Second in Command – The Misunderstood Role of the Chief Operating Officer

When we examine the role of a chief operating officer, one thing gets instantly justified: there are no constants. People who come from different backgrounds succeed in this role. Such variability often makes it difficult to understand and analyze the actual responsibilities of chief operating officers. But beyond all, there is no doubt that the role of this second command officer is often misunderstood in most organizations.

Some organizations can never be functional without an active chief operating officer; however, many other organizations do not even bother to hire a person on this profile. The lack of awareness about this profile makes its role challenging to understand.

It is difficult to state that the success of a chief operating officer in one company is easy to replicate to a limited extent in another organization. The skillset of these individuals is neither portable nor generic. Even the requirements and qualifications of a chief operating officer for a company keep on varying as it scales. At a certain level, businesses can operate easily without a chief operating officer; however, they lack efficiency with these professionals in another phase.

What are the tasks and roles of a chief operating officer in an organization?

First, it is necessary to understand what roles they play to know why chief operating officers are essential.

• The chief operating officer is an executor, and he takes responsibility for executing all strategies prepared by the top management. As a result, the executor is likely to deliver results quarterly.
• At the same time, chief operating officers are change agents in the company as they help make particular strategies imperative in the organization. They make sure that planned things proceed accordingly without any glitch in the middle.
• Many organizations also need assistance and support from a chief operating officer to mentor younger CEOs or founders.
• Observations state that the chief operating officer can complement the duties of the CEO in several circumstances while being a better half to the CEO in the organization. Even in some situations, it gets hard to determine whether CEO has more power or chief operating officer.
• CEOs become more effective leaders in many companies when they get a collaborative partner with whom to work. As co-leaders, these professionals can enhance effectiveness and performance in the workplace.
• Many organizations create the position of chief operating officer to groom the upcoming CEO.

Now you have observed the different roles and responsibilities of the chief operating officer in an organization. The professionals at Global Investment Strategies advise establishing an active pairing of CEO-COO to ensure uninterrupted success. They both need to maintain good communication and respect each other’s position in the organization. The shared spotlight can help them grab excellent growth opportunities for the organization. Moreover, they can make better decisions in challenging situations and in the hour of crisis.