Friday, March 29, 2024

Who is a Chief of Staff?

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BY SEGUN DIPE

In terms of growing importance, the position of a Chief of Staff has gained much traction to become a vital appointment to be made by a Chief Executive. The occupier of such position has a crucial role in ensuring the success or otherwise of the principal who has entrusted the role to him during a particular tenure in office.

Famous as the position of a Chief of Staff may appear, it is complex and unpredictable. Complex in the sense that it neither comes with a job description nor is their a qualification that gets one there.

Unpredictable because no one can say with any iota of precision how the occupier will perform. You never can say what brief a CoS gets from his or her principal. All that you get to know is the action he puts forward, and that is what he is measured by.

While the position defies a cogent definition in terms of role and hierarchy, it is not one to be toyed with. Those occupying it are conscious of such accompanied authority, thus interprete it in their different ways.

In terms of access to power, a Chief of Staff is presumed to be the first to see the principal and the last to bid him goodnight. Whatever he says about his boss is taken for the gospel truth and assurances given on behalf of his principal cure all worries.

There is this 2019 South Korean television series that goes by the title *Chief of Staff.* It is the story of politicians and their aides who try to climb up the political ladder. The soap clearly reveals how the failure of a CoS to perform his functions would put a heavy burden on the head of the principal, who will now be exposed to the angst of several grievance-driven legions.

It is in the light of the above that I have decided to interrogate the CoS role: its emergence, soaring reputation and what is required to excel in playing the role. This is done without an apparent reference to any of its occupier in the past, today or in future. Even at that, it is hoped that such interrogation will not be without passing any message across.

Expectedly, a Chief of Staff ( _acronymed_ CoS and so referred going forward), serves as the most effective aide or the most dedicated officer. He works the closest with the principal and he serves as the clearing house for all politically-related tasks.

Let us first accept the fact that that the position is an eggshell one, which neither confers any career status, nor requires any manual or job description to operate. It is 100% discretionary, and solely at the instance of the principal who takes the CoS as his Man Friday and Number One image maker. He must always put himself at the beck and call of his principal, be it in thunderstorm lightening or in rain.

However, such a person must see himself foremost as a leader, a decision maker and an advisor. He must be instinctive and prepared to work as a _del credere_ agent, yet work behind the scene to solve problems and deal with issues before they’re ever brought to the Chief Executive. He can be called upon at any time to serve in any capacity within the system. He must be ready to take the flak therefrom, but reserve the praise for his principal, even when the principal is off the curve. In other words, he is expected to simplify the principal’s work and not complicate it.

The position of CoS is a very delicate one. It can make or mar the occupier, since he carries a great load of responsibility on his head and must be willing to do any job for his principal, without necessarily making it appear as if he is authorized by the principal. The occupier is a frontliner who must have been tested, trusted and has the capability to represent his principal well. Apart from being efficient, he must be amiable and easily accessible. He must be a high ranking professional, with a wide range experience in administrative work and he must be willing to involve himself in all essential services and decisions. He therefore cannot afford to be aloof, unapproachable or standoffish. Conversely, he must be intuitive, informed, alive, autonomous and accessible.

Although the CoS is that of a leadership role, it is also that of a complete servant. It cannot be easily placed in an organisational chart because the occupier works at every level throughout the organisation. No matter the number of aides at the principal’s disposal, the CoS is the _primus inter pares_ of them all. His Number One duty is to manage other aides and ensure that they are remain loyal to their principal 100%, in return for their needs being met without excuses. Since human needs are insatiable, the CoS must equally accept the blame for any unmet need, and this is where he gets his flak most.

In politics, the position of a CoS is one which often seems ambiguous and multifaceted, yet tempestuous. The occupier is in charge of several-high responsibilities across the government organisations. Central to these responsibilities is the management of human capital. A responsible CoS makes important plans, generate ideas, mitigates complex problems, innovates and communicates important ideas to the various stakeholders. Not only does a CoS make high-level decisions in conjunction with other leaders, he also makes plethora of decisions on a day-to-day basis. Thus, he has to be up to date on, and aware of all areas of the system. Little wonder the CoS is seen as a jack of all trades, because he has no specific job description, but instead bridges the strategic objectives and materializes them. He is thus labelled the “President’s Gatekeeper.”

The idea of a political CoS was first initiated by Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, who served from 1969 to 1974. It is not a legally required role and its appointment does not warrant any legislative confirmation, neither does it come with any job description. Rather, he is appointed at the pleasure of the president and he is made to head all other political appointees.

In Nigeria, the Chief of Staff is a high-ranking official who manages the Office of the President at the federal level or the Governor at the State level.The position was first adopted by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999. He modelled it after the White House Chief of Staff; and its duties were assigned by the President but primarily focused on managing the flow of information and people; advising the president on various issues. Through these roles, the occupier of the position wields considerable influence.

Responsibilities of CoS

The COS is involved in a lot of meetings so he can be aware of all the important happenings within the organisation. His participation in meetings means generating a consensus, enforcing and modifying strategies and processes, and ensuring strategic buy-in from all parties. The Chief of Staff is also hugely involved with the communications materials and disseminating them. He informs on, initiates, and leads special projects, guides and supports the development of employees, and take the time to counsel and advise other leaders. This position is analytical in that the CoS is in charge of gathering data on the progress and results of projects, courses, and training. He also hires, trains, and mentors staff at various levels throughout the company. A CoS acts as an executive coach, engages in performance coaching, develops process reviews, documents findings, and shares them with other leaders. Needless to say, the CoS has a lot of varying responsibilities.

That said, the Chief of Staff sits at the same level as the executive team, so this placement really depends on their level of experience and active involvement.

*Qualification*

A chief of staff typically can have an educational background in management, corporate communications, human resources, or commerce. However, any kind of education can prepare one to take up this role. A CoS typically must have put at least 8-10 years into managerial experience, strong leadership abilities, an impressive ability to understand and use data to the organisation’s advantage, and experience working with confidential and high-profile projects.

To obtain such a high-profiled position, the CoS will need to possess the following:

i. good emotional intelligence;
ii. be able to communicate extremely well, both orally and in writing;
iii. a desire to coach, mentor, guide, and advise others; and
iv. be keen to help improve training and development initiatives.
v. project management experience is also crucial to this role since one needs to be comfortable working with different streams of the business to make informed decisions.

His skills must include:
i. Leadership
ii. Critical thinking
iii. Communication
iv. Project management
v .Knowledge of business standards, and
vi. Policy development.

1. Leadership
A chief of staff needs to have the ability to motivate and inspire others, regardless of whether they’re helping someone complete a task or realize a common vision, or encouraging employees to enroll in different training opportunities; the ability to lead is a must. A CoS needs to be in touch with different individuals’ strengths so these skills can be harnessed in particular areas of projects and so the CoS can encourage as many employees as possible to reach their full potential.

2. Critical thinking
The ability to think critically and problem solve is central to the skills of a CoS. Because the chief of staff is involved in many (if not all) high-level decisions, the person in this role needs to be able to actively conceptualize, apply, synthesize, and evaluate different kinds of information from several streams throughout the organization. This information can be gathered or generated by observing, experiencing, reflecting, reasoning, or communicating, so self-awareness is key in the ability to think critically and make the most appropriate decision possible in any given situation.

3. Communication
Good communication is an essential skill if one wants to be a good chief of staff. Whether you’re a naturally strong communicator or not, it’s essential to have organized and recurring meetings with the teams you work with as a CoS. This way, you and your team stay organized and transparent with one another and are on track to achieve your goals.

4. Project management
To be an effective CoS, one needs to have project management skills. Because he needs to understand and be aware of the principal tasks, responsibilities, and projects of each team within the organization, having experience managing projects in different areas of the business is a huge asset. Within project management, it’s important to have experience working with multiple internal and external stakeholders as well as delivering high-level presentations to executive teams.

5. Knowledge of business standards
As a CoS, you need to be well versed in the world of compliance. This means you’re knowledgeable on the business standards that need to be met and maintained by the organization. Making sure all policies (including legal, real estate, media, health and safety, and confidentiality policies) are being followed is important for ensuring the company’s compliance and protection. You need to have a good amount of experience reviewing contracts, policies, non-disclosure agreements, and other important documentation so you’re used to working with densely written documentations and reports. This way, you’ll be confident when deciphering whatever comes your way and you’ll be able to communicate compliance requirements to others involved.

6. Policy development
Policy development goes hand in hand with compliance. Because you can’t have one without the other, it’s important for the chief of staff to have experience in both reviewing policies and developing them. This means that the CoS has the ability to decide what the organization should aim to achieve, what is being done to achieve the goal, how these achievements can be reached and at what price, who needs to be involved, and the timeline required. Policy development helps the organization run as effectively as possible and simultaneously ensures the business objectives are in line with and in full compliance with the legal and social environment.

Adaptability
Adaptability is another key skill the chief of staff demonstrates. An adaptable CoS is flexible, open-minded, and willing to change to find success. The CoS typically has to manage unusual and unforeseen situations, so the ability to make sound decisions on the spot is essential. It’s also worth noting that there don’t tend to be any explicit or formal instructions given to a CoS to follow. As a result, this leader needs to be dynamic, well-informed, and confident in their own judgment so they can make the most appropriate decisions for the organisation as a whole—and often, these decisions are difficult to make. Typically, the CoS is someone who learns quickly because they are adaptable. One way to build your adaptability is continuing to try new things and challenging your problem-solving skills in different situations.

Parting Shot…
A chief of staff is intuitive, informed, and autonomous. This position carries a great deal of responsibility and requires a diverse background of experience. Those who aspire to be CoS, must do so with the intention of shielding their principal from undue angst.

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