Gift Yourself A COO This Holiday Season!

The headline sounds silly doesn't it? I mean what does it even mean? Well, to start, it means if you are running a business and looking to get to the next stage of growth, it may be time to say I need help. I know, you are the CEO or Business owner, who are you to say I need help? It's my business.... I got this. Well, you got it until you don't! Why can a COO be the perfect gift for you this Holiday Season? Let me show you the ways.

When you are the top dog of a company or business, everything falls to you. I personally have had this conversation three or four times just in the past week with business owners. They do not have a management or executive team and therefore they make every decision. The issue obviously is that they cannot stay on top of everything. Projects, strategy and a game plan fall through the cracks. The right COO can come in and put processes in place and stay on top of the company so that you, as the business owner, can focus on the profitability and future of the business.

A great COO will see what you can't possibly see. When it is your business, sometimes you are so focused on the top line that you aren't seeing or hearing what your employees and staff are saying. A COO becomes your eyes and ears in your organization and can therefore work with you to adapt and make the changes that are needed that will lead to future success of your business. The COO will work with your employees and put operational efficiencies in place that will affect your top line for the better.

A COO, more than any other employee in your business will buy into what you and your organization is striving to do. If you make the right hire, their job within your organization will become their passion. They are not there to just collect a paycheck. Instead, they want to see the fruits of their labor affect you and your company in a positive light. They seek and crave success, just like you. Often times, it is difficult to get buy in like this from your other employees and staff.

I had conversations with a CEO of a 10,000 person company this week where I was just offering advice. I provided several ways to create more revenue and take their business to the next level. While I piqued his interest, I kept thinking in the back of my head, why hasn't anyone else in his organization brought these ideas to him? Are they just collecting a check, happy to have a job or do they truly want to see the business succeed? It was baffling to me.

My career started by working in a start-up (Hotjobs.com) It was a great place to work. What I remember most is that each of us did everything in our power to help that company succeed before our big breakthrough and subsequent IPO. It wasn't glamorous or always enjoyable but it is what everyone needed to do to keep the lights on. We were more than our paycheck. For mature companies, it is difficult to re-establish this method of running your business. If you are the business owner, with no other true management staff surrounding you, it will be difficult to attain your strategic goals and continue to grow your company. You need that one person who is willing to go to battle with you and say, "I Got You!"

Finally, with the emergence of Fractional COO's like myself, it is more cost effective to bring a Chief Operating Officer into your organization. We don't cost you in terms of desk occupancy, benefits, 401k or insurance. Our goal is to align ourselves with you and help you get to where you want to be. We like saying "I Got You!" Our expertise and processes will help you take a step back from your business to align your future goals. We can and will work with you to achieve the results you want to see. At times, we even provide the vision of what needs to occur. With each client, I look at myself as your partner working together to solve for the unsolvable.

So, for this holiday season, do yourself a favor: look at your business and see if there is an opportunity to improve your internal operations or your external offerings. Is it time to gift yourself something that you know you so desperately need? If a full time COO is not the right choice right now, think of the Black Friday special - The Fractional COO