Chief of Staff — a role akin to playing an infinite game

This is the concluding part in my series of articles on Chief of Staff role. The links to previous parts in this series are Part-1, Part-2, Part-3, Part-4.

In this final part, I draw upon some of my experience to share some of the challenges and success factors that come with the role.

How can a CoS work without a team?

In general, organizations have teams that have a pyramid structure of reporting. In the case of a CoS, he/she might be out of the pyramid, reporting directly to the Executive and yet, having an eye on the layers of the pyramid, to identify the best people to get stuff done. Since a CoS might have very few or no direct reports, getting stuff done requires skills such as consensus-building and collaboration. In fact, this is one of the challenging aspects of the role, which, if a CoS is successful at cracking, can be rewarding from a long-term career standpoint. Because you can build leadership skills by thriving in a set-up where many people will not know you or care about you (since you do not write their appraisals) and yet getting things done by the same people. This is exactly why skills like networking, diplomacy, negotiation, persuasion, and influencing are essential for this role.

Today, in matrixed organizations, while it is not easy to lead a team with a weighty title, it is at least not uncommon. But carving a niche for yourself in an organization, outside the traditional pyramid structures is a challenge.

How are some challenges that come with the CoS role?

Lonely on this side:

One of the primary challenges for a CoS comes in the form of the solitary position of the role in the organization as a CoS is more of an individual contributor. At times, a CoS could feel very lonely despite having a wide network of Leaders because the Leaders wouldn’t exactly be the peers for the CoS. And given the hustle involved in the role, a CoS might not have a soundboard or venting-ground to talk to and share his/her challenges. If the relationship between the CoS and the Executive is great, it does provide some comfort to share things. However, many times, a CoS might have things he/she wouldn’t prefer to share with the Executive given the dynamics and sensitivities involved and the vantage point of the Executive.

Dealing with that ‘lonely’ facet of the role requires a different mental make-up, that of strength and resilience to shake things off and move forward.

Networking with other Chiefs of Staff might be somewhat helpful but it can get tricky (and politically damaging) if they are from the same organization. A personal habit that can help deal with this is the habit of journaling — to just record the thoughts, frequently and reflecting on them.

Breaking the perceptions

If a CoS clocks in a few years supporting an Executive, there are chances of other people forming their own perceptions about the alignment between both. One perception could be that the CoS is too close to the Executive to challenge certain ideas. Another perception that could form is that convincing/influencing the CoS is enough to get the Executive onboard for any idea. So it is extremely important for a CoS to demonstrate that neutral stance in some of the Leadership meetings so that the authenticity of working style and perspectives are reflected. It is one thing for people to see the CoS as a shadow of the Executive and it is entirely a different thing to see the CoS as ‘Yes Man’.

Taking a long view

The day-to-day hustle and demands of a CoS role often make it challenging to look ahead to the next week/month and hence the view of long-term future is something a CoS might not be able to afford. Urgent matters, many times, overwhelm important ones, resulting in some projects or initiatives — personal or organization related — being put on back-burners. A CoS might not have clear visibility into ‘What next, after this role’ and that’s a price a CoS must be willing to pay, for some time. However, this fuzziness is not permanent as opportunities might present themselves based on the reputation and brand a CoS builds for himself/herself.

Every CoS will certainly have a running list of daily items that need attention. But a CoS also needs to have another list — of long-term projects or activities — that will help his/her career. The 2nd list will not yield the daily gratification from knocking off things-to-do, because things move very slowly on that list. But tiny movements and changes to that list each month will compound to big results in terms of career growth, new opportunities etc.

Unwritten success factors of a CoS

I have shared in my earlier posts various skills, archetypes and mindsets needed for succeeding in the role. Before I conclude this series, I’d like to share some useful tips I think will help in positioning the role for success:

A CoS role is like playing an infinite game with compounding results

Many traditional roles in an organization are embedded in the pyramid set-up, which results in everyone playing the finite games in career. A finite game is played solely for the purpose of winning, within the set boundaries and rules. In a pyramid set up, this could translate into getting the next promotion, the best raise, the best rating, staying on ahead of everyone else — all of which is a game on a relative scale of commonly understood/measured performance indicators. You win, by beating someone else in the game. But a CoS role, in my experience, is like playing an infinite game — where the purpose goes beyond winning, to continue the play, and derive an enormous amount of learning, exposure, and intellectual capital in the process.

Success, in any infinite game like a CoS role, compounds from playing it really well, better than yesterday.

This is mainly because there is no commonly understood description for the role and the role’s ever-changing anatomy is pretty much scripted on the job, by the CoS and the Executive. The purpose is to let these elements compound for growth, in the journey. I view the role as an infinite game, in which success can be defined by the strengths I renew, skills I add to my arsenal, and the brand and intellectual capital I build in each step.

Links for additional reading

I have written this 5 part series by dipping into my own experience and also referring to a ton of published material, that I used for evolving my role over the last 2 years. Here are some useful links/references that can help any CoS formulate their role better:

1. Do you want to know about CoS role?
2. Rob Dickin’s piece on the role
3. Article by Rob Thomas
4. HBR article
5. A fantastic book on CoS role (must read)
6. Essays on CoS role by Paul Cohen (must read)
7. Take-aways from CoS Summit
8. Prime Chief of Staff blog

If you liked the series, please share your perspectives about what resonated with you the most. And do share it with anyone in your network who is in this role to planning to take up one.