COO Handout
- 1. Next Door to the Corner Office: The Role of the COO Ron Skinner Deputy Executive Director Association of School Business Officials Phone: (703) 708-7068 Email: rskinner@asbointl.org Website: www.asbointl.org Terry Nawrot Chief Operating Officer Informz Inc. Phone: (518) 691-0071 x.186 Email: nawrot@informz.com Website: www.informz.com Dont do it just because you think you want some time off. Do it with a business purpose. -Kenneth Freeman, Former Chairman and CEO, Quest Diagnostics offering advice on knowing when to create a #2 position. 7 Business Reasons for having a COO/Deputy Executive Director (Bennett & Miles) Firm Focused focus on operations, the competencies are defined primarily by internal operational demands 1. To provide daily leadership in an operationally intensive business 2. To lead a specific strategic imperative undertaken by management, such as a turnaround, major organizational change, or planned rapid expansion, or to cope with the dynamic environment CEO Focused the competencies are defined primarily in relation to those of the CEO 3. To serve as a mentor to a young or inexperienced CEO (often a founder) 4. To balance or complement the strengths of the CEO 5. To foster a strong partnership at the top (the two-in-a-box model) COO Focused often determined by the situation, involving factors internal and external to the firm. 6. To teach the business to the heir apparent to the current CEO 7. To retain executive talent that other firms may be pursuing, absent an imperative from the business for creating the position You can define the job any way you feel like, depending upon the individuals and what you are trying to accomplish. -Robert Herbold, served as COO at Microsoft Source: Bowers
- 2. The relationship between the CEO and COO has to be a really tight one. If they are not able to establish trust or there are inconsistencies in behaviors and actions this can quickly become a derailment factor for the number two and sometimes for the number one as well. -Wendell Weeks, COO, Corning Characteristics of a good COO (Dalton): 1. A high degree of self assuredness and mental toughness 2. A collaborative nature with a background reflecting strong team and service orientations 3. A willingness to confront and be confronted 4. The ability to work successfully with other strong egos 5. Resilience in the face of his/her own errors 6. A solution oriented attitude toward the errors of others A Checklist for determining whether bringing in a COO is right for your organization (Dalton): 1. Validate the need- What can you no longer do yourself? What meetings will you stop attending? What challenges are you expecting in the organizations future and what skills do you hope the COO will offer in facing those challenges? 2. Assess your willingness to allow autonomy- Are you really willing to allow him/her to act without checking with you first? 3. Determine your receptivity to scrutiny- Are you prepared to be absolutely candid, openly discuss your decisions, and reveal how you think? 4. Assess your risk- Whose feelings will be hurt by adding this layer? Is it worth the price? 5. Double check your expectations- Dont expect all your problems to be solved immediately. Have measurable goals for the position. Credit where credit is dueGood sources of information on this topic Bennett, Nathan & Miles, Stephen A., Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO, 2006. This good book is all about the corporate world, but the lessons and the typologies created by the authors are well suited for associations. Reading the interviews with the high level executives of these organizations reveals just how similar their situations are to the association world. Bowers, Heidi H., Were No. 2, We Try Harder. Association Management, June 1988. This is a good article, but like any article based on survey research it speaks more about the general model and current conditions in associations rather than the possible or most efficient model based on need. Good use of the org chart in this article. Bistline, Susan M., Why Executives Choose to Be Number Two. Association Management, January 1985. This article looks at three individuals working as the number 2 in their associationsgood anecdotes in an association context. Check the pull out box on What it Takes for some good principles. Riggs, Frank, The Art of Being Number Two. Association Management, November 1969. This article is marked as a classic and it isso much of what is written here is still relevant (though the sexist tone stands out today). Read the first two paragraphs, if they speak to you, youll want to read the rest. Dalton, Francine, Hire When Ready. Association Management, July 2003. This is a good how-to guide on deciding if you need a COO, selecting a COO, and integrating him/her into the association.