The COO: a closer look at the job that boosts business growth

In the family of English business acronyms, today we're going to talk about the COO!

Behind these three mysterious letters lies the Chief Operating Officer. This strategic management position, along with the CEO, CMO and CTO, is akin to an operational orchestra conductor. He or she steers the company's activities, working with all the departments, including finance, marketing, sales, supply chain and R&D.

But who exactly is the COO? What are his/her duties, skills and place in the company? All the answers in this article!

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The role of the COO: definition

The role of the COO (Chief Operating Officer) is to support the growth of the company or start-up by implementing or improving processes, actions and tools, and by managing the operational teams.

Also known as the Director of Operations (DOP ), he/she ensures on a daily basis that the teams are able to carry out their missions and achieve their objectives successfully.

He or she acts as deputy to the CEO, and steers operations through his or her strategic and field vision of the organisation, in collaboration with the various team leaders.

The COO's tasks

The COO's scope of action varies according to the organisation in which he or she works. Whether they work in a start-up or a large company, their main tasks are :

• helping to define the company's vision and strategy;
• translate the corporate vision into an action plan. Thanks to their strategic and operational vision, COOs are able to propose the most appropriate actions to be taken to achieve objectives;
• set up processes to distribute tasks as effectively as possible and ensure that work flows smoothly between teams. They closely monitor the effectiveness of processes and working methods, improving them if necessary;
• solving problems, with the ability to make quick decisions to overcome unforeseen obstacles;
• managing teams by providing them with the resources they need to carry out their tasks, motivating them and supporting them.

© CFO.com

🤝To carry out their tasks successfully, COOs work closely with the various team leaders and act as a link between them, particularly when they have to work on a problem that affects several departments. And when the resolution of the problem requires specific skills, he or she mobilises the relevant skills in-house.

The COO's profile

Skills and qualities

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Here is a non-exhaustive list of the COO's skills:

• strategic vision, which allows you to look at the big picture and shed light on activities in the field,

• project management, to control the various projects, costs, deadlines and resources,
• extensive experience in the field, to ensure that you are at ease with the issues,
• operational English, which is often necessary for this type of strategic position, etc.

The essential qualities required of a COO :

• leadership skills , to keep teams motivated and encourage them to achieve their full potential,
• good communicator, to get messages across effectively
• observant, to analyse what works and what needs to be improved,
• cool-headed in all circumstances
• a good manager, able to delegate and provide support
• inquisitive, particularly when it comes to monitoring the market and the latest trends,
• organised and rigorous, with the ability to organise project management.

Career path

There are no specific courses of study for this profession, but in general you will need a Master's degree from a :

• business school
• business school
• engineering school
• or university (management, administration, sales, marketing, etc.).

However, a degree is not enough, as several years' experience are needed to take on this role to perfection. Only a senior profile can be equipped with the range of cross-disciplinary skills, and that strategic vision that is expected of the COO.

💡 Spending a few years in the consulting business means you'll be confronted with a wide range of issues, in a variety of companies and contexts. And very often, the COO is the result of an internal promotion, because already knowing the company well can be quite an asset when it comes to carrying out his or her assignments.

Salary

In France, the minimum salary for a COO is between €50,000 and €65,000 a year. It varies according to the length of time the COO has been with the company, the scope of his or her responsibilities, his or her experience and the type of organisation in which he or she works. Some companies pay between 80,000 and 120,000 euros.

CEO vs COO: what's the difference?

While both positions are strategic in a company, here are a few points to help us distinguish between CEOs and COOs.

The COO's tools

When it comes to software, the COO makes intelligent use of the many tools available on the market to help him collaborate with his teams and effectively manage the progress of different projects. To do this, business management software such as Axonaut provides an overview of the business, thanks to features such as :

• project monitoring
• task management
• time management
• calculating project profitability, etc.

Unified communications software, such as Slack or Front App, are also effective tools for centralising information and resources, as well as considerably streamlining exchanges between employees. Sometimes they can even provide a dynamic that brings the group together, thanks to features such as instant messaging, videoconferencing, file sharing, etc.

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Is a good COO an excellent future CEO?

The COO is the person with the broadest, most cross-functional and ultimately accurate vision of an organisation.

Equally at ease with strategy and hands-on management, he or she knows all the workings, strengths and weaknesses of the company, especially if he or she has established a relationship of trust with all those involved.

A wealth of experience as COO gives you all the knowledge and skills you need to succeed the CEO and take on this role with brio.