Who's Your Next Operational Hire?

Who's your next Operational hire?

That's a loaded question for many and can feel really overwhelming to nail down.

Let's discuss the differences between an Office Manager, a Director Of Operations, and a Chief Operating Officer.

Office Managers are not part of the executive team but they are the first management hire. Their contributions are focused on their experience, knowledge expertise, and management skills but they still have a hand in implementation. They are your closest link to your front-line team members.

The Director Of Operations is the first executive team member hired for small organizations. (the name is interchangeable when you are looking at a large-scale organization such as a DSO but a DOO in that scope is not a right hand to the CEO and typically reports to a VP of Operations or COO.) The DOO is the strategic counterpart and their contributions are focused on strategy and management. The DOO handles the day-to-day of the organization, including the team, projects, and finances. As this position is the first executive team member and solidifies the growth stage, it's imperative that the DOO has the following knowledge and abilities:

- A project-management skillset
- Excellent people and cultural skills
- Solid Human Resource management skills
- Excellent leadership skills
- Ability to candidly and easily communicate to the CEO, team members, and external support
- Uphold the standards and ensure quality and consistency
- Analytical mindset that can think and quantify data
- Ability to read financial statements, develop budgets, manage overhead, and track targets
- Elevated thinking so he or she can be your chief strategic partner

The Providers DOO Certification Program provides in-depth coaching and training for your Office Manager so they can step into this role. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gEgfAzXV

A Chief Operating Officer is the highest level of Operational support. The COO typically takes the Vision and Strategy and there are several different kinds of COOs and their dynamic within a scaling organization. I often see organizations go from a team of Managers and jump right to hiring a COO way too early.

Each of these roles is critical and necessary but at the right time.

Questions? Feel free to book a call anytime!