{"href":"http://player.captivate.fm/services/oembed?url=http%3A%2F%2Fplayer.captivate.fm%2Fepisode%2F6cf646d9-564a-4b22-8fc8-a95b787ac275","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Captivate.FM","provider_url":"https://www.captivate.fm","width":600,"height":200,"type":"rich","html":"","title":"10. What are the five traits of successful COO\u2019s?","description":"In this episode we unpack the topic of: What are the five traits of successful COO\u2019s? Our special guest is Charlene Chen, a key figure in the startup operations community and former COO of Lantum and AZA Finance. We discuss the following: \r\n\n\n How do different personalities and styles of Ops leaders contribute to the overall success of a company?\r\n\n In what ways do Ops leaders act as the connective tissue of a company? \r\n\n How can communication breakdown be addressed as a company scales and teams become siloed?\r\n\n What are the key responsibilities of Ops leaders in terms of internal communications?\r\n\n How does the performance of teams who don't directly report to a COO reflect on their success and failure?\r\n\n Why is it challenging for COOs to measure their value and articulate their impact in an OKR format?\r\n\n How do consultants-turned-Ops leaders approach problem-solving differently from those without a consulting background?\r\n\n Why is self-awareness important for COOs and operations leaders in identifying their strengths and weaknesses?\r\n\n How does resourcefulness play a significant role in the success of COOs, especially in times of crisis or limited resources?\r\n\n\nReferences: \r\n\nOps Fest 2023 brings together operations communities from all corners of the globe. \r\n\nhttps://operationsnation.com/events/international-ops-fest/communities (https://operationsnation.com/events/international-ops-fest/communities)\r\n\nKey traits of a COO\r\n\n\n Generalist - Jacks and Jills of all trades covering multiple functions\r\n\n Hourglass-Shaped - Ability to zoom out to do strategy but zoom in to design minute processes\r\n\n Gluey - The connective tissue of a company, filling the gaps in and between cross-functional teams\r\n\n Resourceful - Making do with little human or financial capital \r\n\n Humble - Work hard behind the scenes with little credit given (not as glorified as engineers and salespeople)\r\n\n\nBiography: Charlene Chen has over 15 years of operational leadership experience working with a variety of organisations ranging from tech startups to international non-profits to Fortune 500 companies. She began her career as an IT consultant at Deloitte Consulting, but spent 8 years focused on operational leadership of socially impactful venture-capital backed businesses in the fintech and healthtech industries. Charlene was co-founder and COO of AZA Finance (formerly BitPesa), former COO of Lantum, and is Co-Founder of Operations Nation, a community-led digital hub for Ops-specific content, resources, and training.","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/5aad44d6-39bb-4caa-90ee-5cb8f678b8db/38045267-1686058356175-236a0429985a7.jpg"}