It’s not just catchy recruiting jargon.
The two statements are interchangeable in order, as are their sentiments.
It’s pretty simple: if your talent is happy and working effectively for you, your focus on and enjoyment of work is enhanced and vice versa. This couldn’t be truer – or more valuable – than in the C-Suite, yet the perfect partnership seems to be the exception rather than the rule.
Although most report a general sense of job satisfaction, there still exists a staggering number of Chiefs who feel they are anything but. Not only do some COOs feel underutilized by their current firm, many actually use the word “unsure” to describe their role within the organization. The first time I heard that from a COO candidate, I was floored. How could professionals at such esteemed and hierarchal organizations be unclear of their role? Weren’t they looking at the same job description I was? And how could someone with all of the career pedigree and educational background of his/her attorney counterparts, many with a J.D., be uncertain about where they fit into the overall firm dynamics?
While the COO role most definitely varies from firm to firm, with some requiring a heavier presence in finance, technology, or human resources, clarity on the role should remain intact. One constant across most COO roles is they serve as the most senior administrative leader within the firm and report directly to a managing partner, management committee, or both. Beyond those parameters, no two positions look the same, and that’s okay.
“What is critical to a job well done has less to do with what follows on a prospectus and more about the relationship at the top of the food chain. ”
Within the hierarchy that inherently exists within law firms, a clearly defined partnership at the helm provides definition of roles and expectations throughout the organization. In essence, firm culture starts at the top. While the managing partner may assume more risk as the signature authority, his/her COO counterpart is adept at navigating the nuances of difficult conversations, personalities, and politics that are part and parcel of a highly educated and analytical workforce. Success is maximized when accurate articulation of the COO’s responsibilities matches the ability to act upon those duties. In a perfect partnership between MP and COO, there is a natural ebb and flow and execution of responsibilities, and either the success or failure of that relationship trickles down to the rest of the firm. Likewise, an MP with a solid, trusted COO as his right-hand person shines upward to firm leadership. Firms that find that perfect leadership team balance have one thing in common: clear communication at the hiring phase.
When beginning a search for a COO or ED, there are a few common-sense steps to take before sharing that job announcement:
- Conduct an honest assessment of the needs of the firm as they relate to the position, as well as how this person will be utilized on a daily basis to meet those needs.
- Determine where exactly the COO “fits” into the big picture. Who exactly does he report to? Is she a voting member of the management committee? Is his role strategic in function? Does she have responsibility of any other businesses owned by the firm?
- Ensure the prospectus being touted to candidates accurately conveys the job expectations, and more importantly, that your hiring party is communicating those clearly. This is huge, as more often than not, COOs who are dissatisfied with their current posts are so because they’ve been told they have an immense amount of responsibility but in actuality have no authorized ability to act upon it. Does the firm need someone with a strong technological background? Is the position actually a COO/CFO combination? Or is there another area in which the firm needs special attention? No matter the type or level of responsibility, define it, expect it, and be transparent should those needs change.
- Be prepared to use your new hire! You’d be surprised to learn the number of executives getting paid deep into six figures who have a foggy understanding of their role, as well as the number of firms who are willing to pay as much for someone to warm a chair at management committee meetings. There are a handful of folks who are perfectly fine with that arrangement, but most of them want to work and contribute to the overall success of the firm. Use their talents.
- As daily operations become more automated, remember not all viable C-suite candidates are digitally savvy (not all law firms are, for that matter!). Be open to spending the time and money to get them up to speed. What some may lack in this area they make up ten-fold in professional management experience.
As with most relationships, that of the COO and the law firm depends upon a firm foundation of trust, clearly articulated expectations, and fluid, reciprocal communication. Synchrony and union at the top of an organization leads to seamless processes throughout, employees feel like valued contributors, and rain-makers can stay focused on the rain. Be deliberate in your hiring. Love who you hire. Let them do their job. And then do what you love.