What makes a top operator?
👆 Listen to the article
Being a successful operator is not only about having the right technical skills or industry knowledge. It also requires a delicate combination of soft skills and personal qualities to really thrive in this role.
Although each top operator is their own unique butterfly in their own rights, I’ve discovered that there are common traits of successful operators that span across industries, regions, or specializations.
💬 Communication
A top operator is an insanely effective communicator. You need to be able to explain the “why” behind the work to different audiences (leaders, stakeholder, clients, team, etc.) and do it in an engaging way. They know how to listen actively, ask questions to clarify understanding, and explain complex concepts in simple terms to align all parties into one view.
🥇 Prioritization
Daily, sometimes hourly, all operators are prioritizing all the work across the business. We help to define or refine what initiatives are important and when it needs to get done. Then, you guessed it, we have to communicate those priorities regularly and in a way that doesn’t irritate people. This is a backbone skill to all operational work.
👉 Adaptability
A top operator is adaptable and can adjust to changing circumstances. Even in the face of uncertainty, you have to keep moving the dial forward, while also rallying the team together to weather any storm you may be facing. Staying flexible is key to keeping your operations up-to-date and agile to change.
🧐 Curiosity
As an operator, it’s impossible to be all-knowing (even though we try). You must be curious and open to learning new approaches, technologies, and strategies to make your unique operations hum. Learning every day is a must in operation. It’s also a great way to keep your work fresh, so boredom stays far away.
🎨 Creativity
Phenomenal operators are insanely creative. They see solutions that don’t yet exist and can create them from the ground up. They know how to fuse technical knowledge, with people know-how to make intelligent ways of working to help scale the business and succeed as a team. Creativity can make operators a visionary in their work.