System & Soul Terms Glossary

ACTIONS The to-dos or tasks that result from establishing Objectives and resolving Opportunities & Obstacles. Actions are typically assigned with 7 days to complete.

ANNUAL STRATEGY (System & Soul Journey)

The name for the recurring team meeting that is held once a year as a part of the System & Soul Journey. The purpose of the meeting is to connect with each other, review performance from the year, address changes to the S2 Road Map, discover new tools, enhance team health, discuss Opportunities & Obstacles, and build new Quarterly Objectives. This strategy session is typically two days in length.

AUTHENTIC POWER The result of identifying the three components of the Hedgehog Concept:

  • What we’re passionate about
  • What we’re best in the world at
  • What drives our Economic Engine

BETS These are the risks we take to move the business toward our long-term Destination or Vision. Bets are established at the three-year, one-year, and 90-day mark (also called Quarterly Objectives). We outline Bets in simple phrases. They are also often measurable. They are captured on a company's Road Map.

The goal of setting Bets (3-Year Direction, 1-Year Focus,  and 90-day Objectives) is to help us establish a cadence for achieving our goals.

C.A.R This acronym stands for Clarity. Autonomy. Results.

It represents the responsibility of every team member in a leadership role. Their job is to equip their team members with clarity around their tasks, autonomy in getting them done, and holding them to specific, measurable results that reveal outcomes.

Cadence (System & Soul Model)This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. Cadence is about an organization moving at the same pace. This element includes the organization’s:

  • Quarterly Objectives (Company and Team)
  • Healthy F.I.T. (One-on-one Conversations)
  • Weekly Sync (Weekly Team Meeting)

Capacity (Org Chart Function)This core function in the Org Chart describes the delivery, products, and services management components of your company. Some companies may refer to this core function in their business as Operations/Delivery/Production/etc.

Capital (Org Chart Function)This core function in the Org Chart describes the financial management role in your company. Some companies may refer to this core function in their business as Administrative or Finance.

Coach Certified Trainer of the System Soul Framework

COMMANDER'S INTENT This is a clear, simple description of what a successful mission will look like. The role of Commander's Intent is to empower team members and guide their initiative and improvisation as they adopt the plan to the changing environment. See Objectives for more. 

Clarity Day 1 (System & Soul Journey)The first training day in the System & Soul Journey. During this session a team will:

  • Build their Org Chart
  • Determine the “F.I.T.” of Team Members
  • Create a Scoreboard
  • Build Objectives
  • Learn the Weekly Sync meeting cadence

Clarity Day 30 (System & Soul Journey)The second training day in the System & Soul Journey. Usually occurs 30 days after Clarity Day 1. During this session, a team will begin working on the elements of their S2 Road Map:

  • Determine their Destination
  • Name their Values
  • Create their Hedgehog
  • Write their Onliness Statement

Clarity Day 31 (System & Soul Journey)The third training day in the System & Soul Journey. Usually occurs back to back with Clarity Day 30 in a two-day session. During this session, a team will continue working on the elements of their S2 Road Map:

  • Engineering their Culture
  • Setting Bets
  • Determining Quarterly Objectives
  • Working through Opportunities & Obstacles

Core Function This term refers to the essential roles a company must have in order to function on a daily basis. Our philosophy is that every business needs Commerce, Capacity, and Capital functions for basic survival. Companies may refer to these seats more plainly as Sales/Marketing (Commerce), Operations (Capacity), and Finance/Admin (Capital).

Commander’s Intent This is a clear, simple description of what a successful mission will look like. We use Commander’s Intent to help clarify the mission for a person’s role on the team and state Quarterly Objectives. The role of Commander’s Intent is to empower team members and guide their initiative and improvisation as they adapt the plan to the changing environment. See Mission (Org Chart) and Objectives for more.

Commerce (Org Chart Function) The core function in the Org Chart that describes the marketing and sales management role in your company, or the function that drives revenue for your business.

D.A.T. The tool we use to guide how we discuss Opportunities and Obstacles in Weekly Syncs, Quarterly Refuels, and Annual Strategy meetings. This acronym stands for:

  • Define the opportunity (what are we solving?)
  • Align to our S2 Road Map (Does this decision align with our Objectives, Bets, Culture, Hedgehog, Onliness, and Destination?)
  • Take action (What are the next steps and who owns them?)

Design (System & Soul Model)This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. Design is about getting clear on how an organization moves. This element includes the organization’s:

  • Structure (Org Chart)
  • Processes
  • Bets (1-Year Focus, 3-Year Direction, Quarterly Objectives)

Destination (System & Soul Model) This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. Destination is about the organization going in the same direction. This element includes:

  • Where they are going (their goal)
  • When they want to get there (timing)
  • Why they want to pursue it (purpose)

Destination is recorded on an organization's S2 Road Map.

Economic Engine Economic Engine is a term used within Jim Collins’ Hedgehog Concept first outlined in his book Good to Great. He says, “All the good-to-great companies attained piercing insight into how to most effectively generate sustained and robust cash flow and profitability. In particular, they discovered the single denominator that had the greatest impact on their economics.”  This factor is a company's economic engine. In Collins’ Hedgehog Concept, we’re looking to name what DRIVES the economic engine. This is the fuel we need to keep the engine running. If we can determine what drives the economic engine we can determine the best path to economic growth.

Ethos (System & Soul Model) This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. Ethos is about an organization knowing who they are. This element includes the organization’s:

  • Identity (Onliness Statement)
  • Values
  • Hedgehog

The components that make up an organization’s Ethos are recorded on the S2 Road Map.

Healthy F.I.T.

Healthy F.I.T. is a method for ensuring a team has the right people in the right seats. Healthy F.I.T. is determined by asking if team members represent the company’s values (Healthy) and asking if they are a F.I.T. for the function or seat:

  • Does the role Fuel their Unique Ability®?
  • Can they create a significant,  positive Impact?
  • Is it Timely for their maturity, IQ, EQ, experience, and our stage of business?

Healthy F.I.T. Conversations Healthy F.I.T. Conversations are ongoing meetings between leaders and their direct reports to help ensure that the team member is “healthy,” or demonstrating the company’s values and contributing to the culture. And, that they are a F.I.T. for the seat they occupy on the team. These conversations are often held on a weekly and quarterly cadence.

Hedgehog Concept A concept by Jim Collins in his book Good to Great. It is an element on a company’s S2 Road Map to help them gain clarity around their Ethos, or who they are. It answers these three important questions:

  • What are we deeply passionate about?
  • What can we be the best in the world at?
  • What drives our economic engine?

By answering these three questions, companies are able to focus on what gives them authentic power in their market.

KPI "Key Performance Indicator" KPIs are metrics assigned to every function or seat in the company. Each team member is responsible for the results of their performance, and KPIs can be tracked on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis on the team’s Scoreboard.

Mission (Org Chart) Mission is a simple, clearly stated outcome for a function or seat within a company’s Org Chart. The mission should be easily stated and point toward the ultimate goal the person holding that seat should accomplish.

Example: Sales: Grow our client base.

Objectives (Quarterly Objectives) Quarterly or 90-day projects we determine at the beginning of each quarter that help the company accomplish its Bets (1-Year Focus and 3-Year Direction). For leadership teams: Objectives are initiatives outside of any one person’s job description and should contribute to success in the business as a whole.

Objectives are defined in a few steps to ensure they are clear and have accountability. Each Objective is defined in this format:

  • State the Objective (single, clear outcome - use Commander’s Intent to define)
  • Identify Key Results (What will the outcomes be? Create a short list)
  • Name the 30-Day Milestones (What will be demonstrated at the 30-day mark?)
  • Name the 60-Day Milestones (What will be demonstrated at the 60-day mark?)
  • Decisions (What decisions can we make today that would greatly accelerate our progress on this Objective?)
  • Owner: One person on the team “owns” or is responsible for the Objective.

Onliness Statement A concept by Marty Neumeier in his book, Zag. The Onliness Statement is a clear, one-sentence expression of what best differentiates your business from all of your competitors. The Onliness Statement is an element on the S2 Road Map that helps a company define Ethos (who they are).

Operator This function manages people and processes for the business as a whole. They ensure the execution of all Bets, Objectives, and Actions. They are ultimately the champion of a company’s Road Map and responsible for ensuring execution. Every person in the company, except for the Visionary, reports to the Operator. The Operator is the “right hand” or 2nd in command to the Visionary.

Opportunities & Obstacles Any long-term or short-term challenges, ideas, updates, or possibilities a team needs to discuss to move Objectives forward. Often Opportunities and Obstacles are captured on a list to be reviewed, prioritized, and discussed during a Weekly Sync, Quarterly Refuel, or Annual Strategy meeting. We define Opportunities & Obstacles in a few categories to be clear about what we are trying to solve:

  • Awareness: Nothing to do, solve, or even talk about - I just needed to let you know.
  • Future: Not something for now. Let’s save it on a list and check quarterly to see if it becomes relevant.
  • People: Related to a person performing a function. Remember to take these conversations to the Healthy F.I.T. (values and roles).
  • Analyze: We don’t really know what the Opportunity is. We need to investigate or gather more information.
  • Design: These conversations have big, overarching implications. We may have designed a system or process incorrectly, inadequately, or without strategic consideration. We may also have fallen short in our training on the design.

Use these identifiers to help your team understand what we’re aiming to solve when they’re working through their Opportunities & Obstacles List.

Opportunities & Obstacles List The tool we use to review and solve the Opportunities & Obstacles we uncover as a team in each Weekly Sync, Quarterly Refuel, and Annual Strategy meeting. Team members are responsible for adding Opportunities & Obstacles to this list every week and coming prepared to weekly meetings ready to discuss and solve them. When reviewing the list, teams should prioritize the top three most urgent and important Opportunities before discussing them. We use the D.A.T. method when discussing Opportunities & Obstacles on the list (Define, Align, Take Action). 

Future Opportunities are kept on a separate list to help organize what needs to be discussed immediately and what items can be revisited at the Quarterly Refuel.

Org Chart

The tool used to organize and show accountability for each person in the company. Functions in the Org Chart should provide each team member with the following:

  • Mission (goal of this function)
  • KPIs (key performance indicators)
  • Responsibilities (list of top tasks associated with the function)
  • Owner (the right person)

People (System & Soul Model)This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. People is about an organization having the right people, growing and healthy. This element includes the organization’s:

  • Culture
  • Problem Solving
  • Leadership

The culture component of the People element is recorded on the S2 Road Map.

Quarterly Refuel (System & Soul Journey) The name for the recurring team meeting that is held every 90 days as a part of the System & Soul Journey. The purpose of the meeting is to connect with each other, review performance from the last quarter, discover new tools, enhance team health, discuss Opportunities & Obstacles, and build new Quarterly Objectives.

S2 Abbreviation for "System & Soul."

S2 Diagnostic The initial assessment to score a business on the six elements of the System & Soul Model. The scores provided in this diagnostic demonstrate the overall health of the business and within each of the six elements. The goal is to achieve 90% or better in each element. This assessment can be taken individually or collectively as a team or an organization.

S2 Road Map The tool we use to capture the full, strategic plan of our organization on a single page. This document aligns vision, strategy, and execution. The goal of this tool is to create a memorable, focused plan that the entire company can access, understand, and implement.

The S2 Road Map is made up of an organization’s:

  • Onliness Statement
  • Destination
  • Hedgehog
  • Culture Equation (Values + Habits = Culture)
  • Bets

S2 Sync The software application (app) developed for companies and their individual teams to record and track ongoing data as they use the System & Soul Framework. The app gives users a singular place to:

  • Create a Company Org Chart and capture the components for each function.
  • Share the S2 Road Map (Onliness Statement, Destination, Hedgehog, Culture Equation, Bets)
  • Track Scoreboard Metrics (can include team member’s KPIs, Company Destination, Economic Engine, metrics tied to Objectives, etc.)
  • Build Quarterly Objectives and capture Key Results, Milestones, Dates, and Owners.
  • Work Opportunities & Obstacles in a shared list and capture notes.
  • Assign Actions, assign owners, and ensure completion.
  • Record Meeting notes and outcomes for Weekly Syncs, Quarterly Refuels, and Annual Strategy meetings.

The app can be accessed at s2sync.com.

Score (System & Soul Model) This is one of the six elements that make up the System & Soul Model. Score is about measuring the organization's progress. This element includes the organization’s:

  • Company KPIs
  • Team KPIs
  • Individual KPIs

Scoreboard The tool we use to track weekly, monthly, and quarterly KPIs. This data allows us to accurately review progress toward achieving Objectives, 1-Year Focus, 3-Year Direction, Destination, and Economic Engine. This data is tracked at weekly, monthly, and quarterly intervals and should be reviewed in each Weekly Sync, Quarterly Refuel, and Annual Strategy meeting.

System & Soul Framework The business operating framework created to help companies reach clarity, control, and breakthrough in both the systems and soul of their unique business.

System & Soul Clarity & Control Workbook The guide to the first year in the System & Soul Journey. It includes the Clarity sessions (Days 1, 30, and 31) and the Control sessions (a company’s first three Quarterly Refuels and first Annual Strategy).

System & Soul Model The six elements that make up the System & Soul Framework:

  • Design - How we move.
    • Structure (Org Chart)
    • Process
    • Bets
  • Cadence - Moving at the same pace.
    • Objectives
    • Healthy F.I.T.
    • Weekly Sync
  • Score - Measuring our progress.
    • Company
    • Team
    • Individual
  • Destination - Going in the same direction.
    • Where
    • When
    • Why
  • Ethos - Knowing who we are.
    • Identity
    • Values
    • Hedgehog
  • People - Right people, going and healthy.
    • Culture
    • Problem Solving
    • Leadership

Our philosophy is that these six elements are essential for a successful business to grow and be the best in its market. Our goal is to strengthen these elements to 90% or better.

System & Soul Coach Certified Business Coach and Facilitator of the System & Soul Framework.

System and Soul Journey The complete two-year journey through the System & Soul Model to reach the Breakthrough stage.

Unique Ability® This is a concept created by author and coach Dan Sullivan in his book, Unique Ability® 2.0. It is defined as, “the characteristics and values at the core of a person’s being that are entirely unique to them.” Understanding Unique Ability allows a person to define their best self, understand their passions and skills, and build self-confidence.

V/O Pair Visionary/Operator Pair 

This term describes the relationship between the Visionary and Operator functions in the Org Chart. They are a pair because it’s necessary for these two functions to work together in order to harness the vision of the company and execute it daily. The Visionary is often innovative, thinks big, drives culture, and holds key strategic relationships. The Operator is often the person who manages the day-to-day of the business and ensures the execution of all initiatives.

Visionary

This role is one-half of the Visionary/Operator pair. They are often a founder or CEO. They are typically the idea generators and future-focused thinkers, and usually the leaders who set the pace and culture of the company. They are not often involved in the day-to-day operations of the business and work to equip the Operator to lead the team in ensuring execution.




Did this answer your question? Thanks for the feedback There was a problem submitting your feedback. Please try again later.