Chaos is Not a Culture Strategy: How EOS Can Transform Your Practice
Let’s talk about the chaos. Not the cute “we’re scrappy and growing!” kind—but the flavor that burns you out, breaks your systems, and makes you secretly wonder if everyone on your team is two minutes away from quitting. Yeah, that kind of chaos.
We’ve all lived it. And I’m here to say: chaos is not a culture strategy. It’s not leadership, it’s not sustainable, and it’s definitely not the vibe you want your team absorbing.
Understanding Chaos in Practice
Whether it's the never-ending task list, the rotating hats you wear, or the sheer amount of stuff falling through the cracks—chaos has a way of creeping into every corner of a practice. It can feel like you’re just “making it work,” but what’s actually happening is that the practice is surviving you, not the other way around.
Busy ≠ Leading
Early in my group practice days, I thought hustle was leadership. Spoiler: it wasn’t. I was doing all the things—staying up late, working weekends, building things from scratch—and mistaking that chaos for progress. In reality, I had no systems, no delegation, and zero clarity on who was doing what. And when no one else knows where the hell you’re going, guess what? The culture takes a nosedive.
Culture Will Happen—By Default or by Design
If you’re not intentionally building your culture, you’re still building one—it’s just happening by default. And default cultures, especially in chaotic practices, usually reflect burnout, confusion, and disengagement. Leadership is the biggest culture shaper in the building. So when you’re chaotic? That vibe spreads faster than a stomach bug at daycare.
EOS: The Blueprint I Didn’t Know I Needed
Things didn’t shift for me until I stumbled across the book Traction and the EOS framework. Suddenly, I wasn’t just winging it with Google Docs and brute force. EOS gave me an actual blueprint—a way to see the whole system, not just whatever fire was in front of me that day. It helped me slow down enough to get strategic, and build real, reliable structures. (Hello, L10 meetings. I see you.)
Owning the Chaos You Create
Here’s the uncomfortable part—sometimes you are the chaos. I certainly was. I once had a team member (thankfully) tell me she wasn’t sure I trusted her because I wouldn’t let go of certain responsibilities. She was right. My inability to delegate was breaking trust and sowing confusion. That was on me. And I didn’t even see it until we had the EOS structure in place and finally had the space to name it.
Slow Down to Speed Up
EOS doesn’t make your problems disappear. It just gives you a system to solve them on purpose. Instead of chasing fires or building bridges mid-air, you get to build something that holds. Something you can trust. And once that foundation’s there? You get to go fast. Intentionally. Strategically. Sustainably.
It’s not sexy to slow down. But it’s what leadership actually looks like. Especially when your practice is growing and you’re no longer a speedboat—you’re a damn cruise ship.
Want to Stop the Chaos? Join the EOS Mastermind
If you’re tired of white-knuckling your way through practice ownership, the EOS Mastermind is for you. It’s a six-month deep dive into making your business scalable, sustainable, and way less reactive. You’ll get guidance, structure, and a cohort of other group practice leaders figuring it out alongside you.
Go to www.taravossenkemper.com, click "Work With Me," and hop on the EOS Mastermind waitlist. You'll get all the details and dates sent right to your inbox.
Let’s fix the chaos. And build something that actually works.
About the Author
Dr. Tara Vossenkemper is a gently-candid consultant who’s been in the trenches of group practice ownership since 2017. With a hearty blend of depth, irreverence, and a solid dash of humor (or so she hopes), Tara helps practice owners navigate the can-be-messy process of hiring, culture-building, vision generating, people-y issues, and all the other things that keep you up at night. When she’s not consulting, she’s probably wrangling her animals or homeschooling her kids—because why not add more chaos to the mix?
Ready to dive deeper into practice culture? Join the membership and get access to the tools and insights that make thriving, sustainable practices more than just a pipe dream.
