A successful operation manager must think outside the box, be able to manage time effectively (which is critical), be a people person, and, last but not least, be a leader (people will look up to you, and you as the operations manager need to lead by example).
One must have a strong interest in business and be willing to learn new things. As an operations manager, you should be able to visualise the outcomes and repercussions of every decision you make and accept full responsibility for them. The main goal is to make a company more successful and efficient while spending less time and money.
Here is an excerpt from an interview with the Operations head of a leading manufaturing company.
- A quick 15–20 minute huddle with with my entire team to review the previous day and make plans for the next.
- Examine the daily reports for any backlogs, failures, or comments from various organisation management, such as finance and quality.
- Daily awareness of man and machine availability, as well as handling and receiving support from Human Resource and Engineering departments, as well as assisting them.
- After learning about the appointments scheduled for the day from my secretary, I am confident that I will have at least 4–5 meetings per day, with the chairman, CEO, clients, CFO, QA head, and so on… You can’t afford to miss any of them.
- We have our monthly and annual plans with us, so I don’t have to worry about it.
- We have our monthly and annual plans with us—so when I don’t have any meetings or reviews, I work on finishing those tasks, making presentations for either the people who have to do that job, in order to complete the company’s task, or for the board of directors, for their approvals on certain things (with elaborated logic, figures, and facts) or submission of reports on completed tasks.
- The nicest part is that each day brings its unique set of issues and situations. It’s as if I’m starting a new career every day. Having to deal with problems on a regular basis… each problem is different.
Operations is the most demanding yet fascinating subject and field in any organisation; you must keep up to date on new technology and research in your business, read many books, and always be on your toes.