If you're new to EOS® (the Entrepreneurial Operating System®) or to using Ninety, you might feel confused by terms like "Rocks," "V/TO®," or "Level 10 Meeting™." This glossary explains several EOS terms you'll encounter and shows you exactly where to find these features in Ninety.
Most Common EOS Terms
Rocks = Your quarterly priorities and goals
V/TO = Vision/Traction Organizer
Level 10 Meeting = Weekly team meeting
Scorecard = Weekly Measurables tracking
Accountability Chart = Organizational structure
Core EOS Concepts
What is EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)
The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) is the complete business operating system created by Gino Wickman. EOS provides tools and processes to help entrepreneurial companies gain traction, grow, and achieve their vision. Ninety is explicitly built to run EOS companies digitally.
What is Traction
In EOS, Traction refers to getting what you want from your business and consistently having the right tools and disciplines to move your vision forward. When you have traction, you're making real progress toward your goals every 90 days.
What is the EOS Model®
The EOS Model refers to the Six Key Components every business needs to strengthen: Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process, and Traction. Each component has specific tools that work together as a complete system.
Vision Component® Terms
As our resident Professional EOS Implementer, Kris Snyder says, “The Vision Component of EOS is about getting every member of your team 100% on the same page with where you’re going and how you plan to get there.” The primary tool of this component is the V/TO, which documents the answers to the 8 Questions That Drive Business Clarity, which comprise your organization's long-term vision.
What is the V/TO® (Vision/Traction Organizer®)
The Vision/Traction Organizer® (V/TO®) is a two-page document that captures your entire business vision and one-year plan. You'll find this in the V/TO tool in Ninety. The V/TO includes your Core Values, Core Focus, 10-Year Target™, and more.
Where in Ninety: V/TO tool.
What are Core Values
Core Values represent your company's sweet spot — what you do best and are most passionate about. It combines your purpose (why you exist) and your niche (your target market). Sometimes called your "reason for being."
Where in Ninety: V/TO > Vision > Core Focus section.
What is the 10-Year Target®
The 10-Year Target® is your big, long-term goal that excites and unifies your team. This should be specific, measurable, and inspiring. It answers: "What does success look like 10 years from now?"
Where in Ninety: V/TO > Vision > 10-Year Target section.
What is the EOS Marketing Strategy
In EOS, the Marketing Strategy is your target market, your three uniques (what makes you different), and your proven process for attracting customers.
Where in Ninety: V/TO > Vision > Go to Market Strategy section.
What is the 3-Year Picture™
In EOS, the 3-Year Picture™ is a detailed description of what your company will look like in three years. This bridges the gap between your 10-year target and your current reality.
Where in Ninety: V/TO > Traction > 3 Year section.
What is the 1-Year Plan
In EOS, the 1-Year Plan represents your specific goals for the current year include revenue targets, profit goals, and key initiatives.
Where in Ninety: V/TO > Traction > 1 Year section.
People Component® Terms
Mastering EOS's People Component ensures you'll get the Right People in the Right Seats across your organization. Use the People Analyzer as part of a robust personnel review system to keep your teams and business healthy.
What is the Accountability Chart®
In EOS, the Accountability Chart® is your organizational structure shows every seat in your company. Unlike a traditional org chart focused on people, the Accountability Chart shows the seats first and then puts the right people in the right seats.
Right Person, Right Seat
The EOS hiring and management philosophy. The "right person" shares your Core Values. The "right seat" means they have the skills and capacity for their role.
Where in Ninety: Accountability Chart tool.
What is GWC
GWC represents the three criteria for determining if someone is in the right seat:
Get It: Do they understand the role?
Want It: Do they genuinely want to do this job?
Capacity: Do they have the skills, time, and mental/physical/emotional capacity?
Managers evaluate their direct reports' GWC levels during quarterly or annual reviews, and team members evaluate their own GWC levels during quarterly conversations with their leader.
Where in Ninety: 1-on-1 tool > Quarterly or Annual Review.
What is the People Analyzer
The People Analyzers is a simple tool to evaluate team members on Core Values and GWC. Uses a plus (+), plus/minus (+/-), or minus (-) rating system. You can use our standalone People Analyzer tool any time or make it a part of your organization's quarterly and annual review process.
Where in Ninety: 1-on-1 tool > People Analyzer.
What are quarterly and annual reviews
EOS suggests implementing regular one-on-one meetings between managers and team members to review performance, set expectations, and provide feedback using the People Analyzer.
Where in Ninety: 1-on-1 tool > Quarterly or Annual Review.
Data Component® Terms
The Data Component includes the concepts and disciplines around creating company and team-based Scorecards full of mainly leading indicators, so your teams can always see their impact on the business and check for potential issues at a glance.
What is an EOS Scorecard
An EOS Scorecard is a list of the 5 to 15 most important numbers in your business or for your team. Each Measurable has a goal, and you track whether you're hitting your targets. Each team can create its own Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Scorecard in Ninety.
Where in Ninety: The Scorecard tool.
What are Measuarbles in EOS
Measurables are individual numbers that each person owns on the Scorecard. Every team member should have at least one number they're responsible for hitting each week.
Where in Ninety: The Scorecard tool and the Measurable Manager.
Issues Component® Terms
The Issues Component improves your teams' ability to meaningfully solve the Issues in their way during each step of the 90-Day World®.
What is the Issues List
The Issues list is a running list of obstacles, barriers, problems, or opportunities that need to be addressed. EOS teaches teams to maintain an Issues list that passes through the Issues Solving Track. Teams process their Issues list during the IDS section of their weekly Level 10 Meetings.
IDS (Identify, Discuss, Solve)
The three-step process for solving issues:
Identify: What is the real issue?
Discuss: What are the relevant facts and potential solutions?
Solve: What is the specific following action, who owns it, and when will it be completed?
Where in Ninety: The Issues tool.
Process Component® Terms
The Process Component® teaches two foundational disciplines for great companies to master:
Document all your Core Processes.
Ensure these processes are Followed by All.
To help document your Core Processes, EOS has a tool called the 3-Step Process Documenter, which Lisa Gonzáles expertly outlines in this blog. In Ninety, teams can document their processes and other important materials in the Knowledge Portal.
Where in Ninety: The Knowledge Portal.
Traction Component® Terms
The Traction Component® reinforces the daily to quarterly practices that keep your teams on the path to achieving the company's Vision.
What are EOS Rocks
Rocks represent your most important priorities for the next 90 days. Each leadership team member typically has three to seven Rocks per quarter.
Where in Ninety: The Rocks tool.
What is the 90-Day World®
The 90-Day World® is the EOS philosophy of focusing on 90-day chunks. You set new Rocks every quarter, review progress, and plan the next 90 days. This creates consistent progress and accountability. Teams can hold their quarterly meetings in Ninety.
Where in Ninety: Use the Meetings tool for quarterly meetings, the Rocks tool to track progress on quarterly initiatives, the V/TO tool to update long-term goals, and the Issues tool to document discussion topics.
What are Quarterly Sessions
EOS teaches teams to anchor the 90-day world with essential quarterly planning meetings.
Where in Ninety: The Meetings tool.
What is the EOS Meeting Pulse
The Meeting Pulse is the EOS discipline that recommends teams meet every week at the same time on the same day for the Level 10 Meetings, that every leader meet regularly with their direct reports, and that teams commit to quarterly and annual planning sessions.
Where in Ninety: The Meetings tool.
What is the EOS To-Dos List
For EOS, To-Dos are typically seven-day action items that result from meetings. These differ from Rocks (90-day priorities) and should be finished within one week.
Where in Ninety: The To-Dos tool.
Leadership Terms
What is an EOS Visionary
EOS describes the Visionary as someone who emphasizes big-picture thinking, relationships, research and development, and major deals. The Visionary is typically the founder or owner.
Where in Ninety: The Accountability Chart.
What is an EOS Integrator
EOS recommends appointing someone to the Integrator™ Seat on your company's Accountability Chart. This person harmoniously unifies the primary functions of the business. They enjoy accountability, follow-through, and execution. Typically, this role is filled by the President, COO, or General Manager.
Where in Ninety: The Accountability Chart.
Meeting Types
Establishing a meeting rhythm that works for your organization is a critical piece of the Traction Component®.
What is a Level 10 Meeting (L10)
The Level 10 Meeting is EOS's format for weekly team meetings. The agenda items include reviewing the Scorecard, checking on Rock progress, solving issues, and more. The goal is for every meeting to rate a "10" from the team in effectiveness.
Where in Ninety: The Meetings tool.
What is the Annual Planning Session
Once a year, EOS suggests turning the quarterly planning meeting into a two-day annual planning session, where the leadership team reviews and updates the entire V/TO and sets the plan for the upcoming year.
Where in Ninety: The Meetings tool.
What is the Quarterly State-of-the-Company Meeting
After your leadership team completes its quarterly or annual planning, holding a state of the company meeting can align the whole organization around your shared vision and focus for the quarter ahead. You can create a custom meeting agenda in Ninety to hold your next state of the company.
Where in Ninety: Meetings tool > Agendas > Create Custom Agenda.
What is an EOS Same Page Meeting®
If your organization has someone in the Visionary and Integrator Seats, EOS recommends a monthly meeting between the them to ensure they align priorities and resolve any issues between them. You can create your own Same Page Meeting® agenda in Ninety.
Where in Ninety: Meetings tool > Agendas > Create Custom Agenda.
Advanced EOS Terms
What is LMA (Leadership, Management, Accountability)
LMA represents the three things every great leader provides to their people: Leadership (vision and inspiration), Management (systems and processes), and Accountability (measuring and following up). When you're running your business on EOS, every Seat on your Accountability Chart that has direct reports must include LMA as a primary role.
Where in Ninety: Learn more about LMA in the Knowledge Portal and document LMA for your people leaders in the Accountability Chart.
What is Delegate and Elevate
Delegate and Elevate is the practice of delegating tasks you don't love or aren't great at so you can focus on activities where you add the most value.
Where in Ninety: Learn more about Delegate and Elevate in the Knowledge Portal.
What is the EOS Proven Process
You can use EOS's approach to marketing strategies to document your “Proven Process,” which is a representation of the client journey. This is your company's unique way of attracting, converting, and retaining customers.
Where in Ninety: The V/TO tool > Go to Market Strategy card.
Remember: EOS is a complete system, and these tools work best when used together. Start with the basics — your V/TO, Accountability Chart, and Rocks — then add other tools as you get comfortable with the EOS rhythm.
Using This Guide with Ninety
When someone mentions an EOS term, you can now:
Find the definition in this glossary.
Locate the feature in Ninety using our "Where in Ninety" directions.
Understand the context of how it fits into the bigger EOS system.
Pro tip: Bookmark this article and reference it during your first few months using EOS and Ninety. The terminology will become second nature as you use the tools regularly.