Parallax
My ideal week would be a mix of deep focus with high-energy collaboration. I’d start with half-day blocks for the more strategic work and shaping priorities without interruptions. I love collaborative working around a whiteboard generating ideas and solving problems, so would definitely incorporate some of those sessions in to the week, alongside walking 1:1s with my direct reports (I find this helps get the conversation flowing and focussed on each other). I like the feeling of getting an initiative over the line and implemented so moving from planning to delivery throughout a week is a great motivator. Definitely would have a team social and regular exercise to balance out the work and sitting at a desk (although I do have a standing desk and walking pad at home!). I’d wrap up on Friday by reviewing outcomes and planning the next sprint, leaving with a clear head and a sense of progress.
Start by building trust everywhere. Spend time with teams across the business to understand their goals, pain points and how you can genuinely help. Get close to the numbers - dig into the P&L and data available to you so you know where the pressure points and opportunities lie. Set up a simple system (e.g. Jira, Trello, Slack lists!) to track initiatives and continually reprioritise, and start each day by reviewing what matters most and clearing blockers. Also the one that people quite often forget - Ops is about people as much as processes: communicate clearly, tailor your message to your audience, and always ask questions rather than assume. Stay aware that others have competing priorities - influence and collaboration often get you further than urgency alone.
Regular retrospectives, coupled with the ongoing refinement of tasks, initiatives and priorities, keep me (and the business!) adaptable and focused on what really matters. This rhythm means we’re not just delivering value but constantly learning, adjusting and sharpening how we work - so improvements become part of everyday operations rather than an occasional exercise and we’re constantly learning and growing.
Progress over perfection - Perfection is overrated. I’ve had to unlearn perfectionism and embrace an agile mindset... ship improvements quickly, learn and iterate. Waiting for flawless slows growth - small, fast, continuous changes create more impact and resilience.
I led a three-month company-wide rollout of a new software, consolidating legacy tools and years of scattered spreadsheets into a single platform. The change touched all 55 employees and was high stakes, as without a smooth transition we risked inaccurate invoices, unclear capacity and disrupted client delivery. I owned the programme end-to-end, shaping the vision, sequencing the rollout to meet contract deadlines, and orchestrating discovery, stakeholder engagement and targeted training. Clear, tailored communication and phased adoption minimised disruption while improving data quality from day one. The result was finally having a single source of truth for project and financial data, sharper forecasting and invoicing, and far less manual effort (freeing up over 15 hours of month of manual data entry!), enabling transparency and cross-team collaboration.
Turning chaos into clarity - I thrive on bringing order, structure and priorities when everything feels urgent. I quickly cut through noise, define next steps and keep teams focussed so progress continues even in high-pressure, fast-changing situations.
Ops often means constant context-switching and competing urgencies, so ruthless prioritisation is key. Years in project management and fast-moving companies have trained me to stay calm and decisive when things flare up. Writing everything down helps with focus, and quickly deciding what truly needs action now. Clear communication keeps everyone aligned, and I delegate where necessary - it’s important to recognise that I don’t have to solve everything myself as then I become a bottleneck.