The Operations Room: A Podcast for COO’s – Détails, épisodes et analyse

In this episode we discuss: the challenges of asynchronous communication in a remote-first organisation. We are joined by Jeremy Slater, COO at Bob W.

We chat about the following with Jeremy Slater: 

• How to do asynchronous communication well
• Managing information overload
• Why you need to invest in robust knowledge management -- hint: impacts customer service, operations, and scalability

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-jack-slater/ 
• www.bobw.co 
• https://bit.ly/jeremyslater 

After an extremely brief foray into finance in the US and the UK and a short stop in India to work for a solar energy social enterprise, Jereny spent the majority of his career in the heavily operational world of property management and hospitality. He’s helping Bob W become the most loved hospitality brand in Europe.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

The conversation delves into the challenges and strategies of knowledge management, asynchronous communication, and the use of specific tools within a company. It highlights the importance of knowledge management and the impact it has on various aspects of the business, including customer service, internal operations, and scalability.

Chapters:

Chapter 1: Knowledge management systems (0:00-10:27)

Chapter 2: Using tools like Notion and Slack (10:27-16:19)  

Chapter 3: Information overload on Slack (16:19-21:12)

Chapter 4: Tips for using Slack productively (21:12-25:10) 

Chapter 5: Organising Slack channels (25:10-28:41)

Chapter 6: Challenges with instant messaging (28:41-32:56)

Chapter 7: Setting up asynchronous work (32:56-35:34)

Chapter 8: Implementing knowledge management (35:34-43:34)

Love The Operations Room? Please like and review it here - RateThisPodcast.com/operationsroom

48. How to present and not suck

In this episode we discuss presentation skills and storytelling. We are joined by Jonathan Zatland, Operating Partner at Forme Partners. 

We chat about the following with Jonathan Zatland: 

• Secrets to crafting narratives that captivate.
• How authenticity can transform your leadership narratives
• Why your presentations are falling flat

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-zatland-992a1b12/

A creative and commercial leader with an extensive career in high growth technology companies, e-commerce and marketplaces across UK and Europe. I started out my career as a screenwriter, living and working in Los Angeles. This was the foundation of my learning to connect stories with an audience. After a decade, I took that experience and returned to the UK to start a retail brand, Mungo & Maud. The first of its kind high end dog and cat accessory store with a physical shop in London and other major outlets around the world. Opened the online store in 2006 in the very early days of e-commerce. Following my exit, I continued my narrative thread into my role as International Multichannel Director at Etsy, helping to build and scale all International markets outside of North America. Following the IPO, I went back into startup as Chief Commercial Officer  for eve Sleep, a disruptor in the sleep wellness space which I helped build and scale through to IPO. I now work as an Operating Partner for Forme Partners working with founders and CEO's across the European tech landscape, aiding them with their commercial hires at all stages of growth.

To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here. 

• Career goals, creativity, and personal growth. 0:05
• Brandon and Bethany discuss their career goals and personal growth.
• Bethany realizes she needs to take advantage of not working and prioritize personal development.
• Bethany expresses frustration with lack of passion and purpose in her life, feeling unfulfilled despite various projects and hobbies.
• She longs for a major project that consumes her and stirs her imagination, but nothing has yet emerged.
• Effective storytelling and pacing in business presentations. 6:09
• Brandon and Bethany discuss narrative structure in business context, focusing on conflict and pacing.
• They emphasize the importance of actively listening to the audience and adjusting the narrative in real-time based on their reactions.
• Bethany scripts an opening for high-stakes meetings to set the tone and manage nerves.
• She tailors her approach based on the meeting's purpose and audience energy levels.
• Public speaking, authenticity, and vulnerability. 11:21
• Bethany uses narrative techniques to engage and motivate her team, including owning her energy and projecting enthusiasm.
• She also practices or rehearses her delivery beforehand to ensure authenticity and effectiveness.
• Bethany shares her approach to authenticity, vulnerability, and relatability in presentations, emphasizing the importance of self-discovery and confidence-building through therapy.
• Brandon...

In this unique episode, Bethany Ayers and Brandon Mensinga share their personal stories. This episode is simply titled: Life Lessons. Bethany and Brandon are experienced scale-up COO’s and the co-hosts of the Operations Room. 

We chat about the following lessons: 

1. Know where you want to go
2. Lean into the fear
3. Don’t try to be somebody else
4. Focus on the job that is in front of you
5. Know your superpower
6. Accept critical feedback for what it is 
7. Leadership is about serving others
8. Find people who stretch you
9. Take opportunities when they present themselves
10. Don’t be a victim, take responsibility for your life
11. Do uncomfortable things
12. Cultivate your network
13. Be kind. Be respectful. 
14. Accept the fact that people won’t like you

Summary:

• Career goals and adaptability. 0:05
• Brandon and Bethany discuss their sleeping difficulties, with Bethany experiencing a bird phobia-related insomnia and Brandon going to a quiz night with his wife.
• Bethany struggles to fall asleep due to her bird phobia, while Brandon enjoys a UK-centric quiz night with his wife.
• Bethany Ayers shares her lesson learned from her career journey: know where you want to go, but be open to opportunities.
• Brandon Mensa adds to the discussion, emphasizing the importance of being clear on one's goals while remaining flexible and open to new experiences.
• Overcoming fear and ambition in business. 4:31
• Brandon shares his experience of struggling to land a job during an internship programme, despite applying for 10 marketing roles and interviewing 10 times without success.
• Brandon overcame his anxiety related to telephone interviews by taking small steps, such as practicing with friends and using positive self-talk, to build his confidence and land a job as a marketing specialist.
• Brandon leaned into his fear and ambition to secure a job, despite a long commute and initial discomfort.
• Leveraging his motivation and ambition, he drove himself to fulfill the potential of the company, learning to manage his fear along the way.
• Personal growth and career development. 9:37
• Bethany emphasizes the importance of embracing discomfort and being the best version of oneself, rather than trying to be someone else.
• She encourages individuals to focus on their unique strengths and skills, rather than comparing themselves to others.
• Brandon recognizes the value of his own strengths and weaknesses, and stops comparing himself to extroverts.
• Brandon takes inspiration from others' ways of working and incorporates them into his own toolkit, rather than mimicking them exactly.
• Bethany prioritizes becoming a domain expert and a practitioner in her field, focusing on the job she has and building her skills to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
• Brandon emphasizes the importance of focusing on the job and becoming a craftsperson, with opportunities for advancement and job security following suit.
• Embracing unique strengths and work ethic for career success. 17:09
• Bethany struggles with imposter syndrome and feeling unimportant in a leadership role due to her lack of a specific functional expertise.
• Bethany...

In this episode we discuss: Which HRIS do I need? We are joined by Matt Bradburn, Founder & CEO of the People Collective. 

We chat about the following: 

• What are our views on Rippling? Personio? Factorial? BambooHR? HiBob? 
• What is a good vendor choice for a scaling company of a few hundred people that wants something that is very customisable? 
• What is a good all-in-one vendor choice that is good at employee engagement and for UK companies supports international expansion into the US? 
• What are the “gotchas” when buying an HRIS?  
• What is the hidden, dark secret of all employee engagement tools? 
• What is a good vendor choice for a mid-market ATS? 
• What is a good vendor choice for compensation? 
• Which products are really exciting for 2024?

References:

HRIS vendor evaluation

• Rippling
• HiBob
• Factorial
• Personio
• BambooHR

Other HRIS vendors mentioned

• CharlieHR
• Humaans
• ATS vendors
• Ashby
• Pinpoint
• Workable
• Greenhouse
• SmartRecrruiters

Other products mentioned

• Sana Labs
• Pando
• HarrietHR

Biography: 

Matt is a globally recognised People and Talent leader. Through his work as the founder at People Collective, he's helped over 150 companies shape forward thinking people and talent strategies to scale sustainably.  

Passionate about how talent shapes business outcomes, he loves to discuss the best ways to help employees reach their full potential.

He previously led People Ops at Peakon prior to their exit to Workday. 

Summary:

• Healthy eating habits and vegetable subscriptions. 0:05
• Bethany is trying a new vegetable subscription service called Odd Box, which delivers a random mix of fruits and vegetables each week.
• Bethany is not excited about the included cauliflower and tuna, but is looking forward to trying new vegetables during the summer.
• HRIS options for a 100-person company. 3:02
• Bethany is frustrated with the lack of great options for HRIS systems, especially for smaller companies.
• Brandon has a utilitarian experience with Rippling, with a cluttered drop-down menu and limited performance review functionality...

In this episode we discuss: What does a good COO framework look like? We are joined by Simon Wakeman, former COO of TPXimpact and creator of the B3 Framework. 

We chat about the following: 

• Are investment bets the responsibility of the COO? 
• What is an operating model? 
• What is minimum viable governance? How much process is too much process? 
• How to best manage a risk register to make it useful
• What is in the “systems” box? 
• How do you structure data teams? 
• What are some practices around cadences? 

References:

• B3 Framework
• Simon Wakeman

Biography: 

I help founders in post-seed and series A technology businesses to scale their operations and create resilient organisations. 

I’ve created and used the B3 framework® to enable businesses with 25 to 250 people to successfully grow at pace. 

Before becoming an independent interim COO, consultant and advisor I held senior operational leadership roles in two scaling technology businesses. The first - a digital business - I led from 15 people / £1.6m revenue to 40 people / £3m revenue. The second - a technology and design business - grew from 361 people / £31.5m revenue to 700 people / £83m in around three years. 

My career experience includes co-founder, MD, COO and non-exec director roles in growth companies, including successful exits across listed and privately held businesses.

Summary:

• Creating high-performance companies with a CEO framework. 0:06
• Brandon and Bethany discuss their spouses' reactions to their podcast, with Bethany's husband being surprised by her comment that being married is not part of her identity.
• They welcome Simon Wakeman, former CEO of TI px impact, as their guest to discuss his B three framework for building highly performant organizations.
• Brandon M: Foundation layer of CEO framework includes why do we exist, what do we do, and how do we do it.
• Bethany: Operating model definition lacks clarity, with inconsistent examples across companies.
• Brandon M: Building the organisation layer, decision making is hard due to changing business structures and roles, but it's critical for scaling companies to codify decision-making processes and delegate responsibility.
• Bethany: Finance models are useful for making calculated risks and investment bets, but they need to be holistically thought through with the CEO and leadership team to ensure the right forecast model is created for cash burn and expectations management.
• Business framework for scaling startups. 7:16
• Bethany and Brandon discuss the importance of data ownership and security in business, with Bethany emphasizing the need for a "Source of Truth" and data security foundations to support data-driven decision-making.
• Bethany highlights the importance of data in decision-making, emphasizing that even small amounts of data can be valuable for directional insights.
• Bethany and Brandon discuss the four layers of their framework, including cadence and communications, leadership, performance, processes, systems, and standards.
• Operating models and their importance in business. 11:32
• Simon...

In this episode we discuss: Is wellbeing a complete waste of time? We are joined by Gethin Nadin, cited as one of HR’s Most Influential Thinkers and author of the bestseller “A Work In Progress: Unlocking Wellbeing to Create More Sustainable and Resilient Organisations.”

Bethany and I discuss: 

• What is the COO’s role in solving workplace stress? 
• What can a COO do to optimise employees and support their mental health? 

We chat about the following with Gethin: 

• What is wellbeing? In the context of a company, what are we talking about? 
• What is the view on the Guardian article that suggests wellness programmes are a waste of time? 
• What is the impact of DE&I on mental health? 
• How has the social contract changed between employee and employer? 
• Where does corporate responsibility end and personal responsibility start?
• How does an organisation optimise employees to achieve the biggest shareholder return? 

References:

• A Work In Progress: Unlocking Wellbeing to Create More Sustainable and Resilient Organisations
• Workplace wellbeing is a complete waste of time (Gethin’s response to the Guardian article)
• Work ‘wellness’ programmes don’t make employees happier - but I know what does (Guardian article)
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/gethinnadin/
• http://www.hellobenefex.com
• Spill. Mental health provider

Biography: 

I am a leading psychologist and author with over 20 years of experience in HR tech, employee wellbeing, and engagement. As a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Member of the British Psychological Society, I have been recognised as one of the world's most influential HR thinkers and a top global employee experience influencer. 

Currently, I serve as the Chief Innovation Officer at both Benefex and Zellis, two of the UK's leading providers of employee benefits and payroll solutions. In this role, I leverage my expertise in wellbeing, employee experience, and financial wellbeing to create innovative and sustainable solutions for organisations and their people. I am also a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Future of Employability, where I advise on policy and practice for improving the employability of the UK workforce. 

I am passionate about sharing my knowledge and insights with others through speaking, writing, and teaching. I have published two bestselling books, 'A World of Good' and 'A Work in Progress', which explore the best practices and emerging trends in improving the employee experience and wellbeing across the globe. I have also contributed to various media outlets, such as Forbes, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, and co-hosted a UK tour with Ruby Wax OBE to campaign for better mental health in the workplace. My mission is to help organisations and individuals thrive in the changing world of work.

Summary:

• Walking in London, exhaustion, and appreciation for the city.

In this episode we discuss: How do you build an organisation to compete with Google? We are joined by Omid Ashtari, ex-COO of Streebees and President of Citymapper.

We chat about the following with Omid: 

• How do you think about organisational structure? 
• How proactive should you be in anticipating organisational challenges? 
• What is the highest impact communication challenge you helped resolve? 
• How do you prevent drift from the customer as the company scales? 

References:

http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtari

http://www.startuppragmatism.com

Biography: 

I have two decades of experience in tech and worked in sales, business development and strategy roles for Google across the Dublin, London and San Francisco office during his 7 years there. As the first international employee, I set up Foursquare in Europe as Managing Director. I subsequently joined Citymapper for 6 years as President running the non-engineering side of the business. I then joined Streetbees as COO running operations, international expansion, finance and legal. Throughout my career I have raised north of 100 million dollars of funding for businesses I have worked for.

I am an angel investor in more than 45 businesses and advise many of them in all manner of things including strategy, operations, business development, fundraises etc. I am also part of the Mayor of London's Business Advisory Board, and a Mentor at Seedcamp and Entrepreneur First.

I am also an aspiring writer for my blogs startuppragmatism.blog and thefullspectrum.blog.

Summary:

• Personal growth and evolution over 13 years. 0:05
• Brandon reflects on his past solo travels and how they relate to his current life.
• Brandon M reflects on his past self-absorption and lack of empathy, now prioritizing supporting others' success and empathy in personal and professional life.
• Brandon M recounts a 2011 incident where he carried a biscuit tin full of Canadian coins and sat next to a homeless person, now recognizing the importance of empathy and caring for others.
• Organizational structure and skills for a business. 4:09
• Bethany: People often create an org structure that prioritizes making their existing team happy, rather than starting fresh and building a structure that works for the business.
• Brandon M: Bethany suggests starting with a blank slate and building an org structure that works for the business, rather than trying to fit existing team members into a pre-existing structure.
• Bethany and Brandon M discuss the importance of defining the skills needed for a business to succeed, rather than simply morphing structures around people.
• They agree that it's better to have a flexible approach to organizational structure, recognizing that roles may evolve as the business grows and changes.
• Organizational design and hiring for a scaling startup. 9:57
• Brandon M. faced pushback on hiring 2 product marketing managers, but believes it was necessary for success in both self-serve subscribers and enterprise sales.
• Brandon M. emphasizes the importance of clear go-to-market strategy and collaboration between product marketing manager and go-to-market manager.
• Bethany identifies...

In this episode we discuss: How do you scale from 100 employees to IPO? We are joined by Mark Logan, ex-COO of Skyscanner and currently Chief Entrepreneurial Advisor to the Scottish Government

We chat about the following with Mark: 

• What are the foundations of scale? 
• How do you prevent command and control from creeping in? 
• What goes wrong with organisational alignment over time? 
• Why doesn’t OKR cascading work? 
• What are the three golden processes of an organisation?
• Why do things break when you scale? What do you need to look out for? 
• What are the three golden processes of an organisation?
• How do you get the innovation process to work? 
• When does it make sense to go cross-functional across the organisation? 
• What is expected from a C-level role?

Biography: 

I have over 25 years' experience in highly successful startups and 1st-tier internet tech companies. I have been instrumental in the success of multiple award-winning start-ups, including Skyscanner, one of Europe's most successful tech companies, where I joined in 2012 to take on the general management of the business, culminating in a £1.5billion acquisition in 2016. 

My experience spans consumer internet economy startups, executive management, organisational development, change management, strategy development, contract negotiation and delivery, software development, growth science, sales and marketing , HR, large scale programme delivery and operations management, including lean agile techniques. 

Currently mainly focused on helping to nurture the start-up community in Scotland and the UK as an investor, non-executive director and advisor.

Summary: 

• Scaling a business from 100 employees to IPO with ex-Skyscanner CEO Mark Logan. 0:06
• Bethany: Investing in individual competence is essential for setting up employees for success within their roles.
• Brandon M: Mark Logan prioritized this by focusing on developing the skills of each employee at Skyscanner.
• Bethany highlights the importance of career development and line management effectiveness in retaining staff, rather than allocating budget to wellness programmes.
• Bethany suggests that companies need to carve out time and give permission for employees to think and learn at work, and celebrate their efforts to create a learning environment.
• Brandon M. shared his experience with OKRs, highlighting the importance of practical application and alignment with business strategy.
• Bethany agreed, emphasizing the need to balance structure with flexibility and contextual understanding, citing Nike as an example of a company that executes OKRs effectively.
• Resource allocation and technology adoption in business. 8:17
• Bethany highlights the challenge of resource allocation in product development, particularly when it comes to balancing the need for new technologies with the reality of limited resources.
• Bethany emphasizes the importance of having a clear understanding of how new technology will improve processes and outcomes before investing in it.
• Scaling organizations and maintaining agency. 11:03
• Bethany: Friend's security company has accidentally implemented decentralized decision-making, leading to no bottlenecks as they scale.
• Mark Logan: Foundation of scale is agency, as company grows, founders'...

In this episode we discuss: What can VC and PE backed operators learn from each other? We are joined by Sam Smith, the founder & MD of PepTalks, a training provider for private equity backed CEOs and their management teams.

We chat about the following with Sam: 

• What are the types of PE companies? 
• How are company valuations determined? 
• How does the commercial model work between PE companies and LP’s? 
• Can you shift track and move from VC-backed to PE-backed? 
• How does a PE firm structure funds when they invest in an organisation?
• How does that structure impact the ability for the management team to make money?  
• How do share options work in VC-backed companies? 
• What happens to the management team's equity when a second PE company buys the company? 
• What does a successful COO look like in PE-backed companies? How does that contrast versus VC-backed? 
•  How do VC-backed companies successfully ramp up headcount so quickly? 
• How do you engage and motivate employees in PE-backed companies versus VC-backed? 

References

• Sam Smith
• PepTalks

Biography: 

Sam Smith is the founder of PepTalks, a peer to peer training provider for private equity backed CEOs and Management teams. Founder of Marble Hill Partners an exec search and interim management consultancy which was sold to Henley Insights Group in September 2021.

Summary: 

• Career relevance and identity after unexpected death. 0:05
• Bethany struggles with processing unexpected death of a friend, leading to a difficult weekend.
• Bethany and Brandon discuss feeling less relevant in their careers as they age, with millennials taking over management positions.
• Identity, ambition, and financial freedom. 3:35
• Bethany: Realized identity wasn't tied to work after leaving peak role, causing discomfort & self-reflection.
• Brandon: Ambiguity of mattering in work life vs. personal identity, with age & finite time, leads to essential questions.
• Bethany and Brandon discuss the importance of financial freedom and its impact on their lives, including the ability to think long-term and prioritize personal growth.
• Brandon highlights the importance of allocating time for networking and learning, even when not directly relevant to work, to maintain personal direction and growth.
• Entrepreneurship, private equity, and networking. 9:02
• Bethany and Brandon discuss networking and success in business with Sam Smith of pep talks.
• Private equity fundraising and investment strategies. 11:07
• Sam Smith explains the commercial models of private equity, including the need for return on investment and the importance of valuation based on EBITDA multiples.
• Bethany asks about the recurring revenue of a 20-500 million enterprise value business, and Sam provides examples of private equity funds for different transaction sizes.
• Sam Smith outlines a plan to raise £500 million for a private equity fund,...

In this episode we answer the question: How do you build a business that is smarter than you? Our guest is Jennifer Sundberg, the co-CEO of Board Intelligence and author of Collective Intelligence.

We discuss the following with Jennifer: 

• Why is it so hard to get great conversations in business review meetings? 
• How do you get good at asking the right questions? 
• How do you develop the habit of asking good questions in the organisation? 
• How do you create phenomenal meetings? 
• How do you cut through obfuscation of underperformance when it comes to KPI’s? 
• What are the two types of conversations in management meetings? 
• Are written documents the elixir for creating better meetings? 

References

• The Collective Intelligence Book

Biography: 

Jennifer is the founder and co-CEO of Board Intelligence, a mission-led technology firm that helps transform boards and leadership teams into a powerful driver of performance and a force for good.

Jennifer has won numerous awards, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year for London & South East and The Times Young Business Woman of the Year, and has held regular columns with Management Today and the Financial Times.

Together with co-CEO Pippa Begg, Jennifer has authored a book published in November 2023, titled ‘Collective intelligence: How to build a business that’s smarter than you are’.

Summary: 

• Using electric currents for beauty. 0:05
• Bethany Ayers discusses her concerns about her appearance, particularly the jowls and lower face area, and how she has been using microcurrent therapy to address these issues.
• Brandon Mensa responds to Bethany's concerns and provides his own thoughts on the topic, including his belief that face exercise is important for maintaining a youthful appearance.
• Bethany discusses her use of electric currents on her face to reduce the appearance of jowls and improve her appearance, despite being a feminist who questions the societal pressure to conform to beauty standards.
• Bethany mentions the zip Halo, a product she uses for its anti-acne and nano current features, which she believes have helped reduce her breakouts and improve the appearance of her skin.
• Effective questioning and meeting strategies. 5:20
• Bethany highlights the importance of asking simple and open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking and problem-solving, rather than complex and leading questions that can limit the conversation.
• Brandon shares how he has shifted from a more directive and challenging approach to a more curious and why-focused line of questioning, which has led to better results in his conversations.
• Bethany prefers meetings with a clear purpose and aligned attendees, avoiding unnecessary or unproductive gatherings.
• Bethany suggests opening meetings with a clear agenda and checking alignment among attendees to maximize productivity.
• Effective meeting practices and pre-reads. 9:52
• Bethany and Brandon discuss the importance of periodically reviewing the purpose and format of meetings to ensure they remain useful and productive.
• Preparing pre-read...