Running Your Ops Team Meeting

Tasked with running an important meeting? Sure, anyone who’s had a career for longer than five minutes knows the gist of a “meeting” but do you really understand the assignment? Fortunately, we’ve assembled key factors to keep in mind for organizing the most long view meeting of them all, the Ops Team Meeting: 

Architects of your org, the Ops Team comes together to develop the company’s blueprint. Collaboration is key when this team meets, as there are likely many different people from various wings involved, bringing their unique perspectives and experiences on how things are going. This is where the rubber meets the pavement on the future of the company. 

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The Setting: Just as it takes the entire Ops Team to see through on the agenda items after, so too should this meeting be prepared for by more than one person. Establish a time and setting conducive to undivided attention by participants, who are able to warm-up and be fully present, away from their daily grind. 

‍The Vibe: Lights, camera, action! Real change is happening as an outcome of this meeting, driven by decisions based on real world data. Planning, execution, measurement, and updates from the last gathering with subsequent adjustments are at hand. Also on deck are potentially sensitive topics, requiring grace to ensure appropriate stakeholders are involved.

The Nitty-Gritty: This team already carries large enough plates, don’t make them bigger -- if something isn’t working, ditch it. Avoid creating processes for process’ sake. Plans that sounded great in a previous meeting may have hit hard reality in the time since. Team members should feel welcome to voice clear and honest feedback, which deeply matters here. 

‍The Future: Leave the meeting with members empowered to work across functions, developing a deeper understanding of the company’s ins and outs. Big goals are going to be the takeaway; establish action items and next steps, discuss OKRs or other formal success measurement tools. The change enacted here may be gradual but is important, don’t let anything slip through.