How ops professionals can become more strategic at work

Also - the new marketing ops playbook versus the old playbook

In this edition:

1. How Ops Professionals Can Become More Strategic at Work

2. Old Versus New Marketing Ops Playbook

3. POLL - Which platform has the brightest marketing automation future?

4. For Paid Subscribers: Practical ways to become more strategic and drive business value in marketing operations

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Helpful Advice of the Week

How AI will impact marketing ops and Martech work by Scott Brinker.

How to take the lead with your manager by Wes Kao.

Advice to supercharge your career by Ben Meer.

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How Ops Professionals Can Become More Strategic at Work

There are many ways to elevate your strategic game at work. 

Here are some of my favorites: 

1 -  Be the one to bring ideas to the table first.

Be proactive. Approach leadership with strategic recommendations on how to bring the business forward. Especially: 

• Operational improvements to unlock growth 

• Campaign optimizations to increase revenue 

• Look around the corner for potential roadblocks ahead 

2 - Don’t just report data - analyze it 

Push yourself to review the reporting and metrics and ask: “Is this good or bad? What can we do today to make this better?” Some great ones are: 

• Conversion rate optimization recommendations 

• Compare best and worst performing programs 

• Macro and micro trend analysis 

3 - Translate ops work into business language 

In every meeting, frame your work in terms of how it impacts revenue, customer acquisition, retention, and efficiency. Use phrases and terms that leaders care most about. Here are some examples: 

• “This project will decrease our time to market by 20%” 

• “This platform will help us realize an annual cost-savings of $30K”

• “Structuring our team this way will enable us to scale results and drive more ROI”

4 - Identify bottlenecks across the business 

Don’t limit yourself to one department - call out inefficiencies in all areas to demonstrate holistic thinking. Thinking department by department can lead to missed opportunities. To find bottlenecks: 

• Identify the slowest step of any system or process

• Divert time and resources to alleviating the constraint 

• Remember to measure success on “value moved through the system” and not on the efficiency of individual steps

5 - Be the go-to technology and process innovation expert 

Perception is important. Demonstrate thought leadership by showing how tech and process can drive the future of the business. Try this: 

• Start conversations about new strategies, tactics, and tools 

• Lead training and educational sessions to elevate your team on best practices 

6 - Be a connector across teams 

Strategy is not done in a silo. Become the bridge between marketing, sales, product, CS, IT, and finance. Try this: 

• Create tiger teams to tackle big rock issues 

• Setup data and technology councils to drive better decision-making 

• Schedule regular info and debriefing sessions to keep teams in the loop

By taking these actions and focusing on the perception of your role within the company, you’ll help elevate yourself and the ops function as critical, strategic contributors to business success. It's not just about what you do—it's about how you position your role and influence others to see the broader impact of your work.

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The Old Marketing Ops Playbook Versus the New Marketing Ops Playbook

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POLL: What is at the center of your Martech stack today?