Bows & Arrows

One of my biggest #learnings over the last 4 years, running and scaling a large #analytics #globaldelivery set-up, is that it finally comes down to having bows & arrows.

When you run operations it is really about people. Enabling #people to be in the the right roles that play to their strengths, and having cleary laid out goals that they are motivated to achieve. That is where it's pivotal to understand the concept of #bows & #arrows.

Arrows are people who can get things done. They are technically focused & ensure what's entrusted to them is completed much like an arrow hits a target.

Bows are people who channelize i.e. motivate, guide and provide direction to the arrows. They are akin to project or team managers or even founders in a start-up.

Too many arrows & too few bows means that there is greater stress in the system on a few project managers or seniors, and quality is impacted. You need to add bows to #scale.

Too many bows & few arrows means that people are underutilized. You may need to add more arrows to drive #efficiency and #profitability.

Of course, the number of arrows & bows needed vary depending on the industry, work type, and phase of org. growth. Balancing these arrows and bows is the key to managing and scaling #delivery & #operations.