What Does A Chief Of Staff Do?
A chief of staff serves as a complementary partner to the leader they work with, including the chief executive officer (CEO), president, and vice president. They are process drivers, problem-solvers, communicators, innovators, and principal architects of the decision-making process.
Despite acting as a sounding board for plans, ideas, and dreams, they also have goals of their own.
The chief of staff typically bridges the gap between strategic objectives and realistic implementation - this involves whatever matters most for the long-term success of the organization.
In simple words, the chief of staff offers essential services; they don’t simply serve.
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A Detailed Description Of What The Chief Of Staff Does
By design, the role varies from one company to another, but an influential chief of staff complements the skills of their leader. To make the most of their time, visionary leaders need chiefs of staff who are operationally efficient and strategically focused.
The chief of staff acts as their leader’s trusted adviser and right hand. In addition to directly working with CEOs, they cultivate relationships with team members to maintain momentum by influencing outcomes.They have a bird’s-eye view across departments and teams, enabling them to connect the dots in a way other employees cannot.
To help leaders make and implement effective decisions, chiefs of staff act as analysts and decision-makers on one hand while managing agents, coaches, and project managers on the other hand.
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While there are no specific tasks that they perform, here are some projects they might oversee:
Support The CEO Directly
They work with leaders to come up with strategic priorities. A chief of staff identifies areas requiring the leader’s attention and works out the metrics for success in them. They revisit those metrics frequently to assess the progress.
They help manage the leader’s time efficiently. For example, by collaborating with executive assistants, they plan the CEO’s activities, such as long-term travel and meeting schedules to align them with current priorities.
Act as a gatekeeper, allowing other employees the access to communicate with the CEO. A chief of staff ensures that the CEO’s involvement in decision-making and project processes happens at critical times, where their authority and input are most needed.
They prepare for and follow up on meetings. A chief of staff prepares the CEO for any upcoming meetings by providing all the required information to be effective and engaged.
As the CEO's partner, they handle external and internal communications. This includes drafting company presentations, newsletters, reports, pitch decks, and speeches on their behalf.
These activities are a part of managing up to the leader. To learn about managing up, click this link.
Meetings And Events Preparation
Coordinate agendas for the CEO's approval in board meetings.
Organize conferences, company retreats, and other special events.
Project Management
Oversee organization-wide, cross-functional initiatives or projects that bring together stakeholders and foster decision-making.
Perform benchmarking and research by analyzing data to make recommendations.
Propose creation of new processes and systems to simplify operations.
Strategic Planning And Alignment
Leading yearly strategic planning processes for the organization as a project manager and ensuring everything aligns with the CEO and leadership team’s vision.
Help identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and update dashboards as required.
Hiring And Management
Manage the hiring processes for leadership positions reporting to the CEO. In collaboration with the HR department, the chief of staff may take over more administrative duties for hiring managers. They also help craft and post job descriptions, outline interview requirements, and interview candidates.
Manage other staff members in the “office of the CEO.” For example, the chief of staff can hire and manage CEO support employees, such as special project managers, executive assistants, and speech writers.
When Should You Hire A Chief Of Staff?
Leaders often consider adding this role to their organizations when:
They have limited time in their schedule. Leaders with limited time often miss deadlines and opportunities. The chief of staff can give back this time by delegating or performing tasks on the CEO’s behalf. They can monitor important deadlines, ensuring that the leader works efficiently and completes tasks on time.
They aren’t satisfied with how they spend their time. Often, leaders feel their time is limited and wasted. They need to utilize their time better to meet all the deadlines. A chief of staff can redirect their focus to areas that yield the most significant impact. However, if the projects taking up most of your time are administrative, you need an executive assistant, not a chief of staff.
Their leadership team isn’t operating at peak performance. Underdeveloped talent, multiple vacancies, conflicting perspectives, or work that doesn’t fall cleanly to C-suite leaders affects the performance of the entire leadership team. A chief of staff acts as the glue amongst C-suite leaders. As close associates with the CEO, they can facilitate meetings and ensure clarity and momentum about next steps.
Final Thoughts
A chief of staff is the right hand of the CEO. They act as a sounding board on behalf of the CEO, hearing new strategies and ideas, communicating with other executives, stakeholders, and clients, and preparing for and following up on meetings. They help the CEO prioritize important tasks while meeting critical deadlines. If, as a leader, you have limited time and you’re unsatisfied with how you spend your time. Then, it’s time to hire a chief of staff.