In order to execute flawlessly as your company grows and scales, one of the most important (and under appreciated) tools in your executive toolkit is your operating system. Often times, an operating system is just a bunch of rules, processes that slow down your business and stifle innovation. So how do you build an operating system that encourages innovation, maintains a culture of autonomy and still allows you to execute with operational rigor? The key is creating a system centered around transparency and context which can easily be measured and is aligned across your organization. In this session you'll learn about HubSpot's operating system has helped us scale and execute over the years and how you can apply these tools at your own company.

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YOUR COMPANY’S
OPERATING SYSTEM
Innovation Killer or
Secret Weapon for Growth?
Alison Elworthy

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HIGH
PERFORMING
AUTONOMOUS
TEAMS
• Clear Mission
• Impactful Problems
• Autonomy

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Traditional operating
systems are heavy,
slow and antiquated.

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it slows you down and kills autonomy
When Rules > Work

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Innovation
Operating System

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1. Create a foundation of trust
2. Communicate a clear vision
3. Establish tight alignment
4. Provide flexibility through autonomy
5. Track progress transparently
STEPS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE
AND LIGHTWEIGHT O/S

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1 CREATE A FOUNDATION OF
TRUST

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“Use Good Judgement”
UGJ

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“Use Good Judgement”
UGJ

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2 COMMUNICATE A
CLEAR VISION

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AVOID THE
IVORY TOWER
MINDSET
• Solve for the customer
• Balance ideas from the
bottom up

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“Use Good Judgement”
UGJ

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3 ESTABLISH TIGHT
ALIGNMENT

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“Use Good Judgement”
UGJ

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“Directly Responsible Individual”
DRI

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4 PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY
THROUGH AUTONOMY

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“Directly Responsible Individual”
DRI

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BettingtheCompany?
YesNo
NoYes
Just do it and
use good
judgement
Do it and
collaborate
Do it and
communicate
Collaborate,
communicate
and then do it
Ask!
Easy to Roll Back?

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5 TRACK PROGRESS
TRANSPARENTLY

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1. Breakdown 5 year goals into annual goals
2. Breakdown annual goals into monthly goals
3. Align your priorities to hit your monthly goals
4. Be transparent about your priorities
5. Bonus: give yourself a stretch goal…that you’ll likely fail at
MAKE YOUR GOALS ACHIEVABLE

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- Louis Brandeis
“Sunlight is
the best
disinfectant”

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A HEALTHY
OBSESSION
WITH DATA
• Every initiative is tied data
• Everyone has access to data
• Every decision is supported
by data
• Every pivot is driven by data

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1. Create a foundation of trust
2. Communicate a clear vision
3. Establish tight alignment
4. Provide flexibility through autonomy
5. Track progress transparently
STEPS TO CREATE AN EFFECTIVE
AND LIGHTWEIGHT O/S

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1. Create a foundation of trust
2. Communicate a clear vision
3. Establish tight alignment
4. Provide flexibility through
autonomy
5. Track progress transparently
EVOLVE AND TRANSFORM YOUR O/S
BRING YOU BUSINESS TO NEW HEIGHTS

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THANK YOU.