Hard Work Isn’t the Problem - Blind Spots Are

One of the most common frustrations I hear from operations leaders, especially in fast-growing companies, is this:

"I know my teams are working hard. But I can’t see where the effort is going. And finance is on my case."

This story starts in that exact spot. A tech company on the rise. A capable ops team. And a finance department that was losing patience.

The Friction Point

I was asked to step in when a disconnect between finance and operations reached a tipping point. Finance couldn’t see what the ops team was doing, or more accurately, how much revenue their work was generating. The problem wasn’t trust. It was visibility (and accuracy).

The leadership team knew they predominantly had the right people in place. However, there was no system in place to help them forecast, plan, or pace their work. Everything was reactive. The bigger the backlog, the louder the noise.

The Operational Blind Spot

After a few initial conversations, it was clear: they didn’t need more people. They needed a way to see the whole picture.

There was no consistent way to look at demand versus capacity. Finance was building revenue models in one direction. Operations was fulfilling work in another. And leadership was caught in the middle, trying to translate both languages.

We began with something simple: a custom Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) tool that could bridge those worlds.

The Power of a Shared Lens

This wasn’t a complex ERP integration or a new platform. Just a clear, visual dashboard that pulled in:

• Firm and pipeline work

• Team capacity (with all the variables)

• Actual work completed

• Retrospective forecasting accuracy

The tool became a focal point for conversations. It didn’t just improve forecasting. It helped people ask better questions:

• Do we have the right people aligned to the right work?

• Where are our constraints?

• Where can we grow without burning out the team?

That clarity changed how decisions were made, from who to hire to when to scale, to what to say yes to (or no).

Leadership at the Right Pace

Of course, not everything changed overnight.

One of the more interesting dynamics came from a leader who was hesitant to establish a more regular operating cadence. Daily or even weekly rhythms felt too fast, too rigid.

I pushed gently, offering examples, frameworks, and comparisons. But I also knew that forcing rhythm creates resistance. So I backed off.

Over time, they began to adopt more of the structure on their own terms.

In one related, yet memorable moment, another leader revisited an organizational design proposal I’d shared months earlier, one that the team had recently started sketching out on their own.

That was the green light.

It was a subtle, yet important reminder: sometimes the best way to get buy-in is to leave just enough space for others to claim ownership of the idea.

Mixed Reactions, Clearer Conversations

As with most system changes, not everyone was sold.

Some team members appreciated the new tools and transparency. Others saw it as more work or doubted its value. And that’s fair.

However, the tool provided the organization with something it hadn’t had before: a cadence for review, a framework for prioritization, and a shared view of the work ahead.

The quality of decisions improved, even though the system itself was still evolving (and continues to do so to this day).

What I Learned

This wasn’t just about dashboards or planning tools. It was about building visibility into the way people work.

A few takeaways that stuck with me:

• Start where the tension is. In this case, the call came from finance. That pain was real. Solving it earned immediate credibility.

• Tools don’t change culture, habits do. The S&OP tool didn’t fix everything. But it created the right conditions for better habits to form.

• Influence beats authority. Sometimes, your best ideas won’t land right away. And that’s okay. Keep planting seeds.

For Leaders Trying to Make Work More Visible

If you're leading a growing team or trying to align departments that feel disconnected, here are a few questions to start with:

• Can you clearly articulate the capacity of your team, and how it matches with incoming demand?

• Do sales, finance, and ops have a shared language when it comes to forecasting?

• Are your review rhythms reactive or proactive?

• Can your leaders see the tension points before they become problems?

Visibility isn’t about surveillance. It’s about clarity. About making better decisions earlier, with less friction.

That’s what this project delivered. And it didn’t take a massive system overhaul to get there.

Just the right tool, the right questions, and a willingness to slow down just enough to see the work.

Need help creating more visibility in your operations? Let’s talk about how a few simple systems can make your business run smoother, faster, and more confidently.