The COO’s role has largely been to ensure that operational processes run smoothly and efficiently, establish strategy for productivity and performance and work with the C-suite to set the corporate vision and culture. But the Covid pandemic has changed everything. Organisations are navigating a new hybrid workforce, ongoing supply chain disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and shifting customer demands.
In many cases it is the COO, rather than another member of the C-suite, who is spearheading operational changes in the post-pandemic world. And they are well placed to do this. Crisis management is the COO’s area of expertise, notes Abigail Vaughan, COO for HR and payroll specialist Zellis. Resilience is now a priority for building organisations back stronger.
“Changes to the workplace and the pace of business post-pandemic, together with rising customer expectations, require stamina, resilience and contagious positivity,” says Vaughan. “It feels like we’re awakening from hibernation. And as the COO you need to help wake people up as fast as possible to avoid being left behind.”