I recently decided to participate in the annual KWSM Mentorship Program, hoping to dive into the world of agency operations. I saw the program as an opportunity to expand my knowledge, grow as a Project Manager and let my competitive side shine for a bit. What I gained far exceeded my expectations. Throughout the past three months, I have learned about the backend of running a business. KWSM VP of Operations Stephen Wagner was my mentor, and he and I examined the importance of time management in relation to agency profitability, the art of creating a process and how processes lend to business efficiency, and the idea that when a business thrives, everyone thrives (both clients and employees).
There are many components to agency operations, so we needed to narrow down the topic. Since I wanted to both learn about business operations, as well as help the company as a whole through this program, we chose to focus on time tracking and profitability. This opened my eyes to the intricacies of tracking time, the importance of analyzing and cross checking data, and best practices in communicating goals to the team. I knew business operations required you to be detail-oriented, but I was not expecting the magnitude to which these skills would play a role. Mastering operations requires you to play the long game, picking apart processes, piecing together data and putting together a very large puzzle to get a result.
When it Comes to Business Processes, These are the Five Main Things I Learned:
- You have to understand what is currently occurring before you can create or improve a process.
- Analyzing the data and your findings is important to create a fully developed and effective process.
- Testing the process before you fully implement it is essential to good results.
- You need to explain why the process is being implemented to your team before you roll it out to ensure everyone is on the same page.
- After you implement the process, you must follow through and check in to ensure effectiveness.
While some may consider Business Operations tedious and perhaps even boring, I consider it exciting. By the end of the Mentorship Program, I was able to assist in the creation of a new process, analyze and understand large quantities of data, survey team members on the topic of project preparedness and sharpen my communication skills. I learned more than I could have imagined and believe that I am walking away with knowledge that I will carry into my own role as Project Manager. I look forward to improving more processes, Implementing the processes Stephen and I created, and contributing to the continued success of KWSM in the future.
Interested in being a part of an agency with streamlined processes and efficient operations? If so, we might be the work-family you are looking for. Visit our Careers page to learn about joining the KWSM Team.
