The process of making data-driven decisions can be easier said than done, especially depending on the stage of your company.
For earlier stage companies, not only is information in more limited supply because of the lack of historical data, but it can also be harder to decipher meaning. Frankly, at early stage companies you might not even know what data to be looking for quite yet.
Where a more mature company may have a robust set of KPIs and leading indicators that have been refined from years of context, earlier stage companies are often still trying to formulate what questions to ask when looking for the right data.
Our most recent guest on Aspiring Ops, Amy Liu, has had the opportunity to work across all different stages of a company’s journey.
Beginning her career on the operations team at Goldman Sachs before transitioning to Uber, Amy was introduced early on to the impact of large datasets, and the insights that can be gleaned from understanding what to do with it. Not only did the data-driven cultures of Goldman and Uber introduce Amy to the power of data, but more importantly, they helped her understand how to parse data down into key points that can tell a story.
Now, as the Chief of Staff at SmartHop, Amy finds her background in strategy and operations driving the way in which she thinks about success in the position, and the role data plays in influencing the direction of the company.
From a career that started at enterprise companies like Goldman and Uber to the transition into the Chief of Staff role at a high growth company, Amy’s journey gives a range of perspective for any aspiring strategy and operations leader. For those looking for guidance on how to find meaning in data or simply looking to drive more effective communication as you step into the Chief of Staff role, this is an episode of Aspiring Ops you won’t want to miss.
One of the most important, yet often overlooked, skill sets for the Chief of Staff position is an ability to drive communication throughout the company. No one will argue that communication is critical to success in almost any role, but for the Chief of Staff, a lack of communication skills is a non-negotiable.
From serving as the connective tissue between leadership and employees to providing clarity across the business, the Chief of Staff is responsible for driving alignment and bringing teams together. For Amy, it’s been one of her main areas of focus from day one.
“A really important part of my job is not only making sure decisions are made, and that we are aligned in the room, but that the message is rolled out to every single level of the organization.”
As Amy highlights, your leadership team can’t be the only team with visibility into the priorities and company direction. Every employee has to know the direction and understand the ‘why’ behind the direction. For SmartHop, this is a constant focus that exists outside of a simple quarterly all-hands meeting.
For strategy and operations leaders tasked with connecting long-term vision and tactical execution, don’t lose sight of the power communication can have in bringing your company’s strategic vision to life.
Interested in learning more about SmartHop? Check out their site here.
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