TBM 300: How to Think About Operations and Enablement

First, thank you to everyone who has motivated me through the years. It is just a number, but TBM “300” feels like a milestone of some sort. I am so grateful to everyone who reads the newsletter.

I have been getting a lot of questions about the difference between operations and enablement (especially as it relates to product, design, etc.). I am biased, but I tend to imagine these things as different sides of the same coin and also like to view them as “platforms,” products, services, etc.

I spent some time getting these down. Of course, there are different ways to think about operations and enablement. My view is a “holistic” view, and you are likely to encounter a lot of territorialism as you interact with other operations groups. And you are liable to poke some seriously political boxes.

Proceed with caution.

Defining Operations & Enablement

Operations

When we “operationalize” something we make it:

Consistent, usable, Inspectable, monitorable, measurable, repeatable, accessible, and improvable

Part of operations is understanding what will not benefit from being operationalized in a traditional sense. We want some things to be less standardized, less consistent, more decentralized, more customized or bespoke, more experimental, localized, temporary, etc.

In many cases we do both: we might want to encourage local customization and adaptation, but also have consistent interfaces between groups, and a certain number of consistent “operationalized” global practices or standards.

Enablement

When we "enable" individuals or groups we:

Equip, education, empower, support, inspired, guide, and facilitate 

Part of enablement is understanding that not everyone requires the same degree of assistance or resources. We recognize that certain individuals may already have the experience, tools, or insight to act without additional support. In these situations, over-enablement can be intrusive or might even hinder their natural capabilities and self-reliance.

Often, we employ a hybrid strategy: while we strive to cater to the distinct developmental needs of each individual, ensuring they receive personalized training or tools, we also ensure a foundational level of support and resources is available to everyone. This guarantees that individuals feel both personally attended to and also part of a larger, supportive organizational ecosystem.

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Domains

Operations and enablement tend to be specific to a domain. 

Every functional domain within an organization, from design to finance, has its own unique operational and enablement needs. While these needs often involve inputs and outputs from other functional groups, the primary focus remains on optimizing and enhancing the specific activities, processes, and competencies inherent to that particular functional domain.

We also have value domains, value streams, and business domains that span functional domains like general onboarding for new employees, launching new products, opening offices in new geos, cross-functional product team support, M&A, voice of customer programs, etc. These domains are explicitly cross-functional, and it is expected that there will be continuous collaboration, the need to integrate tools and processes, and shared ownership to drive desired outcomes and achieve overarching organizational goals.

In addition to functional and cross-functional domains, companies also maintain a layer of general operations and enablement. Guided by roles like a COO, general operations ensure that the entire organizational machinery runs in alignment with broader objectives, bridging gaps between specialized functions and ensuring cohesiveness in strategy and execution. General enablement initiatives focus on company-wide empowerment, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and providing resources that benefit multiple departments and teams.

Operations and enablement are also themselves functional domains (operations and enablement functional domains) each with specific (but overlapping) skills.

Operations related skills:

• Operations

• Process mapping/optimization

• System design

• Requirements gathering

• Technology integration

• Vendor management / budgeting

• Continuous Improvement

• Data analysis, reporting, viz

• Domain-specific systems (e.g., CRM, task management)

Enablement related skills:

• Learning design

• Service design

• Coaching and training

• Performance management

• Change management

• Continuous improvement

• Facilitation

When you combine these domains, you get something that looks like this:

Operations/Enablement and Product/Service-Design/Platform Thinking

Ultimately, we can think of operations and enablement in the context of product thinking, service design thinking, and organizational effectiveness. In effect, the company is "the product".  We apply many similar techniques to ensure we are building and maintaining the best product possible

• Holistic Design: Just as product thinking emphasizes a complete end-to-end user experience, operations and enablement ensure an end-to-end optimal workflow and environment for teams and processes.

• User-Centric Approach: Service design thinking places the user at the center. Similarly, enablement focuses on the unique needs of individual team members, ensuring they have the tools, training, and resources tailored to their specific requirements.

• Iterative Improvement: Product development often involves cycles of prototyping, testing, and refining. In the same vein, operations constantly seek to measure, monitor, and improve processes while enablement continually revises training and resources based on feedback and evolving needs.

• Interconnected Systems: Just as a product might be part of a larger ecosystem (e.g., a smartphone within an OS ecosystem), operations and enablement understand that each process, team, or tool is part of a more extensive interconnected organizational system.

• Consistency and Customization: Product thinking strives for a consistent user experience while allowing for personalization. Similarly, operations aim for consistency in processes, while enablement acknowledges the need for customization in training and resources based on individual or team needs.

• Feedback Loops: Service design values continuous feedback from users to refine the service. In the same manner, both operations and enablement rely on feedback mechanisms to understand gaps, areas of improvement, and to validate the effectiveness of implemented strategies.

• Value Proposition: Just as products and services have a value proposition for users, operations and enablement collectively offer a value proposition to the organization. They promise streamlined processes, empowered teams, and a framework for sustainable growth.

• Scalability and Flexibility: Products are designed to scale and adapt to growing user bases and changing user needs. Similarly, operations design processes to scale with organizational growth, and enablement ensures resources and training can adapt to evolving team requirements.

In essence, the principles that guide effective product and service design—like user-centricity, consistency, adaptability, and continuous improvement—find their parallels in operations and enablement. The organization, as the "product", benefits immensely from this integrated approach.

Strategy & Tactics

Both enablement and operations have more strategic and more tactical dimensions. As we move towards a more strategic perspective we:

• Take a more holistic view, moving behind isolated processes or tasks and look at the organization as an interconnected system

• Consider the broader company strategy, strategic goals, etc.

• We engage more with a variety of stakeholders, and stakeholders at different levels of the organization (and even outside the organization)

• More anticipatory—anticipating future challenges and mitigating risks. Considering tech disruption, competitive pressures, regulatory changes, etc.

• Consider a longer planning horizon

• Consider innovation—we look to reinvent processes, tools, training methods to keep the company ahead of the curve.

• Value prop—we think of operations and enablement not just as an internal mechanism, but as a way to enhance the company’s value proposition to its customers, stakeholders, future employees, etc.

• Consider dynamic capabilities: adaptability, re-evaluation, looking outside the firm, value creation, integrative view

Operations and enablement are strategic pillars that shape the organization's future direction, resilience, and adaptability. 

Unified View (Capabilities View)

At a tactical level, operations and enablement complement each other to achieve specific, immediate goals. Orgs operationalize their enablement processes and enable their operations.

As you get more strategic, the lines distinguishing operations from enablement start to blur. Both approaches strive to enhance the organization's capabilities and potential. They operate in tandem to ensure the company is agile, responsive, and prepared for current and future challenges and opportunities. The capability-based perspective unifies operations and enablement. 

In essence, operations provides the structure, platforms, and systems that enablement leverages to equip and empower teams. And enablement provides the training, resources, guidance, and support necessary for teams to effectively utilize and benefit from these operational frameworks and tools.

Together, operations and enablement help us identify, assess, strengthen, and adapt capabilities.

Capability Dimensions

Capability Definition

Capability: A capability refers to the combined set of resources, processes, skills, and knowledge that an organization possesses and can leverage to achieve specific outcomes or objectives. It represents the organization's inherent ability to perform a particular activity or function effectively and consistently to meet its strategic goals.

Every capability has:

• A specific name.

• A clear description which tells us what it does, not how it's done.

• Performance metrics to gauge its effectiveness.

• A connection to the business value it provides.

• A method to evaluate its performance.

• Recommendations based on the assessment for enhancement.

• A connection to other capabilities; sometimes, one capability is made up of multiple smaller ones.

Capabilities come in different forms:

• Operational Capabilities: Formed by both tangible assets like technology, materials, and infrastructure, and intangible assets like skills and knowledge.

• Organizational Capabilities: Based solely on intangible assets such as the organization's values, attitudes, behaviors, and expertise.

• Business Capabilities: These remain consistent unless there's a significant shift in the business model. Their stability makes them essential for shaping business strategies and enterprise design.

• Dynamic Capabilities: These allow a company to adapt, innovate, and reconfigure resources in response to market shifts and broader business environment changes.

Capability Improvement Loop

When we adopt a capability-based perspective, we're essentially engaging in a cyclical process of assessment, intervention, and continuous refinement. This macro loop functions as follows:

• Strategic Assessment: Begin by evaluating the landscape: What are our current needs? Where do we see opportunities emerging? What challenges are on the horizon? This strategic lens ensures we’re not just reacting to the immediate, but proactively preparing for the future.

• Capability Analysis: With a clear strategic picture, we delve into our existing capabilities. Do we have the skills, resources, and processes in place to meet our identified needs and seize opportunities? Where are the gaps? This step is crucial to ground our strategy in the realities of our current strengths and weaknesses.

• Prioritization: Not all areas of improvement carry the same weight. Some might offer more significant returns, while others address critical vulnerabilities. Here, we decide where our energy and resources will make the most impactful difference.

• Intervention: Armed with our priorities, we take action. This could mean introducing new tools, refining processes, offering targeted training, or even reorganizing teams. The goal is targeted improvement in the areas we've identified as paramount.

Measurement and Iteration: Once interventions are in place, we don’t just set and forget. We measure progress against defined metrics, assess the real-world results of our efforts, and iterate. This feedback loop ensures our efforts are yielding desired results and allows us to make course corrections as needed.

By continuously cycling through this macro loop, we ensure our organization remains agile, resilient, and always poised to deliver its best—be it in terms of products, services, or internal processes.

The Three Stages of Capability Maturation:

Another important consideration is the relative stability or maturity of different capabilities. When capabilities are in their infancy, as we're developing them for the first time, it's crucial to foster collaboration, experimentation, and a flexibility in approach. While these initial methods might not be designed to scale, they are essential for discerning the optimal path forward. As these capabilities stabilize, become more proven and measurable, our objective shifts to scaling and optimizing them across the organization. This progression mirrors the growth trajectory of a product. Finally, when a capability matures, it becomes an integral part of our operations, demanding consistent high standards. At this juncture, our approach and working style adapt to maintain this established excellence.

• Exploration: The capability is new, and our focus is on discovery. Collaboration and experimentation dominate this phase as we navigate uncertainties and figure out the best way forward.

• Expansion: The capability is more defined and has proven its worth. Our aim here is to scale it across the organization, ensuring it's optimized, consistent, and impactful.

• Excellence: The capability is mature and ingrained in our operations. We maintain high standards, ensuring its continued effectiveness while possibly seeking further refinements and innovations.

A more advanced perspective is that we “hill climb” our capabilities, and eventually must decide to disrupt existing capabilities to strengthen them.

Differentiation and Practice Maturity

Another essential consideration revolves around the role a capability plays in a company's competitive positioning. Specifically, it’s important to figure out whether a capability is a distinct differentiator that sets the organization apart, a "must-have" that's considered a standard industry practice, or falls somewhere in between these poles. This evaluation is paramount as it influences investment decisions, prioritization, and overall strategic direction. Drawing parallels from the Kano Model and other competitive frameworks, capabilities can be categorized into three primary buckets:

• Differentiators: These are capabilities that provide a unique edge in the marketplace. They are above and beyond what customers expect and can significantly boost satisfaction, loyalty, and competitive advantage. Investing in and nurturing these capabilities can lead to market leadership and increased market share.

• Basic Expectations: These capabilities are the "table stakes" or the bare minimum required to operate in the industry. While they might not be unique, their absence can lead to significant dissatisfaction. They are foundational and must be maintained at industry standards.

• Performance Enhancers: These capabilities lie between differentiators and basic expectations. While they might not be unique to the organization, their level of performance can vary and directly influence customer satisfaction. Investing in these capabilities can improve the company's competitive positioning, but they might not provide a long-term distinct edge.

Understanding the role and strategic importance of each capability is critical. It ensures that resources, attention, and investments are allocated in a manner that aligns with the company's overarching goals and competitive strategy. Recognizing whether a capability is a differentiator, a basic expectation, or a performance enhancer helps in shaping its development, optimization, and maintenance strategy.

Capability Overview and High-Level Assessment

You can download a PDF of the image below here.

Remember, there are many approaches to improving these capabilities—formal operations and enablement are only part of the picture.

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Overall Principles

I encourage operations and enablement leaders to codify some principles. Here are some example principles to get you started:

Happy teams, happy customers

Teams that are healthy, happy, have a sense of pride and ownership, and have the right mix of challenge and skill, are the path to happy customers. One is not more important than the other—they go hand in hand. Improvements that make customers happy at the expense of team morale are destined to be unsustainable. Improvements that sustainably improve team effectiveness can move mountains on behalf of customers.

Principles before process. Why before way

Any process will eventually break (especially if you are successful). Any tactic will change. Start with principles, and you'll discover the right approach for the current challenge. This isn't meant to diminish process (see below), just noting that principles establish a strong foundation.

Partners, not stakeholders. Co-design the change

Whenever possible, co-design change experiments with others. They may have better ideas and will be more vested in their ideas. The more people you can get actively involved, vs. "stake-holding", the better. A big group of passive participants grinds to a halt. A small group of vested individuals can carry something forward. Work through others. It's not about you. Don't become the "figurehead" for any particular change effort. Let others take the limelight and represent the effort.

Trust is a huge force-multiplier

Remember the trust formula. Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Empathy)/Apparent self-interest. These are your levers. Do credible work. Be reliable. Listen and connect before charging ahead. And don't make this about you. Trust is nurtured through promises regularly kept. It is an output, not an input. You can't tell teams "trust each other". But you can promote an environment where more credibility, reliability, and empathy can emerge.

Use safe-to-fail experiments

Consider 2nd and 3rd order effects. Consider risks. Assume things will fail. You deal with people's identities, careers, livelihoods, and well-being. Pick the safest experiments with the highest probability of yielding insights and progress. When in doubt, work to make what is happening now more visible ("Start with what you do now"). Don't get overly attached to the How.

Seek self-awareness and other-awareness

Know you'll go into any situation with your own probablies and justs. These are your defaults. When you're in a position of helping others, you'll need to 1) be aware of your defaults, and 2) be aware that other people have defaults. Don't assume you see things as they universally are, and seek to understand how other people are processing the situation.

Amplify the good—draw energy from the bad

One way to address issues is to attack "the problem". However, in many cases, you'll be better off amplifying the good and creating an "attractor" for new behavior. Focusing on a wicked problem is folly—it's there for a reason. Try, of course, but consider amplifying the good.

Limit change in progress

Teams and individuals have only so much cognitive energy available for change, uncertainty, and experimentation. Respect their bandwidth. We're biased to assume our thing is The Thing. It isn't. Team members are juggling countless things, and our ask is but one tiny part of their work.

Process is happening right now

Process is happening whether we acknowledge it or not. Sometimes it is very flexible and sometimes rigid. Sometimes it is intentional. Sometimes not. Principles (see above) are the ultimate process because they are very lightweight and fluid. People will say, "we can't solve this with process!" They are right and wrong. They are right that a simplistic, fragile, "robust" process will likely fail. But let's take a broader systems view—considering knowledge, skills, motivation, habits, and environment (information, incentives, tools)—and acknowledge that we're working in a complex adaptive system (CAS). We can artfully use "process" as a catalyst for improvement.

Explore, grow, and operationalize

Don't jump immediately to heavy-duty change management. Stay away from forever experiments. Teams get tired from being the test patient for tons of experiments. Consider your portfolio of bets. Figure out what works. Grow things that work. Then consider what to operationalize at scale. At any given time, you'll have "services" in all stages of maturity. They build on themselves—strong foundations and platforms help you launch and explore new things.

Good plumbing and platforms go a long way

When experiments have reached a stable place, consider the importance of good plumping. You have to make it easy to do the right thing. At first, people will manually do stuff (you have the early adopters). But later on, you need to nurture the systems and tools that will enable everyone. 

Challenge the need for consistency (or make it a lot cheaper and safer)

Standardization, consistency, and centralization are never free. And they are often not desirable. By default, question the need for consistency. When consistency IS desirable, work to make it cheaper and limit negative 2nd and 3rd order effects.

Seek leverage, always. Find a creative solution.

Don't brute force problems. Refrain from settling for things that scale linearly (or sub-linearly). Seek outsized results from lightweight interventions. Embrace simple solutions that are a good fit for complex problems instead of naively simplistic solutions that don't respect the situation's complexity. Challenge assumptions around "tradeoffs". Challenge "that's how we've always done it!"

Surf local and global maximums

There will be times when you KNOW the bigger problem is elsewhere, but there is an opportunity to improve things locally. Sometimes, the only path to the more significant change is local change, and sometimes not. Take this seriously. Refrain from dragging a team through the mud when it will have no/little impact. Address the global problem with care. Similarly, take the chance to improve things locally and expand over time.

It's all the product

How you document, how you support, how you educate, how you capacity plan, how you address legal ramifications, how you market, how you sell, etc., is ALL part of customer experience. In SaaS, the whole company is "the product". Product enablement is more than supporting product managers. 

Think Big. Work small

Working small without thinking big sends you on a wild goose chase. Thinking big without working small gets you nowhere, and you chase big plans forever. Find the right balance—a bias for action and systems thinking.

Raise the red flag (with care). Pull the cord.

You'll encounter many acute issues—short-term stressors. Through a combination of help and support (and nurturing a resilient system), we can help teams absorb these stresses and come out the other side stronger. You will also be aware of "elephants in the room"—lurking chronic issues. If you think an acute issue risks bubbling over into a chronic problem or that a chronic issue is slipping backward, it is your job to call it out respectfully (and tactfully)