The changing role of the COO

The chief operating officer (COO) is a senior executive tasked with overseeing the day-to-day administrative and operational functions of a business.

But as hybrid working continues to take hold after Covid the COO role is expanding and changing, according to research by Microsoft.

For hybrid working to be effective a business needs to be sure that it is as productive as working in-house.

This means the COO has to provide leadership and direction and ensure that “not only day-to-day operations and making strategy happen on the ground, they must also drive the adoption of technology and ensure it, in turn, drives growth,” according to a new McKinsey report.

Giving employees a clear sense of direction so that they understand their priorities requires even more enhanced communication skills.

Encouraging collaboration, says Microsoft, is key to both the business’ long-term success, but also to employee satisfaction.

But it is also crucial to the COO’s successful management of hybrid working.

“For hybrid to work, it has to work for everyone, everywhere, all the time. It has to work in HR and IT, in manufacturing and marketing,” says the Microsoft report.,