Ops execs make the world go round! You oversee all the cross-functional teams, systems, and workflows, so your org hits its goals.
That means there’s a lot of plates spinning. And you are the one in the center of that orbit, making sure all those teams and systems make sense and create the right results.
It’s easy to get lost in the sauce of day-to-day activities – especially when your time and attention are called for from so many angles.
I often hear from ops execs who sense something’s just off the axis. They need time for strategic planning, so they think they need to upgrade their time management skills. But that’s like trying to squeeze blood out of a stone because they’re already running full tilt.
Does this resonate with you?
In this episode, I’ll share three lessons that are the magic key to reaching the next level.
Trying to Do It All Is a Trap
When I was an ops exec, I felt obligated to be available all the time. As the longest-standing employee in the company, I had historical knowledge that came in handy across conversations.
And honestly – it felt good to be that connected to everyone and everything.
So I read every time management book I could find. Tried every trick. But it wasn’t sustainable. It felt like I was suffocating when I saw all the emails in my inbox. Trying to do everything kept me stuck.
I knew I needed to make a significant shift to my mindset and my approach. Shaving minutes off 8 meetings in a day wasn’t going to give me the kind of time for strategy and focus I needed.
A deep dive exploration led me to three lessons or mindset shifts I needed to make:
Be Realistic About Your Resources
As they say, ‘ops never stops!’ I loved being the hub for the org. It gave me confidence.
I wanted to solve everything, and I could see how to do it.
I was so good at being super-responsive that I couldn’t see when my capacity was tapped out. I couldn’t log off, literally or figuratively, so I felt stressed about work constantly.
So the first lesson I needed to learn was that even the brightest, most successful of us are, only human.
All of us humans have learned survival techniques and strengths that help us succeed. Being super-responsive to everyone was and is one of mine.
Now, strengths and survival techniques are great – until they’re the only way we can function. Then their shadow side comes out.
For me, being available for all the little stuff was giving me a constant mental beating. And it meant I wasn’t available for bigger, more important things.
Can you relate?
Make Decisions Strategically
I was kind of a business ops MacGyver in my career. I could make just about anything work. I was responsible, scrappy, and adaptable. Plus I could build rapport with just about anyone.
When I realized my realm had grown beyond what I could oversee myself, it kind of broke my brain a little. I simply couldn’t continue saying yes to it all. So I began to name what I was saying ‘no’ to every time I said ‘yes’:
A meeting over here meant saying NO to strategic planning that day.
Planning the next team huddle meant saying NO to developing someone else to do it.
Answering this email stream after dinner meant saying NO to family time and self-care.
Getting to the next level was less about doing it all and more about thinking bigger, making more thoughtful choices, and empowering others. I needed clear criteria and a sharper edge.
Define Your Personal Brand
To this point in my career, I had grown mostly in response to what was needed in the org. I’d find a gap and morph to fill it. My de facto personal brand had become ‘the drip pan’, an uninspiring moniker that did not reflect the passion or skills I uniquely brought to the table.
I wanted to be known differently. I wanted a smarter M.O. that allowed me to shine. One that felt authentic and would jumpstart me when I got too comfortable in the weeds.
I called it an M.O. at the time, but I know now that I was designing my personal brand.
Now, I knew I was on a path that would present challenges for others. By choosing my focus there would be gaps I no longer invisibly, automatically filled.
So it felt risky and kind of scary. It took courage to define myself because it also defined what I wasn’t. I needed to develop a stronger voice than I was used to using.
But strengthening my voice provided the greatest opportunity for me and everyone around me. It allowed others to step up as well. And that I knew would benefit the whole organization.
So I created a statement that I used as a compass to guide my decisions and communications.
Soon I was letting go of old baggage. I had more energy because I was getting to work on cooler, more fun things. And it was gratifying to watch my team let go of ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ to seize new opportunities for themselves.
If you’d like help crafting an inspiring and effective personal brand for yourself, grab a Personal Branding Session as a first step. We’ll brainstorm a personal brand statement so you can get out of the weeds and grow your reputation.
You can’t stop the chaos, but you can change the game.