- Report this article
Troy Stevenson
Troy Stevenson
Global Head of Customer Operations
Published Jan 10, 2022
+ Follow
You know who’s one heck of a good operator? An inspirational leader adored by all? Someone I’ve always considered a role model? Santa. The guy operates at vast scale, orchestrating billions of deliveries across virtually every corner of the globe. Navigating byzantine customs rules and thorny labor relations and animal welfare laws. He runs a highly seasonal business, with the vast majority of deliveries occurring on a single night. And he’s developed complex algorithms to differentiate his offerings based on who’s been naughty and who’s been nice. We can all learn a lot from Santa about what it means to be an ops leader, and so in honor of all the joy he brought the world last week, this Coaches Corner is about the art and science ofoperations.
CommOps is one of the most operational parts of Uber. Every week, we serve millions of users with hundreds of different issue types in dozens of languages. We process tens of millions of documents, menus and forms that keep the business safe and compliant. We coordinate the work of tens of thousands of front-line team members. It’s not quite Santa-level volumes, but we do it without the benefit of magical flying reindeer.
It would be impossible for any one leader to directly manage (or even just be aware of) every detail of such a vast operation. So lucky for me that I don’t have to. Rather, being an operational leader is about ensuring that the right conditions are in place to drive results. In the words of legendary football coach John Popovich, “As their coach, your job is to set the bar high, inspire them to reach this bar, encourage them, and most of all, guide them in the best possible manner and in the most supportive environment.”
Whether you are leading large teams in a Center of Excellence, managing a small group of high-powered analysts or you’re an IC doing critical work to enable our operations to be successful, there are some tactics you can deploy to be an effective operator.
Recommended by LinkedIn
I hope that you all had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday season in the context of whatever holidays you celebrate in your culture or country. Regardless of whether you believe in Santa or not, I hope you can find inspiration in his skills and track record as an operator. And perhaps leave out some milk and cookies for him next year… just in case.
Ho, Ho, Ho,
Troy
Like
Celebrate
Support
Love
Insightful
Funny
179
11 Comments
Nick Friedrich
Operations & Growth Leader || Former WhatsApp, Instacart, and Facebook
2y
- Report this comment
So many great and tangible nuggets in here. Nice writeup, Troy. Also, great quote from John Popovich. 👏
1Reaction
Shubha Rao
2y
- Report this comment
Glad I am getting my dose of Coach's Corner, and great advice.
1Reaction
Sunita Bhagat
🌎 Growth and Operational Excellence Lead | Business & Commercial Operations | Scaling & Expansion | Governance | Six Sigma | Ex eBay, Expedia, Peloton, GE
2y
- Report this comment
A very engaging piece Troy Stevenson. It’s interesting to think about Santa through this lens. A wonderful analogy and some clear pointers I will be adopting. Thanks for sharing. :-)
1Reaction
Hooman Radfar
Founder serving founders @collective and @expa
2y
- Report this comment
Very cool
1Reaction
See more comments
To view or add a comment, sign in
More articles by this author
No more previous content
- Parenting Through the Ages Apr 30, 2024
- Putting it all in Context Jan 29, 2024
- All In: How learnings from the Poker Table have helped me in business (and life) Feb 6, 2023
- My Favorite Career Hacks Apr 24, 2021
- Amazing Talent Available! May 19, 2020
- Leadership in Time of Crisis (and Corona) Mar 15, 2020
- Leading with Humility Nov 8, 2019
- Career Development: The "Intangibles" Can Make a Huge Difference Aug 29, 2019
- Always Be Learning! May 11, 2018
- Public Speaking (for the rest of us) Apr 22, 2018
No more next content
Sign in
Stay updated on your professional world
Sign in
By clicking Continue to join or sign in, you agree to LinkedIn’s User Agreement, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy.
New to LinkedIn? Join now
Insights from the community
- Customer Support What are the most common customer support challenges in agriculture?
- Golf Course Management What are the most common issues that arise during a course quality audit?
- Agribusiness What are the benefits and challenges of joining a farmer cooperative?
- Job Search Strategies How can you use networking to find job opportunities in the pet industry?
- Transportation Management What are the most effective ways to retain drivers in transportation management?
- Transportation Planning How can you improve driver training to reduce distracted driving?
- Fleet Operations Dealing with a reckless driver in fleet operations. Do you confront or escalate the situation?
- Management What are the most effective strategies for managing risks when working with animals?
- Business Management What are the best mobile apps for real-time monitoring and tracking of livestock performance?
Others also viewed
- All Cattle, Sometimes a Hat Matt Baker 2y
- Shame on CDL Life for sharing such tripe.. Michael Millard CDS 1y
- Truckers Unable to Use Restrooms at Shipper Facilities - An ongoing problem Kim M. Jones 10mo
- Why can animal behaviors help managers? Annamaria Gimigliano 1mo
- Tails can wag dogs Gib Bulloch 3y
- What Dogs Can Teach Your Startup Team Michael Y. Gordon 1y
- Let’s get to know Matt Gates Harness 5mo
- Drivers Should Be Treated as a Trucking Companies Best Asset Joe R. 5y
- Paula Diniz Oliveira, Zoetis: Defining Global Fleet management in the Americas Daniel Bland 4y
- Embrace What You 'Suck At' Gay Gaddis 4y
Explore topics
- Sales
- Marketing
- IT Services
- Business Administration
- HR Management
- Engineering
- Soft Skills
- See All