“Every job is a self-portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence.” – Jessica Guidobono
My First Job Taught Me About Operations
I remember the first time I walked into the psychology clinic…
It was my first job, and I was both excited and nervous. I met everyone and jumped into my role.
I was a part-time admin, which meant that I did a little bit of everything.
This was the perfect first job because I was able to learn about every role in the business. I sat with the other administrators, I helped the providers, I spoke with and eventually shadowed the sales representatives, and I regularly interacted with the two men who owned the business.
This was a unique first job, and I was incredibly grateful to be surrounded by so many people and types of roles.
Operations has both big-picture and day-to-day components
Operations, as a field, is both the macro and micro aspects of a business. It is the big-picture, as established by business owners and executives, and it is also the more specific day-to-day, established by each individual.
I was able to learn about both at this psychology clinic. I asked my bosses many questions about how they started the business, how they managed their tasks, how they split the business, and so much more. I learned how you can tell what people value by the way that they manage their responsibilities and others. I asked my co-workers about their individual systems and observed how they each had created their unique way of interacting with customers, our bosses, and their tasks.
Operations is not one-size-fits-all.
I learned that operations is the underlying system that allows everything to flow. It is a foundation that acts as a guide by laying out certain non-negotiables. Those non-negotiables help people to craft their own methods.
Good operators understand this. To do operations well, one must understand the essence of things — what, exactly, is essential? The more precise an operator can be in understanding what needs to be done, and why it must be done, the more precisely he or she can communicate that in the form of a system. Usually, very clear and precise systems are easier to execute.
As an operator, your goal is to make everything easier with systems and processes, and tools.
Operations on the Individual Level
Though operations is usually seen as the responsibility of the executive, I have learned that everyone participates in operations. Everyone has unique day-to-day processes that are aimed toward creating easier, faster, more effective means of doing a particular job.