I’ve always been a “fixer.” Not the Olivia Pope/Scandal type of fixer…which I’ve been binge-watching for the last three days in case you were wondering (no spoilers – I’m only on Season 2!). Rather, I like to make things complete; restore them to their original state or help them meet their potential. This trait, plus my knack for strategy, lend themselves to my focus on strategic operations for the IU Alumni Association. What is strategic operations? Great question.
In my short time here at IUAA, I’ve had the opportunity to restructure, repurpose, and in some cases redefine the great work and content of the Career and Professional Development team. As a result, we’ve been able to effectively streamline our internal processes and significantly scale our services for IU alumni.
Piggy-backing on these results, I’ve been able to apply my strategic brain to a few IUAA-at-large initiatives, collaborating with colleagues from across the enterprise. Consequently, we have developed a greater awareness of and focus on strategy and creating effective business practices, and are leading a positive shift in mindsets.
The ultimate purpose of strategic operations/management is to help organizations increase performance through improved effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility. It also:
- Focuses on setting and implementing goals
- Allows identification, prioritization, and exploitation of opportunities
- Provides a framework for improved collaboration and internal communication
- Provides clarification
- Encourages forward thinking
- Provides a collaborative, integrated approach to problem-solving.
Looking ahead, we are building upon our momentum and actively identifying opportunities to solve problems with a strategic operations approach. We are also discerning what methods will work best to provide support and consistency across the organization, and will produce innovative solutions for staff, volunteers, and alumni.