A Director of Operations’ Guide to Calm the Chaos and Take Back Control
If you’re building something from the ground up, whether a scrappy startup or a fast-growing agency, you’ve likely faced this moment: every task feels urgent, and every decision feels like a make-or-break. Team members are waiting on you, deadlines are crashing into each other, and you don’t even know which fire to put out first.
Welcome to startup chaos.
But here’s the truth: not everything is equally important, and not everything deserves your attention right now. The key is structured prioritization, not more hustle.
As a Director of Operations, my role often begins at the eye of this storm. I’ve had to help founders and teams pause, regroup, and make sense of their competing priorities without losing momentum. Here’s how I do it.
1. Crawl-Walk-Run (CWR): Build the Foundation Before You Sprint
When you’re spinning in multiple directions, it’s often because you’re trying to “run” before you’ve mastered the basics.
CWR is a simple framework I introduce early on.
- Crawl: Establish the minimum viable processes or systems you need to operate.
- Walk: Build consistency and improve performance.
- Run: Scale operations with automation, teams, and long-term systems.
Use this when you’re overwhelmed with too many initiatives and aren’t sure what stage your business is really in.
Application Example:
If a team wants to build out CRM automation, but they don’t even have consistent sales outreach templates, pause. Crawl first. Get the basics down.
2. Eisenhower Matrix: Urgent vs. Important
This is a timeless framework, and for good reason.
Draw a 2×2 box and sort tasks into:
- Urgent & Important: Do now
- Important but Not Urgent: Schedule it
- Urgent but Not Important: Delegate
- Neither: Delete it
Why it works: It gives you permission to say “not now” or “never” to things that are stealing your time.
DOO Pro Tip: I use this live in team meetings, especially during chaotic sprints. It quickly realigns the team to focus on value-driven work, not just reactive tasks.
3. MoSCoW Method: For Product, Projects & Scope Creep
When everything is a “must,” you need a reality check. That’s where MoSCoW comes in:
- Must have
- Should have
- Could have
- Won’t have (right now)
Great for: Feature planning, roadmaps, and MVP discussions. I often lead product or dev teams through MoSCoW sessions to make peace with imperfect launches.
Example:
Building a client dashboard?
- Must have: login, profile, upload files
- Should have: dark mode
- Could have: animation
- Won’t have (yet): analytics
4. Align With Outcomes, Not Just Tasks
Often, what feels urgent is just loud, not important. So I ask:
“What’s the actual goal of this week/month/quarter?”
Then reverse-engineer the tasks that directly support that goal. This helps eliminate busywork and keep teams focused on outcomes over output.
5. Prioritization is a Team Sport
Even the best frameworks fail if they live only in your notebook. I lead weekly ops reviews where we openly ask:
- Are we working on the right things?
- What can we park or pause?
- Who owns what?
By making prioritization visible and collaborative, it becomes a cultural habit, not just a leadership exercise.
If your startup feels like it’s drowning in priorities, remember this:
Chaos thrives in ambiguity. Clarity comes from structure.
As a DOO, I don’t just manage the day-to-day. I help founders and teams focus on the right things at the right time so we can build momentum, not burnout.
Ready to calm the chaos?
Book a discovery call and let’s bring order to your operations.