Combining EOS and Agile at Your Agency with Jared Harris

Andrew Dymski welcomes Jared Harris from New Perspective to discuss a topic that sits at the intersection of two powerful frameworks: the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and Agile methodology. Jared has implemented both at his agency, and the combination has created a system for continuous improvement that keeps the team sharp and the delivery consistent.

Why EOS Alone Is Not Enough

EOS provides a strong foundation for running an agency. The Level 10 meetings, Rocks, and Scorecard create visibility and accountability at the leadership level. But Jared found that EOS on its own did not fully address the day-to-day realities of managing client projects. The quarterly cadence of Rocks is great for strategic priorities, but client work moves faster and requires more frequent course corrections.

That is where Agile comes in. By layering Agile practices on top of the EOS foundation, Jared’s team gained the tactical flexibility to respond to changing client needs while maintaining the strategic structure that EOS provides.

The Power of Retrospectives

The centerpiece of Jared’s Agile implementation is the weekly retrospective. After each sprint (or work cycle), the team gathers to answer three questions: What went well? What did not go well? What will we change next time?

Jared emphasizes that retrospectives are the single most valuable practice he has adopted. Without them, teams stay in survival mode - finishing one project and immediately jumping to the next without ever reflecting on what they could do better. Retrospectives break that cycle by creating a regular, structured opportunity for improvement.

The format is simple, but the impact compounds over time. Each week, the team identifies small improvements. Over months, those incremental changes add up to significant gains in efficiency, quality, and team morale.

Process Ownership

One of Jared’s key insights is that someone needs to own the process. Without a designated person responsible for facilitating retrospectives, maintaining sprint cadence, and holding the team accountable to its commitments, the system erodes. People skip meetings, action items fall through the cracks, and the team reverts to reactive work.

At New Perspective, Jared placed someone in charge of the process - not as a micromanager, but as a facilitator who ensures that the system runs. This person keeps the retrospectives on track, follows up on action items, and raises flags when the team drifts from its commitments.

Recommended Reading

Jared shares three books that shaped his thinking on combining these frameworks:

• Traction by Gino Wickman - the foundational text for EOS implementation
• SCRUM by Jeff Sutherland - a practical introduction to Agile methodology
• Hacking Marketing by Scott Brinker - bridges the gap between Agile software development and marketing team management

For agencies already running EOS, Jared recommends starting with weekly retrospectives as the entry point into Agile. It is the lowest-risk, highest-impact practice to adopt, and it does not require overhauling existing processes.