The Operational Lead role is an extremely fulfilling one. For an Ops Lead, satisfaction and reward comes in the form of their team’s achievements, achievements which are key to the success of K2’s Operations function.
In Part III of our Operational Leads Series (Missed Part II? Check it out here: Exploring the Role of K2’s Operational Leads, Part II), the Marketing Team asks what an Ops Lead provides to both their pod members and to K2 as a whole.
What would you say is the most rewarding aspect of the Operational Lead role?
The most rewarding part of my role as an Operational Lead is witnessing the progression and success of my pod members. A significant amount of my time is devoted to guiding my pod members through daily tasks and challenges. Watching them overcome obstacles to complete their tasks to an exceptionally high standard imbues me with a strong sense of achievement. Having helped to guide my team to a desired end goal, I share their feelings of fulfilment and achievement. We are a team and as cliché as it may sound, their success is mine, and mine theirs.
As an Operational Lead, I am tasked with helping to maintain K2’s consistently exemplary service levels. Myself and my team continually push the boundaries of what we consider ‘exemplary’ to be: exceeding expectations in this way is something that really motivates and fulfils me.
I believe I speak for all of us Operational Leads when I say I am incredibly proud to be part of our seven-person-strong team. Our compassion, knowledge, experience, resilience and care enable us to build and guide high-achieving operations pods. Our pod members produce outstanding results, take immense pride in doing so and are fuelled by an enduring passion for their role.
Can you describe how an Operational Lead leverages the value of their role?
An Operational Lead is responsible for much more than just managing processes. As my colleagues have mentioned (link to Part II), a significant element of the role is the leadership of our pod members: strong leadership facilitates the smooth operation of day-to-day processes and alignment with K2’s strategic goals.
Operational Leads are responsible for executing the strategy set by higher management. We make sure this is possible by:
- Ensuring everyone has the tools necessary to perform their role
- Liaising with different departments
- Managing responsibilities
- Distributing workload
- Fostering career development
Challenges arise both internally (within our pods) and externally (with assignees). In order to deal with these challenges effectively, it is crucial that we assign responsibilities based on team and individual strengths. An Operational Lead must then make sure that each indivdual/team is communicating effectively for the efficient achievement of a desired result.
Without the support of Amanda Lillie, K2’s Head of Client Services, Operations, Europe, none of this would be possible. Amanda leads by example and gives us the autonomy to manage our pods using our different leadership styles. In return, we support her by being the voice of the business and delivering on set strategies to support K2’s Kinetic pillars.
So, to summarise: an Operational Lead facilitates and guides the actions of their pod. They do so by providing tools and knowledge, managing the distribution of tasks, promoting development, and communicating with all areas of the business. The result? The truly unparalleled level of service that K2 is known for.
