What the heck is operations?
👆 Listen to the article
Like many of you, there was once a time in my life when I had no idea what operations was. I know, shocking, but true. Like many operators, I stumbled into this world because I loved solving problems.
There was a problem? Well, gosh darn-it, I had to find a solution. Part of my brain definitely enjoyed the challenge. But the part I loved more was the calm that occurred when a resolution came to light. It felt like breathing in the first smell of fall. Comforting, clarifying, and totally thrilling.
It wasn’t until I was about five years into my career that someone put the word “operations” to the work I was actually doing. Upon further investigation of this terminology (i.e. deep googling), operations seemed like the biggest, bestest playground to solve all the problems.
Over 10 years later and it’s the driver not only behind all of my work, but how I live my life. I created Secret Ops so you can learn from the magic of operators.
To start, let’s give you a baseline of what operations actually is.
👉 Operations Defined
It’s taken me many years to really figure out how to best describe operations because it’s ever evolving. It looks different based on your business, your team, your industry, and many other factors. But, eventually, I refined it to:
Operations is the fusion of people, process,
and technology across your business.
Operators are the magic that makes an organization's day-to-day run like a well-oiled machine. They're juggling team resources, ways of working, and a multitude of tools to ensure seamless execution.
🚀 Operations in Action
So what does operations look like in action? Since it manifests in a lot of different ways, below I’ve written down what some areas of operations can include (but are not limited to)—
Business Strategy
Business Continuity
Risk and Compliance
Project Management
Facilitates Management
Customer Service
Task Management
Resource Allocation
Supply Chain Logistics
Human Resources
Fulfillment and Delivery
Quality Control
Information Technology
Revenue Operations
Financial Management
Inventory Control
Etc., etc., etc.
The variety in how operations can manifest is also why it’s gone under the radar for so long. You may be an operator and not even know it! How about them apples.
🏅 The Ultimate Goal
Some people believe that the main goal of operations is to resolve inefficiencies and reduce costs. Which is partially true, but not the whole picture. This limited view does the holistic side of operator work a disservice.
Ultimately, the goal of operations is to create a way of working that delivers the greatest value in the smartest way possible.
This is to not only make your customers happy campers or reach revenue and strategic goals, but also to encourage the best work out of your team so they can thrive and be happy.
These are not simple tasks, and is exactly why top operators become the secret weapon to the success of a business. If you have a good operator, hold onto them for as long as you can.