What the nation's #1 COO coach knows about your #2
Cameron Herold is one of the premier executive coaches in North America, helping C-level employees manage their time and their teams as efficiently as possible. As the CEO of a company, your COO is your second-in-command, so it is crucial that the two of you be on the same page in terms of business goals and corporate strategy. Here's what Herold advises.
 
Plan to Succeed
Unless you are the luckiest person on the planet, it's pretty difficult to succeed in the business world without a solid plan in place for your organization. Before growing your business to the next level, take the time to meet with your high-level executives to plan out your strategy for moving forward. The more details you can include in your plan, the easier it will be for everyone to follow along, minimizing your risk of complications.
 
Conduct Smarter Meetings
In his best-selling book, Meetings Suck, Herold purports that it is not the meetings themselves that are bad, but rather, the people running them. To ensure that you and your team get the most out of meetings, outline the key talking points in advance so that everyone knows what to expect. This will also help you stay on target throughout the meeting. Only invite those who actually need to be there so that you don't waste anyone's time when they could be working on other tasks.
 
Make the Most of Company Retreats
Corporate retreats are great for fostering strong working relationships among your executives, including your COO. Be sure that your retreats incorporate both work and play to have the greatest effect. Retreats are an opportunity not just to bond with your team, but also to provide education. Your COO and other attendees should leave the retreat feeling like they got some value out of it other than just a company-funded vacation.
 
Engage in Ongoing Training
As your company's top executive, it is up to you to provide the direction for your organization. This means that you are responsible for training your COO and other top-level executives. Your COO can then pass the training on to the next level of managers, who will then educate their direct reports, and on down the line throughout your company.
Herold is the founder of The COO Alliance, a networking and education outlet for COOs. Encourage your COO to participate in the program, even if your company doesn't require it. With the proper training and education, your COO and the rest of your team will be set up for success, both now and going forward into the future.
 
Think of the Big Picture
At the end of the day, your COO is only one piece of your organizational puzzle, albeit an incredibly important one. Make a point of thinking about how all of your team members fit together in the larger scope of your company. The more everyone can work in conjunction toward the company's common goals, the better your organization's chances of success in the global business world.