The Ops Authority

As an operations expert I’m hired to help businesses grow their teams. I do this by asking the right questions that help define the role they are hiring for. This is an important marketing piece of your business that requires strategy.

To scale your business with the right people, you’ll need to spend some time articulating and defining exactly what you need. If you do this right, you’ll find a higher quality match, a more symbiotic relationship, and experience less turnover. Today, I’ll help you define exactly what you need for your next hire by answering these 10 questions that will help you write a better job description.

 

10 Questions to Ask Before Writing a Job Description

 

1. What is Your Budget?

What type of profit margin do you have in your business, and what can you afford to reinvest into talent? Make sure you are practical about what you can afford, because you still need to turn a profit.

Start with your budget so you can dictate title and pay rate. If you don’t put a price tag on the position, you run into emotional hiring and attaching value to higher priced talent that you may not be able to afford.

“You are stealing from your family if you over-invest.”

2. How Many Hours Do You Need This Person? 

If you are currently performing this role, use this time and task tracker to gauge how long tasks take you to complete. Use a multiplier of 1.5 to quantify how long it will take a new hire to do the same work.  This will help you with budgeting and will also help you clarify the amount of hours your new hire can expect to work for you. Creating this standard will help you create a great relationship with your new hire.

“It’s ethical to create boundaries for yourself, but also for the person who will be joining you.” 

3. What is the Culture of Your Business?

Your job description message needs to be clear so the applicants can understand your culture, along with your vision, mission and values.

“The most functional teams share a vision & values.”

Talk to your current contractors and ask them what the best thing about working with you is.  Infuse your personality into the job description, and use the verbiage that you use on a day to day basis. Are you fun? Snarky? Lighthearted? Let that shine through when you write the job description.

4. What is the Leader Like? 

Describe the leader who your hire will be reporting to. If that’s you, what are your personal values? Are you hands on or hands off? An introvert or an extrovert? Use personality assessments, or have others you work with find some way to define you as a leader and include it in the job description.

5. What is the Main Objective of the Role?

If you only had one priority for your new hire, what would it be? When someone knows the main objective of their role, they are able to self assess. The leader will be assessing based on the same objective, so this provides a framework for both parties.

6. What are Your Pet Peeves?

What really gets under your skin? What frustrates you about other people? You may be tempted to say that you are “pretty easygoing,” but dig deep and think about a time when something didn’t go right in your business. Where did the breakdown occur?

Figure out your pet peeves, identify the opposite of that behavior, and then weave it into your job description.

7. What are the Requirements of the Job?

When writing the job description, you need to be comprehensive but also prioritize what is most important. Include both “required” skills, and “preferred” skills. This way, you will repel people who don’t have the primary requirements, and adding preferred skills will allow you to rank candidates as they come in. 

8. What Kind of Outcomes Will This Role Provide Your Company?

Let your new hire know what they will be responsible for. This sets the tone for the relationship, and lets them know that you will be engaged in their performance. 

“They will perform greater for you if they have direction on what the expectations are.”

Decide how you will measure the outcomes of the role, and make sure it fits into your team.

9. Where Will You Post the Job Description?

There are so many options to find help, so you need to be strategic about where you post your job description. Once you know what role you’re hiring for, you need to go to the places that have reputable training programs for those skills.

10. What Type of Personality Test Can You Ask For?

Is there a personality or conative test you can ask applicants to take? The KolbeA Index, Myers Briggs, and the DISC are all personality tests that can help you get more in-depth information about the characteristics of your applicants. Don’t let the test be a disqualifier, but use it to see who will align best with you as a person, and with your business.

Need Help With Hiring?

I hope I’ve helped you gain clarity when writing your next job description! If hiring is something that is on the horizon for you, but still seems daunting, I have created an entire course called Hiring Simplified that is dedicated to hiring.  

I also work with business owners to find their next great hire. If you want someone to take the hiring work off your hands, click here to learn more! 

Weekly Ops Activity

What is your next hire going to be and what is the main objective of the role?

Join us in the free Facebook group and post your answers to join the conversation! 

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 30: How To Break the Bad Habits of Hiring

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/31.

What makes the hiring process so hard? Why do you find yourself hiring the wrong people, and why is your turnover so high? These are some of the questions I get over and over. Hiring is one of the biggest challenges I see in growing businesses.

Today we are going to be talking all about hiring the right people. I'm giving you all of my best tips from my years of experience in recruiting in the corporate world. I've hired hundreds of people, and my goal is to use that expertise to help business owners like you to hire smart.

Understand Your Company's Mission, Vision, and Values

New business owners don't always take the time to define their mission and vision before they get started. Instead, they wait until they are ready to scale--but I challenge you to do this immediately.

"The better you understand what your business is about, who you're serving, how your serving them, and where you want to go, the easier it's going to be to find someone who wants to support that mission."

Values are everything. What are the values you have as a person, and how do they translate to your business? You want to look for similar or compatible values in the person you hire.

This is the way to break turnover in your business.

Don't Hire Too Fast

Another thing business owners do is to hire too fast. I want to encourage you to pause before hiring someone just because you are in a pinch. When you throw up a Facebook post looking for someone in the next 48 hours, you likely aren't going to get a high caliber hire.

"Take the time to create a real job description and you will get higher quality candidates."

Make sure when you are creating that job description, you take your time and are analytical about who you want and what you need. Write a description that summarizes your business and yourself as a leader, as well as the role you're hiring for.

"If you can find someone with previous experience that aligns with where you're going… it's like magic."

Associate Metrics to the Role

If you are hiring someone, you want a return on that investment. The only way you can do this is if you have metrics associated with the role.

Key results areas (KRA's) need to be created before you post a job description, and outline what success in the position looks like. Identify some numbers that will quantify that this person is on the right track and that they are serving your needs in the best way possible way.

Know Your Financials

Business owners often don't know their day-to-day financials. Make sure you understand what the asset is going to cost you and if you have the money to invest. You need to know your numbers so you can discern if you have the capacity to hire a highly qualified person, or if you need to pull back and hire a more junior person.

What can you afford, and how do your business needs match that budget?

"Don't put your profits at risk because you are desperate for help."

Know How You Will You Qualify Candidates

It's hard to get high quality candidates if you post on social media and ask applicants to PM you or send you an email. If you go this route, you will get lost in your inbox and find yourself hiring out of an emotional subjective state; that "gut feeling."

Instead, create an application process (such as a survey) that will allow you to look at an aggregate of information and compare data. It may be a little more work up front, but you will be able to hire a better person who is going to be more invested, align better with your business, and have a much greater return.

By breaking all of these bad habits, you are going to be able to hire smart.

Weekly Ops Activity

Download this time and task assessment resource to understand how you use every hour of your working day. For three days, write down every task and how long it takes you. This will help you understand the time commitment you will need from the person you are hiring.

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/30.

What makes the hiring process so hard? Why do you find yourself hiring the wrong people, and why is your turnover so high? These are some of the questions I get over and over. Hiring is one of the biggest challenges I see in growing businesses.

Today we are going to be talking all about hiring the right people. I’m giving you all of my best tips from my years of experience in recruiting in the corporate world. I’ve hired hundreds of people, and my goal is to use that expertise to help business owners like you to hire smart.

 

Understand Your Company’s Mission, Vision, and Values

New business owners don’t always take the time to define their mission and vision before they get started. Instead, they wait until they are ready to scale--but I challenge you to do this immediately.

“The better you understand what your business is about, who you’re serving, how your serving them, and where you want to go, the easier it’s going to be to find someone who wants to support that mission.”

Values are everything. What are the values you have as a person, and how do they translate to your business? You want to look for similar or compatible values in the person you hire. 

This is the way to break turnover in your business.

 

Don’t Hire Too Fast

Another thing business owners do is to hire too fast. I want to encourage you to pause before hiring someone just because you are in a pinch. When you throw up a Facebook post looking for someone in the next 48 hours, you likely aren’t going to get a high caliber hire. 

“Take the time to create a real job description and you will get higher quality candidates.”

Make sure when you are creating that job description, you take your time and are analytical about who you want and what you need. Write a description that summarizes your business and yourself as a leader, as well as the role you’re hiring for.

“If you can find someone with previous experience that aligns with where you’re going… it’s like magic.”

 

Associate Metrics to the Role

If you are hiring someone, you want a return on that investment. The only way you can do this is if you have metrics associated with the role.

Key results areas (KRA’s) need to be created before you post a job description, and outline what success in the position looks like. Identify some numbers that will quantify that this person is on the right track and that they are serving your needs in the best way possible way. 

Know Your Financials

Business owners often don’t know their day-to-day financials. Make sure you understand what the asset is going to cost you and if you have the money to invest. You need to know your numbers so you can discern if you have the capacity to hire a highly qualified person, or if you need to pull back and hire a more junior person.

What can you afford, and how do your business needs match that budget?

“Don’t put your profits at risk because you are desperate for help.”

 

Know How You Will You Qualify Candidates

It’s hard to get high quality candidates if you post on social media and ask applicants to PM you or send you an email. If you go this route, you will get lost in your inbox and find yourself hiring out of an emotional subjective state; that “gut feeling.”

Instead, create an application process (such as a survey) that will allow you to look at an aggregate of information and compare data. It may be a little more work up front, but you will be able to hire a better person who is going to be more invested, align better with your business, and have a much greater return.

By breaking all of  these bad habits, you are going to be able to hire smart. 

Weekly Ops Activity

Download this time and task assessment resource to understand how you use every hour of your working day. For three days, write down every task and how long it takes you. This will help you understand the time commitment you will need from the person you are hiring. 

 

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/30.

What does it look like to build a business as a Director Of Operations (DOO)? How do you build a truly sustainable, profitable business utilizing the skill set of a DOO?

A Director of Operations certification will help you leverage the unique skills and innate talents you already have. There's no one way to build a DOO business, and no one does it exactly the same. In today's podcast, I'm going to take you through six ways to build a DOO business.

Six Types of Director of Operations Business Models

Before we get started, you should ask yourself: "Do I like short interactions with clients or depth and length in my relationships?"

The answer to that will determine the type of offer you should create for yourself.

"Do you like to be in and out of businesses, or do you like to stick around?"

1. Leverage the Strategic Mapping™ Model

This is a blueprint you get in the DOO certification that you can use to help businesses scale. You can use this blueprint as a stand-alone service.

This is perfect for the DOO who likes to make a big impact, but doesn't want to deal with the day to day implementation.You provide the model, and then step out.

You can also add on to the model by adding system assessments, team assessments, or technology assessments.

2. Project Management

This is the one skill set that everyone who comes through the DOO certification must have, but it doesn't mean you have to have a certification or degree in project management.

You can use the DOO certification and trainings to strengthen your project management business. You will be hired to execute a project that has a beginning and an end date. Although these are short term, often times they will lead to repeat projects within the same business.

3. Fractional Retainer

A fractional retainer means that you are not in the business full time. You come into the business for a dedicated portion of your week and manage the day-to-day, but not project-to- project. You look at all operations and back office support.

You will have a big impact on the business, but you are serving multiple businesses. This is a way you can start to scale your own DOO business.

"Increase your value, pour into the clients you have and don't take on more that 4 clients at a time."

4. Agency model

Once you are in these fractional relationships, you are going to have more demand for your services. One way to scale is an agency model, in which you hire people to help you implement.

There are a couple of different ways you can implement this agency model as a DOO:

• You serve as the DOO for the business, but you have people on your team who implement. If the business you are working with doesn't have their own team, this is a good fit. You can go deep into their business and create a long lasting relationship.
• You serve as an account executive, and staff the business with what they need (OBM's, project managers, or DOO's). You're responsible for securing clients and high-level relationship management, and your staff is responsible for the deliverables.

5. Specializing

This is perfect for someone who already has a depth of knowledge in a field, such as HR, financial services, or data management. You can leverage your DOO certification and layer it on top of your core competency.

6. Intensives

This model is perfect for the person who has flexibility to travel. Typically, you meet face to face with the client in their business and spend 6-12 hours on the intensive. This allows you to go deep very quickly and provide clarity to the business.

You'll start with the Strategic Mapping™ model, and you can add on a specialty service such as data analysis, team analysis, or mapping out an event. You can build your entire business around these intensives.

"I'm deeply invested in making sure we are building careers, and not just fill-in-the-gap experiences."

I hope you enjoyed learning about the different business models that we talked about today. If you are interested in becoming a DOO, please check out the Director Of Operations Certification.

Weekly Ops Activity

Go to the Ops Insiders Facebook group and let me know which of these six options for DOO business models matches where you are today.

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/29.

What does it look like to build a business as a Director Of Operations (DOO)? How do you build a truly sustainable, profitable business utilizing the skill set of a DOO?

A Director of Operations certification will help you leverage the unique skills and innate talents you already have. There’s no one way to build a DOO business, and no one does it exactly the same. In today’s podcast, I’m going to take you through six ways to build a DOO business. 

 

Six Types of Director of Operations Business Models

Before we get started, you should ask yourself:  “Do I like short interactions with clients or depth and length in my relationships?” 

The answer to that will determine the type of offer you should create for yourself. 

“Do you like to be in and out of businesses, or do you like to stick around?”

1. Leverage the Strategic Mapping™ Model

This is a blueprint you get in the DOO certification that you can use to help businesses scale. You can use this blueprint as a stand-alone service. 

This is perfect for the DOO who likes to make a big impact, but doesn’t want to deal with the day to day implementation.You provide the model, and then step out.

You can also add on to the model by adding system assessments, team assessments, or technology assessments. 

2. Project Management

This is the one skill set that everyone who comes through the DOO certification must have, but it doesn’t mean you have to have a certification or degree in project management.

You can use the DOO certification and trainings to strengthen your project management business. You will be hired to execute a project that has a beginning and an end date. Although these are short term, often times they will lead to repeat projects within the same business.

3. Fractional Retainer

A fractional retainer means that you are not in the business full time. You come into the business for a dedicated portion of your week and manage the day-to-day, but not project-to- project. You look at all operations and back office support. 

You will have a big impact on the business, but you are serving multiple businesses. This is a way you can start to scale your own DOO business.

“Increase your value, pour into the clients you have and don’t take on more that 4 clients at a time.”

4. Agency model

Once you are in these fractional relationships, you are going to have more demand for your services. One way to scale is an agency model, in which you hire people to help you implement. 

There are a couple of different ways you can implement this agency model as a DOO:

• You serve as the DOO for the business, but you have people on your team who implement. If the business you are working with doesn’t have their own team, this is a good fit. You can go deep into their business and create a long lasting relationship.
  
  
• You serve as an account executive, and staff the business with what they need (OBM’s, project managers, or DOO’s). You’re responsible for securing clients and high-level relationship management, and your staff is responsible for the deliverables. 

5. Specializing

This is perfect for someone who already has a depth of knowledge in a field, such as HR, financial services, or data management. You can leverage your DOO certification and layer it on top of your core competency. 

6. Intensives

This model is perfect for the person who has flexibility to travel. Typically, you meet face to face with the client in their business and spend 6-12 hours on the intensive. This allows you to go deep very quickly and provide clarity to the business. 

You’ll start with the Strategic Mapping™ model, and you can add on a specialty service such as data analysis, team analysis, or mapping out an event. You can build your entire business around these intensives. 

“I’m deeply invested in making sure we are building careers, and not just fill-in-the-gap experiences.”

I hope you enjoyed learning about the different business models that we talked about today. If you are interested in becoming a DOO, please check out the Director Of Operations Certification.

Weekly Ops Activity

Go to the Ops Insiders Facebook group and let me know which of these six options for DOO business models matches where you are today.

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/29.

Are you interested in upleveling your skill to become a Director of Operations (DOO)? Or are you an established business owner who anticipates hiring a DOO in the near future? Perhaps you're wondering what specific skill sets a DOO needs to be successful.

In today's episode, we are going to be talking about the six criteria that a DOO needs to have in their toolbelt. This will help you determine if you should become a DOO or, if you are hiring one, what you should be looking for.

Six Criteria to Becoming a DOO 1. You Have a Project Management Skill Set

You prioritize things in a very strategic way. You are organized, detail oriented and thrive in task management.

Quality control is important to you; you're always looking to refine and improve the process to make sure the final outcome of a product or service is top notch.

You are also a sequential thinker. You think in steps, and are able to break things down.

One thing you don't need? A degree in project management. You don't necessarily even need experience in a corporate environment, so don't discount yourself because of lack of corporate or professional experience.

"Project management is oftentimes very innate."

2. You're Strategic

Businesses are often divided into "front office" and "back office." The front office is the strategic side and back office is the operational side. Your job is to sit in between the two.

You have to be perceptive, and make decisions based on evidence. You'll need to be really good at making sound, but blind decisions. Using an intuitive instinct, you will need the ability to move a business forward to align with the vision that has been set. You'll also need to be courageous and feel very confident in your decisions.

3. You Have Experience

You'll need to have at least 2 years of experience in operations or strategy. A DOO is an upper level position or executive role; it is not an entry-level position. The types of businesses who need a DOO vary, but 2 years of experience is really the bare minimum.

4. Take the Kolbe A Index

The Kolbe A Index* is a 36 question evaluation that looks at your instincts rather than your personality or learned behaviors. This assessment looks at your conative abilities: what you were born with and the ways you operate. It tells you where you are going to be the most productive, and reveals your natural gifts. This evaluation will help you put yourself in the best possible situations and avoid stressful situations.

There are 4 different modes:

• Fact Finder
• Follow Through
• Quick Start
• Implementer

When I evaluate DOO's, I look at two scores: the Fact Finder and the Quick Start.

A higher Fact Finder score indicates that you are a seeker of info before you make a decision. You like detail and analyzing data. You are the person who makes sure that things get done in the business. I like to see this score in the 5-9 range.

A lower Quick Start score indicates that you are more risk averse and methodical. Most people who come through the DOO certification fall in the 2-5 range.

5. You're Less Visionary Than Integrator

An Integrator is someone who brings organizational clarity and operates on logic; you are the filter for the visionary. The integrator is the person who integrates the ideas by leading a team.

"Visionaries create problems and integrators solve them."

Visionaries create problems to solve. They are the disruptors, the big dreamers, and they have the big ideas.

The problems that the visionaries create need integrators to solve them. Integrators are gifted in bringing these big ideas to life. When integrators pick up where the visionaries leave off, you both feel a massive sense of accomplishment by bringing those thoughts to life and turning them into something tangible.

I like to have everyone that comes through the program take the integrator quiz to see if they will be a good fit for a DOO position. The average score is for an integrator is 87.

6. You're a Leader and a Communicator

Leadership and communication are skill sets that can't be taught; you need to bring these to the table. You have to be professional in the way you deliver hard messages, and be able to course correct naturally.

You will be working with CEOs who may want to move quickly and tackle way more than you can actually get done. You'll need to have the ability to stand up and deliver a difficult message. Innate leadership skills will help you communicate up to the CEO and communicate down to the team in a way that is polished and amicable.

"You need to have a gentle side and strong leadership skills."

Two Things You Don't Need To Be 1. An Implementer

You don't have to be the person who does all-the-things. A DOO fits in between the implementation team and the leadership team. You're the one who needs to make sure the work gets done, but you don't need to know every tech tool. Instead, you need to be focused on communicating effectively with your peers and your leadership.

2. An expert in industry you're serving

As a DOO you need to know the operational foundations of running a business: human resources, data analysis, project management, leadership and communication skills. These skill sets apply whether you are working with a construction company or an online digital marketing business.

"A lot of times the best value will come from someone who doesn't have direct experience in your industry because they're going to be able to bring you new and innovative ideas, approaches and processes."

I hope this episode has been insightful for you! If you think a DOO position is right for you, or if there is someone in your business who is your right hand, encourage them to apply to The Director Of Operations Certification Program.

The program will close on Jan 24, 2020, so get your applications in before then! Apply now by clicking here.

Weekly Ops Activity

Take the Kolbe assessment*, and tell me what your Kolbe score is by posting it in the FB group.

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 26: A Week in the Life of a Director of Operations

Episode 25: How to Expand Your Business in 2020

Episode 24: Ten Quick Year-End Tasks with a Long-Lasting Impact

Episode 2: What is a Director of Operations?

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to make a purchase via one of the links, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/28.

Are you interested in upleveling your skill to become a Director of Operations (DOO)? Or are you an established business owner who anticipates hiring a DOO in the near future? Perhaps you’re wondering what specific skill sets a DOO needs to be successful.

In today's episode, we are going to be talking about the six criteria that a DOO needs to have in their toolbelt. This will help you determine if you should become a DOO or, if you are hiring one, what you should be looking for.

 

Six Criteria to Becoming a DOO 1. You Have a Project Management Skill Set

You prioritize things in a very strategic way. You are organized, detail oriented and thrive in task management. 

Quality control is important to you; you’re always looking to refine and improve the process to make sure the final outcome of a product or service is top notch. 

You are also a sequential thinker. You think in steps, and are able to break things down.  

One thing you don’t need? A degree in project management. You don’t necessarily even need experience in a corporate environment, so don’t discount yourself because of lack of corporate or professional experience. 

“Project management is oftentimes very innate.”

 

2. You’re Strategic

Businesses are often divided into “front office” and “back office.” The front office is the  strategic side and back office is the operational side. Your job is to sit in between the two. 

You have to be perceptive, and make decisions based on evidence. You’ll  need to be really good at making sound, but blind decisions. Using an intuitive instinct, you will need the ability to move a business forward to align with the vision that has been set. You’ll also need to be courageous and feel very confident in your decisions.

  3. You Have Experience

You’ll need to have at least 2 years of experience in operations or strategy. A DOO is an upper level position or executive role; it is not an entry-level position. The types of businesses who need a DOO vary, but 2 years of experience is really the bare minimum.

 

4. Take the Kolbe A Index

The Kolbe A Index* is a 36 question evaluation that looks at your instincts rather than your personality or learned behaviors. This assessment looks at your conative abilities: what you were born with and the ways you operate. It tells you where you are going to be the most productive, and reveals your natural gifts. This evaluation will help you put yourself in the best possible situations and avoid stressful situations. 

There are 4 different modes:

• Fact Finder 
• Follow Through
• Quick Start
• Implementer

When I evaluate DOO’s, I look at two scores: the Fact Finder and the Quick Start.

A higher Fact Finder score indicates that you are a seeker of info before you make a decision. You like detail and analyzing data. You are the person who makes sure that things get done in the business. I like to see this score in the 5-9 range.

A lower Quick Start score indicates that you are more risk averse and methodical. Most people who come through the DOO certification fall in the 2-5 range.

  5. You’re Less Visionary Than Integrator

An Integrator is someone who brings organizational clarity and operates on logic; you are the filter for the visionary. The integrator is the person who integrates the ideas by leading a team.

“Visionaries create problems and integrators solve them.”

Visionaries create problems to solve. They are the disruptors, the big dreamers, and they have the big ideas. 

The problems that the visionaries create need integrators to solve them. Integrators are gifted in bringing these big ideas to life. When integrators pick up where the visionaries leave off, you both feel a massive sense of accomplishment by bringing those thoughts to life and turning them into something tangible.

I like to have everyone that comes through the program take the integrator quiz to see if they will be a good fit for a DOO position. The average score is for an integrator is 87.

6. You’re a Leader and a Communicator

Leadership and communication are skill sets that can’t be taught; you need to bring these to the table. You have to be professional in the way you deliver hard messages, and be able to course correct naturally.

You will be working with CEOs who may want to move quickly and tackle way more than you can actually get done. You’ll need to have the ability to stand up and deliver a difficult message. Innate leadership skills will help you communicate up to the CEO and communicate down to the team in a way that is polished and amicable.

“You need to have a gentle side and strong leadership skills.” 

  Two Things You Don’t Need To Be 1. An Implementer

You don’t have to be the person who does all-the-things. A DOO fits in between the implementation team and the leadership team. You’re the one who needs to make sure the work gets done, but you don’t need to know every tech tool. Instead, you need to be focused on communicating effectively with your peers and your leadership.

 

2. An expert in industry you’re serving

As a DOO you need to know the operational foundations of running a business: human resources, data analysis, project management, leadership and communication skills. These skill sets apply whether you are working with a construction company or an online digital marketing business.

“A lot of times the best value will come from someone who doesn’t have direct experience in your industry because they’re going to be able to bring you new and innovative ideas, approaches and processes.”

I hope this episode has been insightful for you! If you think a DOO position is right for you, or if there is someone in your business who is your right hand, encourage them to apply to The Director Of Operations Certification Program. 

The program will close on Jan 24, 2020, so get your applications in before then! Apply now by clicking here. 

 

Weekly Ops Activity

Take the Kolbe assessment*, and tell me what your Kolbe score is by posting it in the FB group.

 

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 26: A Week in the Life of a Director of Operations

Episode 25: How to Expand Your Business in 2020

Episode 24: Ten Quick Year-End Tasks with a Long-Lasting Impact

Episode 2: What is a Director of Operations?

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to make a purchase via one of the links, I will receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/28. 

Is the Director of Operations certification right for you? How does it differ from the OBM certification? And what kind of impact can the DOO certification have on your business?

Investing in a certification is a big decision, and sometimes it helps to hear from other people who have gone through a program before committing yourself. That's why I put together this episode: to give you a chance to hear from 2 incredible women who have gone through the DOO certification.

You'll hear from Liz Watson who comes from a corporate project management background and from Kelly Reynolds who comes from Wall Street. Their stories will give you an idea of the type of women who participate in the DOO program (always women with the natural skillset and past experience to become a Director of Operations). Plus, they will share how the certification impacted them and their advice for those considering the program.

This episode is perfect for you if you've been considering applying for the Director of Operations certification program or if you have a team member who you might want to put through the program.

Directors of Operations: Then and Now Liz Watson

Where Liz was before the certification:

• Liz had experience in corporate, working in IT Project Management
• She has also worked at a Fortune 500 company, as well as hotel management and sales
• Liz holds the PMP certification
• She was ready for a change, so she started googling what could be done in the online space using her project management skills

What drew Liz to the Director of Operations Certification:

• Liz wanted to be able to play a role at a higher level of an organization or small business
• She was ready to up-level her skills

What were the greatest benefits of going through the program?

• She gained new services that she can use with the frameworks Natalie teaches, such as the Strategic Mapping™
• The community of like-minded women
• Being able to review modules in advance but then discuss and connect on live calls

What advice does Liz have for anyone considering the certification?

• Even though it's a 10 week program, it's very doable
• Great fit for people who are detail oriented and love to serve others
• She was able to pay for the certification twice over within about a month after completing the program

"We are not always the face of the organization, but we're the one helping that leader step up." - Liz Watson

"Just getting the certification is not going to get you leads, it's not going to build your business on its own. You're going to have to do those things that it takes." - Natalie Gingrich

Kelly Reynolds

Where Kelly was before the certification:

• Was on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers
• Started her own business as a VA
• Went through the OBM Certification
• Was focusing on 1:1 clients but wanted to uplevel what she was doing

"The DOO certification is not a rewiring; this is an amplification and a blueprint for doing things for your specific audience." - Natalie Gingrich

What drew Kelly to the Director of Operations Certification

• Kelly wanted to learn more about business strategy
• She knew her friend Teresa had been through the program, so she asked her about it, and this confirmed that she would be a good fit

How is the DOO Certification different from the OBM Certification?

• The OBM Certification is more structured for online businesses and does a lot with launching and marketing
• The DOO Certification has more strategy and how to deal with things like HR, team management, reviews, goal setting, etc.

How has the DOO Certification impacted Kelly's business?

• Runs an agency now with some team members
• Was doing a lot of 1:1 work and was ready to do more strategy that didn't require her to be constantly in the business
• She began offering Strategic Mapping™ right away and this is now a core service

How was the investment for Kelly?

• The investment was not a problem for Kelly
• She was able to recoup her investment without any problem

What advice does Kelly have for anyone considering the certification?

• It's right for someone who wants to up-level
• It will help you grow as a business without killing yourself with working lots more hours
• If you are wanting to be a VA or implementer, then this certification may not be for you. Maybe just learn a new software or tool so that you can offer those services.

"If your high comes from the form of implementing, then stay in your zone. Don't complicate your current structure. Continue to develop in that way." - Natalie Gingrich

Ready to Up-Level Your Business?

If you are ready to take action and up-level your business with the Director of Operations Certification, apply now here. Applications are open until Jan. 24th, and our next round begins Feb. 3, 2020.

Stay Connected:

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Connect with Liz or Kelly:

Liz Watson:

Liz Watson is a small business operations consultant. Her goal is to help reduce the overwhelm so often felt by visionary entrepreneurs that are looking to scale. She spent 20 years in IT project management and leadership at a Fortune 500 company. When given the opportunity to leave, she decided to use her knowledge and experience to serve small business owners through her own consulting business. She is certified as a Project Management Professional and Director of Operations. She is a proud mom and is passionate about environmental sustainability.

Liz's website

Kelly Reynolds:

After business school and a decade spent on Wall Street, Kelly thought there had to be more to life than a terrible commute. She started out as a virtual assistant and has quickly grown the company into the Reynolds OBM Agency. She and her team now help small businesses grow by getting organized and efficient, no commute required.

She lives in New Jersey (the good part with the beaches) with her husband, son and adorable dog Opie. She loves pretty spreadsheets and people who bring red wine, especially to business meetings and play dates.

Kelly's website

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/27.

Is the Director of Operations certification right for you? How does it differ from the OBM certification? And what kind of impact can the DOO certification have on your business?

Investing in a certification is a big decision, and sometimes it helps to hear from other people who have gone through a program before committing yourself. That’s why I put together this episode: to give you a chance to hear from 2 incredible women who have gone through the DOO certification.

You’ll hear from Liz Watson who comes from a corporate project management background and from Kelly Reynolds who comes from Wall Street. Their stories will give you an idea of the type of women who participate in the DOO program (always women with the natural skillset and past experience to become a Director of Operations). Plus, they will share how the certification impacted them and their advice for those considering the program.

This episode is perfect for you if you’ve been considering applying for the Director of Operations certification program or if you have a team member who you might want to put through the program. 

 

Directors of Operations: Then and Now Liz Watson

Where Liz was before the certification:

• Liz had experience in corporate, working in IT Project Management
• She has also worked at a Fortune 500 company, as well as hotel management and sales
• Liz holds the PMP certification
• She was ready for a change, so she started googling what could be done in the online space using her project management skills

 

What drew Liz to the Director of Operations Certification:

• Liz wanted to be able to play a role at a higher level of an organization or small business 
• She was ready to up-level her skills

 

What were the greatest benefits of going through the program?

• She gained new services that she can use with the frameworks Natalie teaches, such as the Strategic Mapping™
• The community of like-minded women
• Being able to review modules in advance but then discuss and connect on live calls

 

What advice does Liz have for anyone considering the certification?

• Even though it’s a 10 week program, it’s very doable
• Great fit for people who are detail oriented and love to serve others
• She was able to pay for the certification twice over within about a month after completing the program

 

“We are not always the face of the organization, but we’re the one helping that leader step up.” - Liz Watson

“Just getting the certification is not going to get you leads, it’s not going to build your business on its own. You’re going to have to do those things that it takes.” - Natalie Gingrich

Kelly Reynolds

Where Kelly was before the certification:

• Was on Wall Street at Lehman Brothers
• Started her own business as a VA
• Went through the OBM Certification
• Was focusing on 1:1 clients but wanted to uplevel what she was doing

 

“The DOO certification is not a rewiring; this is an amplification and a blueprint for doing things for your specific audience.” - Natalie Gingrich

 

What drew Kelly to the Director of Operations Certification

• Kelly wanted to learn more about business strategy
• She knew her friend Teresa had been through the program, so she asked her about it, and this confirmed that she would be a good fit

 

How is the DOO Certification different from the OBM Certification?

• The OBM Certification is more structured for online businesses and does a lot with launching and marketing
• The DOO Certification has more strategy and how to deal with things like HR, team management, reviews, goal setting, etc.

 

How has the DOO Certification impacted Kelly’s business?

• Runs an agency now with some team members
• Was doing a lot of 1:1 work and was ready to do more strategy that didn’t require her to be constantly in the business
• She began offering Strategic Mapping™ right away and this is now a core service

 

How was the investment for Kelly?

• The investment was not a problem for Kelly
• She was able to recoup her investment without any problem

 

What advice does Kelly have for anyone considering the certification?

• It’s right for someone who wants to up-level
• It will help you grow as a business without killing yourself with working lots more hours
• If you are wanting to be a VA or implementer, then this certification may not be for you. Maybe just learn a new software or tool so that you can offer those services.

 

“If your high comes from the form of implementing, then stay in your zone. Don’t complicate your current structure. Continue to develop in that way.” - Natalie Gingrich

 

Ready to Up-Level Your Business?

If you are ready to take action and up-level your business with the Director of Operations Certification, apply now here. Applications are open until Jan. 24th, and our next round begins Feb. 3, 2020.

 

Stay Connected:

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app. 

 

Connect with Liz or Kelly:

Liz Watson:

Liz Watson is a small business operations consultant. Her goal is to help reduce the overwhelm so often felt by visionary entrepreneurs that are looking to scale. She spent 20 years in IT project management and leadership at a Fortune 500 company. When given the opportunity to leave, she decided to use her knowledge and experience to serve small business owners through her own consulting business. She is certified as a Project Management Professional and Director of Operations. She is a proud mom and is passionate about environmental sustainability.

Liz’s website

 

Kelly Reynolds:

After business school and a decade spent on Wall Street, Kelly thought there had to be more to life than a terrible commute. She started out as a virtual assistant and has quickly grown the company into the Reynolds OBM Agency. She and her team now help small businesses grow by getting organized and efficient, no commute required.

She lives in New Jersey (the good part with the beaches) with her husband, son and adorable dog Opie. She loves pretty spreadsheets and people who bring red wine, especially to business meetings and play dates.

Kelly’s website

 

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/27.

Have ever wondered what it looks like to be a Director of Operations or to have one working inside your business? In this episode, I'm sharing a typical week in the life of a Director of Operations so that you can understand what this role entails.

You might be listening to this episode as the CEO of a business, or you might be someone is a service provider and loves supporting other business owners. Either way, you'll get something out of this as I share a typical week in the life of a DOO. You'll find out what a DOO does, what she doesn't do, and what your next steps are.

What is a Director of Operations?

I give a full description of a Director of Operations in Episode 2, but here's the basics:

A Director of Operations (or DOO) is someone who comes into your business as a "right-hand" person. They serve in a role similar to an "integrator" (as defined by EOS).

In the corporate setting, this role is often referred to as Chief of Staff. If you are the CEO, having a Director of Operations allows you to ascend into a true leadership role.

Not every business needs a DOO. Part of this depends on where your business is at financially. Often a certified DOO is serving a business with a revenue range of $500K to $2M.

Some DOOs have just one client, but some have more, depending on how much they want to work and the type of clients they work with.

A Week in the Life of a DOO

In this example, I'm sharing what a typical week might look like when a DOO is serving a CEO and managing a team of about 3-10 contractors or employees.

Ways a DOO will spend her time during the week:

• Project management
• • Spending time in the project management tool and making sure people know what they should be working on
  • Setting goals and targets for the week
  • Identify scope creep
• Preparing for a weekly one-on-one with the CEO. I spend time creating an agenda for the meeting so that I know what we need to cover in the meeting.
• • Discuss project status
  • Discuss team performance
  • • Before the meeting, I look at whether the team is meeting or missing the milestones

"Is the team meeting or missing their milestones?"

• • The base of this meeting comes from the Strategic Mapping™ process
  • Get feedback on projects to convey back to the team (if needed)
  • Capture new ideas from the CEO
  • Look for processes that need to be updated
  • Share what the coming week looks like
  • Let the CEO know what is realistic in terms of goals and projects
• Make updates to the weekly plans based on the meeting
• Reach out to contractors and make sure they know what is on deck for the week
• • Keep lines of communication open

"The best scenarios are going to come from people who are genuinely interested in being an advocate for the leader and an advocate for the employee."

• Review the Profit & Loss sheet
• • Assess where the money is going and whether changes need to be made
• Look at the team and support as needed
• • Meet with teammates once per month for 30 minutes
  • Connect, get feedback, develop talent
• Deliver 2-3 processes each month
• Crisis management
• • Collect information
  • Try to protect the CEO from the information
• Hiring & developing talent on the team
• • Providing opportunities for team members to grow and test out new projects
  • Looking at organizational design and determine new roles that are needed to achieve the vision of the CEO
  • • Develop the job application for the role & do screening of potential candidates
• Marketing strategy and design
• • If a DOO has marketing background, they may support the CEO with creating a marketing plan
• Look at metrics
• • Develop the metrics tracking and collect the data needed
• Share report about the week's work with the CEO

As you can see from what I've shared, the DOO does not implement in the business. However, the work a DOO provides is invaluable for a CEO who wants to move away from management and implementation and into leadership and revenue generating activities.

Your Next Steps

If you are someone who is interested in the DOO Certification, the next round is starting soon. Applications are open through January 24th, so be sure to learn more and apply now.

If you are interested in hiring a certified DOO, visit my hiring page and we'll be in touch.

Previous Episodes Mentioned

Episode 2: What is a Director of Operations?

Stay Connected:

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app.

Other Ways to Connect with Me:

Website

Private Facebook Community

Facebook Page

Instagram

This episode was first published at theopsauthority.com/podcast/26.