Welcome back, aspiring and current Chiefs of Staff 👋🏼
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This week’s issue is guest authored by Maggie Olson. Maggie is the Founder of Nova Chief of Staff, the premier destination for Chief of Staff education and development. As the first Chief of Staff to a president at a Fortune 40 company — who led a multibillion-dollar business with 5,000+ employees — Maggie built the president’s Chief of Staff model from the ground up. Maggie has 20 years’ experience leading large teams and has spent her career focused on both customer and employee experience at companies including T-Mobile, Nordstrom, and Starbucks.
What are Common Pitfalls for a Chief of Staff?
We’ve heard a lot about what makes a great Chief of Staff. But what can get a Chief of Staff in trouble?
The role of a Chief of Staff is crucial in supporting and facilitating the leadership of an organization. However, there are several common pitfalls that can hinder the effectiveness of a Chief of Staff.
🤐 Over-Sharing Sensitive Information
Caution is key to prevent unintentional disclosure of sensitive information, which could be used against the organization. Such information may unexpectedly surface in casual conversations with colleagues, friends, or clients. As a Chief of Staff, be wary of coworkers coming to you as a place to vent or a place to surface things to leadership. You’ll need to discern whether things are being told to you in confidence or because you are being used as a proxy to leadership.
A Chief of Staff should always remember that anything related to their leader is likely sensitive, and it is their responsibility to discern what can and cannot be shared. Trust is the biggest asset a Chief of Staff can build with their Principal and once that’s lost, it’s hard to repair.
🪨 Trying to Do It All
Although a Chief of Staff can walk a blurred line with other roles, they still are only one person. Attempting to take on too much can lead to burnout and decreased effectiveness. Delegation and prioritization with their team and cross-functional partners are essential for success. For more tips on delegation, check out our previous issue on the topic here.
If you’re finding yourself in a position where you’re burning the candle at both ends and it seems like your plate is continuing to be filled without any relief of anything being accomplished or going away, you’re going to be set up for a quick road to burnout. Learn to understand what resources are at your disposal and don’t be afraid to ask for them as well.
📅 Neglecting Meeting Management
Meetings are necessary for collaboration and decision-making. A Chief of Staff should become an expert in facilitating effective meetings, ensuring they are productive and well-organized, especially when involving their leader. Being an effective meeting manager doesn’t just mean showing up with an agenda. It’s also about making sure that: all relevant viewpoints are heard, there’s a clear objective to be accomplished with each meeting, and the appropriate follow ups are created. If there’s no designated note taker, that responsibility defaults to the Chief of Staff. Luckily there are AI note takers like Ambient that can help with this (and it can help with delegating follow up items too!).
🙅🏻♀️ Lacking Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
We’ve said over and over again that having a high EQ can often be more important than IQ in this role. No doubt that effective Chiefs of Staff are intelligent and highly capable, but understanding the Principal whom you work with as well as keeping a listening ear to the ground around the rest of the organization will serve you much more than being an Excel wizard. Building strong, genuine relationships within the organization, especially with senior leadership, is critical. A Chief of Staff who relies solely on their position for influence and doesn't understand the importance of emotional intelligence may struggle to get the support they need. It doesn’t matter how many OKR cycles you’ve run in the past if you lack the ability to influence without authority or if others don’t respect you enough to commit to the plan.
🧠 Focusing on their Principal’s Shortcomings
A Chief of Staff should avoid undermining the CEO or leader by focusing on their weaknesses. Instead, they should support and redirect, such as providing thoughtful input when the leader may be over-committing themselves and guiding the organization toward success.
While it’s important for both Principal and Chief of Staff to be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses, there is a time and place for both to be addressed. A Chief of Staff should be, first and foremost, a force multiplier for their Principal. While you can give upward feedback and, at times, Chiefs of Staff have even hired Executive Coaches to work with their Principals on their weaknesses, be careful not to let weakness be the overarching factor of the working relationship.
🕳️ Isolation and Lack of Outlets
Chief of Staff roles can be isolating. Finding appropriate outlets for sharing frustrations and seeking guidance, such as therapists, coaches, or confidential support networks, is essential. That’s why we always suggest finding a community, such as Ask a Chief of Staff, so you can find peers who understand and can relate to this isolation. Not only can a community be an outlet for confidential frustrations, it can also give you insight into doing more in the role and help you uncover any blindspots you might not even know about.
In conclusion, a successful Chief of Staff should navigate these common pitfalls by balancing influence and discretion, delegating effectively, mastering meeting management, and prioritizing emotional intelligence. Building strong relationships, supporting the leader, seeking appropriate outlets for guidance, and maintaining humility are all crucial for a Chief of Staff's effectiveness.
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Additional Chief of Staff Related Reads:
Why Being a Buyer at Nordstrom Made me a Great Chief of Staff
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