimizing business processes and diversifying employees’ roles.
The latter is crucial to remember. Namely, performance management procedures the majority of businesses employ are not up to the task, chiefly because digitalization is making all standard business practices obsolete.
Just consider remote work: with so many people from all corners of the world disrupting traditional work models, old employees need to learn to cope fast.
This may be difficult for people unused to new tech. Learning takes time and delays established schedules and — let’s not forget — not everyone is too happy about the developments. As a general rule, if new tools are overly complicated, better find more convenient ones and help employees cope!
Focus on Frontline Teams
Lastly, we come to the rather burning issue of frontline workers, who are being customarily neglected. The situation is not novel — it’s just that the emergence of digitalization has made the plight more urgent. While business scheduling and the like can certainly help, what these teams really need is leadership.
How can integrators help?
To understand this, you need to be aware of the specific detrimental circumstances frontline teams have been facing for way too long.
According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index, frontline employees usually look for better job prospects because they are underpaid and have a poor work-life balance. 63% of frontline workers are looking for job opportunities technology creates, whereas 56% say they feel pressure to adapt to new technology over the fear of losing their jobs while 55% have been forced to learn new tech on their own without any training being provided or offered.
Even more importantly, the number one reason frontline employees are leaving their jobs in droves is a poor relationship with the management.
Did you know that frontline workers make up 80% of the global workforce?
Now, combine the facts from the previous three paragraphs and you’ll see that solutions are long overdue!
Due to their character traits, integrators should be able to approach these people and offer them exactly what they need to be happy with their jobs.
Key Takeaways
Everything considered, there’s much and more to be done to optimize business processes; even more urgent diversification of the roles.
Never underestimate psychology! Businesses employing unsatisfied employees will face too many difficulties that will inevitably disrupt their operations and affect long-term success.
In that sense, the ability of integrators to spot emerging conflicts and resolve them before they become a big issue is, perhaps, their most important role.
