People often notice the big moments in a fast-moving company, but the small things—the routine steps, the shared tools, the “this is how we do it”—shape most of the workday.
I see this moment happen every single day. My role touches interns, community, BI, marketing, and more, so I feel the impact of organized processes from every direction.
When the right steps are clear, people can focus on the work they care about. When those steps are missing, it doesn’t take long for stress to creep in. That’s why process matters so much to me. It protects the team’s wellbeing just as much as it supports our productivity.
Good Process Puts People First
A lot of people think operations aims to improve speed or structure. To me, it’s about keeping people from feeling overwhelmed. When someone doesn’t have to hunt for a link, track down a missing step, or guess who to contact, their day gets lighter.
I work closely with our interns, handle data from in-person community events, and coordinate across several teams. Those handoffs need to run smoothly, so no one is stuck filling in missing pieces.
A while back, we relied on scanning and uploading surveys into a shared drive. It looked simple on paper, but it drained time and energy for everyone involved. Someone would scan, upload, share a link, send a message, and hope nothing got lost. That’s a lot of effort for something that should just move.
We replaced that routine with one shared approach: FedEx. Every team member, no matter where they lived, could walk into a nearby location and ship the materials directly to me in Huntsville, AL. We set up a business account, created shared instructions, and made the whole process predictable. That shift took pressure off every single person involved in event data.
This scenario is a perfect example of what people don’t always see—organized collaboration is a form of support. It gives people back the energy they can use on the work that matters.
Fewer Unknowns, More Confidence
Clear steps don’t limit creativity. They free people from constant guesswork.
When you know exactly what happens before and after your part of a job, your mind can rest a little. You’re not sending a dozen Slack messages to confirm details, and you’re not piecing together instructions from memory.
We depend heavily on shared tools for that reason:
- Google Drive, our go-to library for everything we need.
- Spreadsheets, which have become my personal “saving grace.”
- Slack, where I can pull up conversations from years ago.
- ClickUp, which lays out tasks, subtasks, and priorities.
- Outlook Calendars, which help us see the real shape of our week.
Those tools turn information into something people can trust. In a fast-paced environment, that trust keeps teams grounded.
Clear steps don’t limit creativity. They free people from constant guesswork.
Collaboration Is Built Into Every Strong Process
No unit works alone at Acclinate. Community events feed into data. Data shapes marketing. Marketing coordinates with product. And operations sits at the foundation, supporting these moving parts.
For a process to work, each team must help shape it. The FedEx workflow is a great example. We didn’t build it in a vacuum. We met, tested it, talked through gaps, and refined what didn’t make sense. A process only sticks when the people using it feel ownership over it.
A one-size-fits-all solution rarely works. Instead, we build a solid base and adjust it to fit the reality of each situation—event, partner, or team. That keeps the system strong without making it rigid.
Staying Steady While the Company Grows
Acclinate is growing quickly, and growth brings constant learning. A process that works beautifully for one event may need adjustments by the next. I don’t see that as a setback. It’s a sign that we’re paying attention.
When a process starts to strain—more questions, more lost time, more backtracking—that’s our cue to pause and reset. Sometimes the fix is small. Sometimes it’s a bigger shift. But the goal stays steady: keep work from piling up on people.
I like thinking of this work as maintaining a foundation with room to adapt. The foundation keeps us organized, while flexibility keeps us realistic.
Guiding Teams Through Change
Change often makes people nervous—not because the new process is harder, but because the old one felt familiar. When the marketing team recently went through a lot of changes with internal process for event materials, I made a point to lean in instead of pulling back. Instead of asking the team the same questions repeatedly, I asked them to walk me through their updated workflow. I learned it so I could help lighten their load.
Sometimes the simplest support makes the biggest difference. A five-minute tutorial can save someone an entire afternoon of stress. I try to look for those moments—small actions that take weight off someone else’s shoulders.
That mindset helps change stick. People are more willing to learn when they don’t feel like they’re carrying the transition alone.
Why Operations Holds Everything Together
If operations disappeared for a week, you’d see the gaps fast. Not because we’re the loudest team—we’re often the opposite—but because so much of our work fills the cracks between everyone else’s.
We hold the tiny details that keep every project upright:
- The documentation that supports clear handoffs
- The organization of assets, tools, and timelines
- The systems that protect people from confusion.
Teams move confidently when the foundation holds steady. That confidence boosts morale across the company. It gives people room to focus on the impact they’re here to make.
Strengthening Onboarding Strengthens Every Team
If I could choose one area to keep improving throughout the organization, it would be onboarding. We’ve come a long way, and people tell us it makes a real difference—but we can refine it even more.
Onboarding touches interns, contractors, and full-time employees. Each group needs something slightly different, yet everyone benefits from the same strong foundation. When someone joins the team with clear expectations, the right resources, and a sense of who to reach out to, their confidence rises quickly.
Confidence supports collaboration. And collaboration supports wellbeing.
Effective Teamwork Starts With Process
Operations is often described as the backbone of a company. I see it as a support system—one that allows people to bring their best selves to the work we do.
When steps are clear, workloads feel lighter. When information is easy to find, days feel calmer. When teams know what to expect, collaboration flows naturally.
Process gives people the breathing room they need to do excellent work. And at Acclinate, that breathing room matters—not only for how we serve each other, but for how we serve the communities who trust us.
Ready to learn how our process-based approach supports more inclusive research? Schedule a 1:1 with our team.
