Hello Reader!

✨How are you?! It's been ages!✨

I know, I know, where have I been right?

If I'm honest, it's been SUPER hard to feel like my dorky little newsletter about systems and operations design matters at all given the state of the world right now.

BUT, I'm trying to remember that we are all connected and that I am part of a larger ecosystem of resistance. AND when applied to the work of folks fighting the good fight, good operations and systems design CAN change the world!(... right?!)

So, let's get into it.

First of all, check out these tidbits that give me hope, make me happy, or make me think!

1. ​Meili by Yenlik - This song is Soooooo dope! Do I know what she's saying, no. Does that change how I feel about the song? Still no. (As always this song and any other songs I've shared here are in the Things Done Well playlist)
2. ​Mutual Aid Canada and Mutual Aid Hub (USA) - Mutual Aid IS Resistance - taking care of each other is the only thing we can do in the face of institutions that are increasingly not meant for us.
3. ​Tech Won't Save Us - This podcast is FULL of great discussions about how tech plays in the world today and the big (and largely empty) promises the tech industry throws around.

Now for my strategic planning hot take!

A strategic plan without an operations plan is just wishes and dreams.

If you’ve ever left a strategic planning session full of energy — only to feel stuck two weeks later — you already know this. It’s not that the goals weren’t clear. It’s that the how was never fully mapped.

Or even discussed in many cases.

All your big plans gather digital dust in a never-to-be-viewed-again slide deck, your agency silos persist, and your targets are inevitably ...missed.

Let’s fix that.

Operations planning is the how supporting your what

Good operations planning is what turns the big ideas of your fabulous strategic plan into actual outcomes. It’s the necessary scaffolding that turns strategy into action — and the glue that keeps teams aligned between meetings.

Without it:

- Reporting becomes chaotic
- Roles get fuzzy
- Teams burn out
- And leadership starts micromanaging (because there’s no system to trust)

With it:

- People know how their work supports the big picture
- Tools are used on purpose (not just by habit)
- Data flows where it should
- And your strategy actually happens!!

But what IS operations planning????

Operations planning is an outline of the actions you need to take on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual basis in order to meet the goals of a strategic plan. A strategic plan without an operations plan is just a fairy tale, and an operations plan without a strategic plan is a ship without a rudder.

You cannot have one without the other.

And LUCKY FOR YOU, I actually have a video lesson and a workbook that will show you how to do it, AND how a project management tool like ClickUp can make it even easier!

​Click here for the video lesson​

​Click here for the accompanying workbook

The Bottom Line

Look, I know strategic planning season can feel like a big deal. The retreats, the sticky notes, the ambitious goal-setting energy... it's all very exciting in the moment.

But the real magic? It happens after the session ends.

It happens when you put rubber to the road and map out the day-to-day actions that will make those big dreams real. When roles are clear. When your tools are working with you instead of against you. When your goals are realistic and well delegated.

That's operations planning. That's systems thinking. And honestly? It's my favourite part!

So if your strategic plan is currently gathering digital dust somewhere, or if you're staring down another planning season wondering how to make it actually stick this time — start talking about the how.

The video lesson and workbook I shared above are a great place to begin.

As always, if you would like hands-on help with something like operations planning for your agency, or if you just have a question for lil 'ol me - I'm here if you need me. Hit reply anytime — I read every single message.

Until next time, keep doing things well. ✨

R*

ps 📚Here are some more goodies for you!