In addition to supporting the executive team, the chief of staff often works as a legal advisor, sounding board and guardian to the CEO and has a deep understanding of daily operations. Managers of Staff (COS) play an important role in the business world. They provide the communication framework for customers, employees and executives. Smart CEOs rely on their COs to solve problems and manage the daily needs of the company.
This allows the CEO to focus his efforts on developing strategies to grow the company. Any company can have problems that require the CEO's attention, but most can be solved by an effective chief of staff. Having a trusted guardian to solve problems reduces distractions and allows the CEO to focus on what's most important to the company. In addition, a good guardian will also bring pertinent issues to the attention of their leader in an organized and succinct manner.
It is essential that the CEO and his chief of staff communicate clearly with each other and share expectations so that the representative can act with confidence. However, through our own research conducted with the Chiefs of Staff and secondary research by McKinsey, we identified the six key functions that best describe the function. The role of chief of staff originated in politics and the military, and is now increasingly being adopted by executive directors. However, a former chief executive who now advises boards of directors argues that many chief executives need a chief of staff (CO), someone who goes beyond the role of executive assistant to help keep the office running smoothly.
Staff managers are often the unsung heroes whose impact can be felt at every level of an organization. A chief of staff who is an expert in turning abstract ideas into smooth operations means that there are fewer fires that the CEO has to extinguish. They are also commonly referred to as executive director assistants because they plan, coordinate, and implement key strategies on behalf of the organization's executive leaders. Pugh organizes and organizes events for chiefs of staff in Washington, DC, and has conducted research on the role and function in business.
Let's dive deeper into what a chief of staff does so that he can take advantage of this information to expand his business in a strategic way. He has surveyed and spoken to more than two dozen chiefs of staff, including the chief of staff of the CEO of Rolls Royce, Marissa Mayer, Tony Hsieh (Zappos), former Vice President Biden and Jean Case. When you think of a chief of staff, you might think of someone like John Kelly, who currently holds the position in the Trump administration. Many chiefs of staff are women and this role provides a unique opportunity for women to have an impact at a high level.
In an established technology company, there may be several chiefs of staff who oversee skill gaps in their respective areas of focus (for example, the chief of staff role could be the same role that ultimately equalizes gender disparity in boardrooms).
