1. Understand and confirm marketing’s overarching goals

You are starting off on the wrong foot if you don’t know what the business goals of marketing are and how you fit in.

2. Align w/ relevant teams to identify where MOPs can add the most value

Marketing ops has an important part to play. While we aren’t responsible for the overall vision of the company, or creating sales strategies, we can heavily inform the business and add value when it comes to creating excellent customer and marketer experiences.

3. Select 3-5 big rock initiatives for the year

You can’t do everything on your priority list. Selecting the most important priorities is just as important as execution.

4. Scope initiatives against resources (time, headcount, skill)

Each team will have different resource constraints, whether that be budget, team members, or capability. Use your resources to the best of your ability.

5. For realistic initiatives, conduct a weighted scoring prioritization exercise

Do a simple Google or Youtube search for weighted scoring, which is a fantastic way to look at your project list in multiple dimensions.

6. Use a project calendaring tool (like Asana) to create a timeline that shows who will work on what for how long. 

It’s not only important for a leader to know who is working on what. It’s just as important to identify collaboration or road-block removal efficiencies by being transparent about assigned responsibilities.

7. Adjust calendar based on constraints (e.g. certain builders may only be able to work on one thing at a time)

Be realistic, and build in some extra time as cushion when unexpected issues arise.

8. Review roadmap with leadership and finalize

Once you have your roadmap outlined, it’s important to re-review with leadership to confirm alignment, and to gain support.

9. Create a shareable version of the roadmap and share widely

Stakeholders should know and understand what you are working on. This will help defend your priority list later on.

10. Revisit weekly with team, monthly with department, quarterly with leadership

Over-communication is key when you are driving change or any other significant initiative in an organization. Review and communicate frequently.

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