How to be a Chief Operating Officer: 16 Disciplines for Success

by Jennifer Geary

Chief Operating Officer is one of the most complex senior management roles in organisations today. It embraces a range of disciplines, from Technology to Human Resources, from Legal to Risk. Yet, unlike other senior executive roles, there is no established framework or body of knowledge to support the COO. This book de-mystifies the COO role and breaks it into 16 core elements; the three fundamental pillars of Culture, Strategy and Change, plus 13 technical areas. It outlines responsibilities, warning signs, and how to boost performance. It equips you with the questions you need to ask to gain early insight, diagnose the issues and move into execution. Drawing on industry standards and enriched with expert insight and real-life current examples, it condenses a vast range of knowledge and experience into one accessible read. This book, which can be consumed in one sitting, will make you a more effective leader, faster. This is the book that current COOs wish they had at the outset of their journey. It is the book that your CEO, Board and team need you to read. ‘A must-read guide for all aspiring COOs. Packed with practical insights and based on real life experiences, it gives a clear and powerful road map for this transformational organizational role.’ Justin Forsyth, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF ‘It is rare for a single book to command such breadth of expertise, practical insight and advice that is so easy to put into action. This is a consequence of the superb clarity of Jennifer’s writing, and the fact that she has earned her expertise – and the scars that come with it – from working on the business end of the stick for over twenty years.’ Mark Waddington, CEO, Hope and Homes for Children ‘Crisply written, clear and to the point.’ Ben Brabyn, CEO, Level 39 ‘An impressive read. De-codes the very tricky role of COO and inspires you on how to be a great one.’ Niamh O’Keeffe, Author of “Your First 100 days” and “Your Next Role” ‘The defining text on the role of the COO and its component parts. This is an informative and useful read for existing COOs. It is a must read for new COOs, aspiring COOs and most importantly CEOs and Heads of HR in hiring COOs for their organisations.' Paul Ford, CEO, Anchura Partners ‘The role of COO is a balancing act, and requires multiple hard and soft skills. This nifty handbook provides a shortcut to understand the critical skills required, and is filled with nuggets of practical and accessible advice.’ Sinead Mahon, Banking COO ‘This book takes one of the most frameless and unstructured roles in business today, and using personal experiences seeks to help others to demystify the role and deliver insight on how to be effective and successful. Insightful and extensive, a book I would have loved to have access to when I was starting out in my career.’ Pam Murphy, COO, Infor

Genres: Business, Leadership, Management, Personal Development

290 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2017

Reviews

[Alan Hanssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I read about the position. It didn't tell much about the job itself, daily activities and how to handle them, but it says in a nutshell all about the area the COO leads, what to expect from each department and which questions you should ask to monitor the healthiness of the department. A great shortcut to learning maybe not about COO but the architecture of one organisation. I will preferably say I see this book as a 101 guidebook I recommend to someone that it is about to grow an institution from 20 to 70+ employees and how to distribute the operating work rather to someone about to start a COO position.

[Ed Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Resource With UK Flair

As a multi-time COO, I always look for opportunities to get better. This is one of the few books on the topic, and I wish I found it earlier. Written with a UK bent, it translates well to US businesses. The list of questions and 100 day plan are extremely useful, and the book is extraordinary. If you are a COO, or want to be, read it.

[Mindaugas Mozūras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any project must start with a problem, not a solution.

I'm not a COO; thus, I'm not the target audience for this book. I've read it to gain a deeper perspective on organizational structures and operating models. I got some of what I wanted, though I expected a bit more depth and insight.

The book is structured into three parts. The first part is about the three fundamental pillars: culture, strategy, and change. The second part goes into the 13 departments the COO could lead. I write "could" because the departments can be structured in various ways - all the areas must be covered, but a single department can cover multiple responsibilities. The third part was a short wrap-up.

The second part is the largest one in page count. I found some parts more interesting than the others (primarily based on where I have the most experience). The author gives a decent overview of what is important for each department and provides some insight on how a great functioning department can look like.

I got what I came for. Jennifer Geary is clearly an experienced executive, and that experience shines through, even if I expected a bit more depth.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good info in here - would recommend to anyone else about to step into this level role. Geary does a great job of walking through all of the department responsibilities and i liked the “questions to ask” and “relationships to keep an eye on” sections as they bring everything back to center and demonstrate how to keep things running synergistically. Looking forward to coming back and referencing this one ongoing
**Geary also offers extensive further reading lists for those with tenure in this role already - this book truly is a “jumping off point” and not for those with multiple years experience in this position

[Virginia Ritterbusch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well organized, clear and moves quickly yet thoroughly through the qualities needed for the role of a competent Chief Operating Officer (COO). The author outlines how the characteristic of awareness is critical to foreseeing glitches and anticipating potential problem areas. She outlines what areas to systemically assess and presents the importance of planning for and integrating the different operating systems to create a checklist to scrutinize for effectiveness, efficacy and company growth.

HOW TO BE A CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER is a comprehensive guide. Through her writing, the author repeatedly demonstrates her vision, experience, skills and abilities. She clearly knows her business and this book offers an essential roadmap to navigating the strategies and insights indispensible to someone in the position of a chief operating officer. A treasure of a handbook!!!

[William B Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brisk, thorough guide to company structure

While the author has extensive experience in large multi-national firms, the concepts in this book are suitable for enterprises of any size. The scope of the COO is really the scope of any operating business.

The writing style is approachable with a “business casual” tone that incorporates useful case stories (via 1 paragraph asides) and links to recommended articles, books, and applicable regulations. It’s this mix of tone and outside resources that make this an excellent reference.

Small quibble that the Kindle version occasionally eats spaces and paragraph returns, obscuring the content, but not in a way that detracts from the work.

[Li Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book can be boring if you have never been in a similar role. This is definitely not the type of 'everyone can be CEO, COO' book. It is specifically for someone who's career aspiration is COO. I am not a COO, but am in a similar role - chief of staff. A lot of content resonates with me, but it has broader topics. Because of that, the book does not give you an in-depth view of each topics, which shows the nature of the COO role - you need broad knowledge, but not necessary SME of every subject.

[Kamil Janiszewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are looking to understand how to be a Chief Operating Officer, look elsewhere. 95% of this book explains what each department in a company does. If you have worked in a mid-sized or larger company, you surely already know all of this. However, if you haven't worked in such a company and need a general understanding of what each department does, and very, very generally what a COO does, then this book is for you. Nevertheless, the title is an oversell :)

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book on a subject with very few books.

It didn't apply much in my situation sometimes because some of the information is UK-centric (Jennifer Geary is British), and so much of the information applies to larger corporations whereas ours is small.

But there was much in the book that sparked my need to read more and understand more. Definitely valuable for me.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely detailed summary of information about the role of Chief Operating officer.

In plain terms, it seems the COO has to know about EVERYTHING!

So I guess this is good info to have in one place for someone who is seriously contemplating taking on such a role.

It's definitely not light bedside reading.

[Chris Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just for the future COO

Found this book to be informative on all aspects of business. It has a lot of useful information on organizations and ways to better partner with and align the business units.
I recommend it for all students who want to get a better understanding of the COO role.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Good book outlining the many roles of the COO. Would recommend to anyone wanting a better understanding of what the COO does and also an insight into the many departments within an organization overseen by the COO.

[kerry simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great informative read

Jennifer's content is fantastic from a background of credible roles throughout her career. As i will be moving into a similar Coo appointment this book is fantastic for its content and lived experience.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phew! This book was so practically written in very clear, concise language that gave an amazing starting point to what seems to be a very hard-to-define role in the modern world. Highly recommend if wanting a broad overview of working in operations.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to great - not so much

Extremely basic overview and seems to be focused on entry level or middle managers. Very focused on UK regulations and could be improved with links to organizations globally. Honestly reads like a cliff note book for business students.

[James Considine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generic but good for junior people

General, good overview of departments, not deep enough in helping one become an a player COO. Suited for would be COOs to understand what they need to know

[Nadia Montague · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview plan

Reads like a detailed handover document. It’s very good book for reference to rapidly understand new areas for governance. I am stepping up in to more of the operations in my work in a small charity and this is very useful

[Alvin Soh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. The author puts down very clearly what a department manager of 16 functions need to know. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand inter-department interactions and get things done.

[Jarrion · Rating 5 out of 5]

The COO runs the show

Basically The CEO is the star of the show and the COO is behind the scenes making the show happen..

So this was a great book to show you the differences and what you need to do to make sure your business is ran properly!!

[Caitlin Renee Steuer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For anyone searching for a framework for the COO role and its relationship to other executives, this is a great overview.

[Diego Andres · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read to understand your job as a COO.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful high-level framework for thinking about an organization strategically, widely applicable across industries.

[Virun K Rampersad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well organized and presented thesis

A great companion book for an operating executive. The author has a very well thought through understanding of what it takes to execute well.

[Luke · Rating 2 out of 5]

No overarching insight or takeaways and not sure how beneficial it will be to others

[Ricardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

I highly recommend it for anyone trying to understand the role of a COO better. Well written and executed with plenty of references.

[Cesar Zurita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good that focuses on providing "just enough" understanding, frameworks and questions around the key areas that the author believes are must-haves for any first-time COO.

[Emily Johns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably something that if I ever made it to COO I would revisit again, but found myself speed reading through some chapters.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

well written for a coo

well written for a coo, its a well written, book for a coo, it is divided up into the necessary sections for a coo. Recommended for any managers

[Lauren Eyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide for aspiring COOs. Practical, easy to read with a tonne of valuable lives experience. Also great if you’re preparing for an interview.

[Brian Nwokedi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Introduction
At the heart of How to be a Chief Operating Officer is the premise that the fundamental duty of the number two is to help guide the organization through 16 disciplines for success. Jennifer Geary explicitly states that Chief Operating Officers face the near-impossible task of being a jack of all trades, master of none.

In addition to being the number-two person in the organization, and enjoying a close and successful working relationship with their CEO, the COO is expected to be knowledgeable across an incredibly broad range of disciplines:
1. Information Technology
2. Risk
3. Finance
4. Facilities Management
5. Operations
6. Compliance
7. Governance
8. Sustainability
9. Communications
10. Safeguarding Your People
11. Supply Chain Management
12. Strategy
13. Culture Building
14. Change Management
15. Legal
16. Human Resources

Similar to the findings in Riding Shotgun: The Role of the COO there is no established framework or body of knowledge to support them on their journey.

Geary’s book seeks to address this gap.

Why You Should Skim This Book?
Unlike some other roles in the C-suite, there is no manual for becoming a COO.

How to be a Chief Operating Officer attempts to equip COOs with 16 core elements for success. Broken down into pillars of culture, strategy, and change, and 13 technical areas of expertise, this book attempts to give COOs functional knowledge in the disciplines that they are oftentimes asked to lead.

You should read this book to better increase your tangential knowledge of the variety of areas that COOs are charged with leading. As a COO myself, I found this book a helpful framework for thinking through the many different areas of business I currently lead.

Final Thoughts
I must first say that every COO has gaps in their knowledge. As Riding Shotgun called out, the motives for creating the COO role vary across many reasons and this variation makes it difficult to create a standard set of attributes that most COOs need.

Every COO has a super muscle and no COO has experience across all the domains they may be asked to lead. Jennifer Geary acknowledges that fully as she aims to cover a lot in a very short read. Just like there are gaps in a COO’s knowledge, there are gaps in this book.

At times, this book feels like a compilation of all the articles she has read at one point in time rather than a detailed experience-based right up on the competencies she covers. For that reason, I recommend this book as a light skim rather than a deep read.

Easy to Read: (4/5) 80%
Deep Content: (1/5) 20%
Overall Rating: (2/5) 40%