Consistency, care, and resilience to achieve your company’s objectives.

I worked in the advertising market for over 20 years and, more recently, I had the opportunity to teach some classes in the MestreGP courses, mostly talking about Projects, Operations and Digital Products. In these two environments, the most common question I heard was: “Operations? That’s Projects, right?” Within its numerous subtle variations in how the question was asked, the answer was always constant: Operations is indeed different from Projects.

This confusion may arise from the predominant fact that the Operations area in many Brazilian advertising agencies is managed by people who came from Projects. More than seeking points of differentiation between one and the other, I prefer here to show more (non-exhaustively) what the Operations team seeks on a day-to-day basis.

The scope of Operations teams can vary greatly depending on your market and the size of the agency you work for. Generally, the Operations team is involved with process mapping and creation, work tools, equipment, infrastructure, team management, and financial controls. Some Project tasks, with varying intensities, may end up in Operations’ lap, and there is indeed room for this intersection and synergy.

The basic premise is to maintain focus on what is important for Operations: working carefully and consistently with a clear purpose, always with an eye on your company’s business objectives. The work of the Operations team is one where resilience is a routine and where intention is a basic requirement. Resilience, because it aims for the long term and requires consistency throughout the company’s business planning period. And it needs to be done with great intention because every decision, even the most obvious, simple, and mundane, is important for long-term objectives.

With considerable energy and integrity throughout the process, the Operations team must dedicate itself to creating a solid foundation of processes and strengthening the underpinnings of this structure. It is important to keep tools ready and functional to identify recurring moments in all your Projects. Identifying these patterns and their inflection points in their evolution should be seen as an opportunity to do something different and seek greater efficiency. Remember that your company’s business objectives will always be a priority, and a large part of your focus is internal.

“But what about the clients? Don’t we provide services for them?”. Your clients must benefit from the efficiencies that Operations has found in the process. The work done by your company’s teams, delivered consistently, faster, and at a lower cost, is an excellent advantage in your company’s service delivery.

During this behind-the-scenes journey within your company, it is important to remember that Operations is an area that needs to be creative and should never hinder or stiffen the process of teams that are Creative by definition. Process efficiency, method, data, and workflows are created in precisely the opposite direction. They exist (and evolve) consistently so that Creative teams no longer have to worry about numbers, revenues, and expenses. The job of Operations is not to steal time and creativity from these teams; it is to return these teams to their creative spaces.

We are discussing teams within your company and clients, as well as the importance of work done resiliently and consistently. The is one more point that cannot be left out. Ac ally, a reminder: no one can read your mind. It’s the Operations team’s job to clearly communicate the expectations of the journey. Do not tire of explaining as many times as necessary because essential decisions must be made together and must be clear to everyone involved. Clear communication will bring you two benefits right from the start. The first is to make everyone feel part of the process, their points of view having been heard and considered. The second is that clear communication allows for the alignment of everyone’s expectations. With everyone aligned, it is possible to establish agreements, arrangements, and rules that enable consistent work conduct.

Consistency is key in the perception of the quality of work delivered over time. Inconsistencies in the deliverables of this journey can act like a virus, undermining your business objectives.

While the Project team will deliver the project’s outcomes with a clear beginning, middle, and end, the Operations team will establish a solid foundation of processes, identifying patterns and efficiency opportunities, always aiming to support your company’s business objectives. It’s a journey of much work behind the scenes, conducted with resilience, intention, clear communication, and a lot of consistency. Even while seeking to meet business objectives, with effective Operations, it is also possible to enhance the customer experience in all deliveries.