COO Forum® - Blog

2025 COO Forum Year In Review

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 17:47:55 +0000

Celebrating Over 20 years of Serving Operations Executives

2025 was a year that tested operations leaders in new ways - and elevated the role of the COO in the process. As organizations navigated economic uncertainty, accelerating AI adoption, shifting workforce dynamics, and increasing pressure to do more with less, one thing became clear: strong operations leadership mattered more than ever.

At COO Forum, this year was defined by candid conversations, practical insights, and a growing community of COOs committed to learning from one another. From in-person chapter sessions to national discussions and shared resources, 2025 reinforced why peer-based perspective is such a powerful advantage for operations leaders. This year-in-review looks back at the moments, themes, and progress that shaped our community - and sets the stage for what’s ahead.

Yet alongside that progress, the year also carried a bittersweet note for COO Forum. While we celebrate our member successes, we also mourn the loss of our founder and Director Emeritus, William E. "Bill" Shepard.

Bill's spirit of operational excellence and supporting others can be found in the actions of each of our members, Directors and staff here at COO Forum. Let's take a moment to look back at a year of accomplishments and more importantly, giving back to the community.

Member Accomplishments:

Named as one of The Change Makers 2025 by Austin Woman Magazine
Featured in an article by Pulse 2
Ranked on the Inc. Magazine 2025 Female Founders 500 list
Spotlighted on a podcast
Listed as a Distinguished Engineer by The University of Texas at Austin
Interviewed on a LinkedIn Live event
Served as a mentor at at the Kansas City Business Journal's 12th Annual Mentoring Monday event
Recognized by the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Business Journal, and the San Diego Business Journal for leadership and impact across Southern California communities
Named a qualified nominee for the LA Times Studios 2025 Inspirational Women Forum & Leadership Award
Moderated a discussion focused on employee advocacy in recruitment practices alongside leaders from various industries
Highlighted by Women We Admire as one of The Top 50 Women Chief Operating Officers of 2025
Recognized as a 2025 Woman You Need to Know
Selected to Chair the E2D - Eliminate the Digital Divide Board
Participated in The Torchbearers Event
Named one of Albany Business Review’s 40 Under 40 honorees
Honored for 35 years at their company
Promoted to CEO at American Red Cross of Wisconsin

Member Company Accomplishments:

Recognized by Computerworld as one of the Best Places to Work in IT
Ranked #7 among large organizations on the new list of top ten employers for retention and engagement
Named an Achievers on the Rise by NGLCC and Partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium
Honored as one of Built In’s 2025 Best Places to Work
Celebrated their 10th anniversary
Acquired 33 additional pharmacies across Canada in multiple transactions, expanding their national footprint to 325+ locations
Named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business for the sixth consecutive year
Recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired Corporate Cultures in the prestigious enterprise category for 2025
Celebrated their 60th anniversary
Earned the "IoT Security Product of the Year" in the 9th annual IoT Breakthrough Awards
Certified by Great Place To Work US for the seventh year in a row
Recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as a CSI Progress School
Completed their 500th transaction
Played a key role in advancing the data center industry on a groundbreaking hyperscale project
Honored at the 2025 NECA Project Excellence Awards for their work on the SCB Headquarters project
Named a World's Most Admired Company by Fortune
Featured on the premiere episode of The Fixer a new reality series
Recognized as a Global Winner for Small Office: PepsiCo Africa; Global Winner for Large Office: FWD Bangkok in the SBID International Design Awards 2025
Named Mid-Atlantic Partner of the Year by Juniper Networks
Recognized as the OutSystems Partner 2024 of the Year in the New Logo ARR AMER category
Selected as a USA TODAY TopWorkplace for 2025, for the third consecutive year
Honored as one of The Washington Post Top Workplaces for the third year in a row
Obtained the Department of Defense Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Level 2
Ranked #16 on the 2025 Alaska Business Top 49ers list
Named one of the Vet100 - a list celebrating the fastest-growing veteran-owned businesses
Designated a Data Privacy Week 2025 Champion by the National Cybersecurity Alliance
Voted Large Business of the Year by The Chamber of the Iowa Great Lakes
Named Partner of the Year at the AHLA HotelPAC Luncheon
Featured on an episode of The American Dream
Recognized as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2025
Honored as one of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Chicago 2025
Earned a Silver Stevie Award in the 2025 International Business Awards for Achievement in Customer Satisfaction
Received the Best Customer Experience Insight award at the 2025 Esomar Awards
Celebrated their 7th anniversary
Inaugurated their new Bangalore office
Recognized as a USA Today Top Workplace
Made the 2025 Inc Regionals Midwest list for the 4th year in a row
Earned a spot on Spring Culture Excellence Top Workplaces
Named Snowflake's 2025 Americas Data Cloud Services Growth Partner of the Year
Celebrated as one of Consulting Magazine's 2025 Best Firms to Work For for the seventh year in a row
Ranked as one of Crain's Best Places to Work in Chicago 2025
Recognized as one of Greater Toronto's Top Employers for the third year in a row
Highlighted on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list for America’s fastest-growing companies
Recognized 25 attorneys as Super Lawyers or Rising Stars in Thomson Reuters 2025 list of Illinois Super Lawyers
Named three practice groups and twelve attorneys in the Chambers and Partners Global 2025 rankings
Made The Legal 500 United States 2025 list
Honored in Bloomberg Law's Leading Law Firms
Named 47 attorneys to the 2026 edition of the Best Lawyers in America
Selected for inclusion in the International Employment Lawyer’s 2026 IEL Elite list
Celebrated 25 years
Made the USA Today 2025 Top Workplace list
Participated in the Crain’s Chicago Business webcast, "Keeping Current: How to Stay Compliant in Maintaining Existing and New Electrical Technologies”
Recognized as one of the Top 100 Staffing Companies to Work For at the 2025 World Staffing Summit
Named one of Staffing Industry Analysts' 2025 Best Staffing Firms to Work For
Appointed to the Inc. Regionals Southwest list
Selected as one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces of 2025
Named one of Austin Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Companies of 2025 for the third year in a row
Recognized by the National Association for Business Resources as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work For in multiple categories, including Iconic, Brilliance, and Top 101 in the Nation
Acknowledged at the 2025 Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship awards for introducing The Achievery, an online learning platform offering curricula in STEM, digital literacy, social-emotional learning, college and career readiness
Won an Emmy for Outstanding Interactive for Cousin Hodie Playdate
Nominated for TCA Awards in “Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Programming” for Odd Squad, Donkey Hodie, and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
Recognized with awards at the Serious Play Conference for four games
Received NINE Children’s & Family Emmy Awards nominations
Named one of the Best Places to Work in Virginia for the 12th time
Acknowledged by Inc. Magazine as one of the Fastest-Growing Companies in the Mid-Atlantic for 2025
Celebrated 25 years
Attained the Workplace Culture Leader Award at the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 We Mean Business Awards
Achieved the Department of Defense’s CMMC Level 2 Certification
Recognized for several Partner Awards: 2024 Rising Star Partner of the Year; Vendor Award; 2024 Q4 Gold Partner; 2025 Rising Star Partner
Celebrated their 6 year anniversary
Named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces of 2025
Highlighted by The Channel Company on the 2025 MES Midmarket 100 List
Earned the top 10 in Charlotte Business Journal's Fast 50
Recognized as a 2025 Top Workplace by the Albany Times Union, marking the eighth consecutive year receiving this award
Celebrated 9 years
Achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification
Received 16 Telly Awards across a variety of categories, including Education, Animation, Editing, Social Impact, and Not-for-Profit
Earned the title Best and Brightest Company to Work For in Detroit, Chicago, Dallas, and across the Nation
Named the “The Best of the Best Medium Business” at the 2025 Metropolitan Detroit’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For awards
Won an AI Breakthrough Award - for the third year running
Opened an office in New York City to better serve their growing East Coast customer base
Received the Auto Sensor Innovation of the Year award from the 2025 Merit Automotive Awards
Named to TIME's list of America's best midsize companies for the second year in a row
Voted 2025’s Best Mobile Phone Company in Avery County
Moved up the Qualified Remodeler Top 500 list - from #399 to #307 in just one year
Recognized as a 2025 best practices agency
Celebrated their 7 year anniversary
Earned the 56th spot on the 2025 MEP Giants list
Named one of the Best Places to Work by the North Bay Business Journal for the 7th year in a row
Received the Best of Bloomingdale Community Choice Award in Banking Services
Recognized as one of the Best Banks to Work For in the entire country by American Banker Magazine
Announced the opening of their new headquarters and manufacturing facility in the heart of Silicon Valley
Made Inc. Magazine's 2025 PowerPartner Awards list
Earned two Silver wins at the 2025 The Stevie Awards for Women in Business: Achievement in Developing and Promoting Women; Achievement in Customer Satisfaction
Awarded CyberVadis Gold 2025 for cybersecurity and data protection
Celebrated 30 years
Named a 2025 Iowa Top Workplace by the The Des Moines Register

Member Community Service:

Helped California residents fleeing from the massive and fast-moving wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes
Supported families displaced by home fires
Collected 2,800 units of blood in the 2025 Greater Chicago Blood Drive
Provided critical relief and recovery/clean-up assistance to those affected by wildfires, severe weather and floods
Supported an Honor Flight in Quincy, Illinois
Collected and delivered over 1,500 pairs of socks to the Marion VA Medical Center
Cleaned cots used at a shelter welcoming residents impacted by a home fire
Worked with Rise Against Hunger to fight hunger and package food for those in need
Organized initiatives to raise funds and collect food donations for the Okoboji and Spirit Lake Schools Backpack Programs
Delivered trays of fruit, vegetables, meat, and cheese to show appreciation to the Spencer Fire Department and Clay County Sheriff's Office
Raised funds and collected food and personal care item donations to benefit the Estherville Lincoln Central Community School's Backpack Program
Donated $1,042 to People for Pets, a local animal rescue that provides food, medical care, and shelter for animals in need
Raised $1,036 to support the families caring for community youths
Delivered 88 fully-stocked backpacks to Abide
Contributed $500 each to the Le Mars and ELC Backpack Programs, helping provide food to local youth and families in need
Awarded $12,000 to the Le Mars Community Music Boosters in support of local music education and student opportunities
Donated $500 to the Sioux City Public School System to help fund: STEM, Arts, and Career Education as well as essential needs like warm coats, school supplies, and graduation gowns
Provided $995 of “Jeans Day” money raised throughout the year to the Emmet County Community Christmas Project
Supported Iowa Lakes Community College with a $12,000 donation to enhance fine arts and culture experiences for students
Championed two Giving Tree programs
Hosted a blood drive, collecting 38 units of blood helping save up to 114 lives
Delivered care baskets and donated hats and gloves to support local programs
Packed meals for Families Forward Charlotte
Organized Tiger Town Takeover, volunteering at THOMPSON Child & Family Focus
Volunteered for a variety of activities - from building houses in Uruguay to organizing food donations in Atlanta
Supported the planting of 1,000 trees at BAIF’s Wagholi campus, promoting community well-being
Processed thrift store donations, stocked shelves at a food pantry
Partnered with the non-profit organization Helping Mamas to support their Mommy & Baby Supply Drive, packing nearly 400 essential kits for families in need
Collaborated with the Saratoga Senior Center to assist with spring lawn care for local seniors
Gave time to fight hunger and care for the planet - volunteering with DC Central Kitchen, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Second Harvest Food Bank, and joining Gaylord Opryland for an Earth Day clean-up in Nashville
Packed school supply kits
Supported Wreaths Across America by sponsoring more than 270 wreaths to honor fallen U.S. veterans
Assisted homeowners in need by tackling everything from repairing code violations and correcting faulty electrical installs to lighting upgrades, fixture replacements, and garage and porch work in Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago for National Rebuilding Day
Volunteered for the 2025 Illinois Prairie Path Annual Trail Cleanup
Raised $45,000 to support the American Cancer Society
Provided bags of rice, warm packed lunches, backpacks with school supplies to support the children’s learning, and pre-loved clothes and toys for Unified Gives Back outreach program
Celebrated its 11th Annual Day of Service across Virginia - volunteering to support local nonprofits
Volunteered at Feed My Starving Children, packing 306 boxes, bagged 66,096 meals, and provided 181 children meals for an entire year
Packed meal bags for 100 Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa families
Filled 2,000 bags and sorted 10,000 pounds of red potatoes in a single shift, setting a new record at Food Bank of Iowa
Assisted Polk County veterans at the Food Bank of Iowa veterans’ mobile food pantry
Participated in holiday food distribution, home repairs, Habitat builds, gift wrapping and hands-on volunteering across the country
Adopted holiday families through Children & Family Urban Movement and Volunteers of America Michigan
Supported local communities and holiday programs by sorting clothing, stocking food shelves and packaging groceries
Provided free breast cancer screenings through the partnership between the Kentucky Primary Care Association and United Healthcare
Teamed up with Secret Santa, Inc to give a classroom of students some holiday magic
Partnered with CityTeam to help provide meals for individuals and families in need
Supported the YMCA of San Diego County Giving Tree by adopting 41 angels and providing gifts for children and families in need
Volunteered time at the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child donation center, helping pack and scan donation boxes
Collaborated with Atrium Health’s Project Pink, raising over $2,100 for breast cancer awareness screenings in our community

Looking Forward to 2026

As we close out 2025, we are excited to kick off year 22 at COO Forum! We will continue to bring innovation to how we deliver on being the #1 Peer Community for Operations Executives. Watch out for exciting new developments in the months to come.

Everyone at COO Forum wishes you a healthy, prosperous, and peer-filled new year!

The Great AI Convergence: Why I'm Buying GPUs

Tue, 28 Oct 2025 02:03:08 +0000

Guest Blog Article By Sean Patterson

I'm watching something happen in real time that most people aren't talking about yet.

Every major AI company is racing toward the same feature set. Anthropic launches multimodal desktop integration. Two days later, ChatGPT releases a browser. Perplexity's had one for months. We keep leapfrogging each other, and honestly? It's all becoming the same thing.

Claude can operate directly on your desktop now. It's incredible. But here's what strikes me: I'd already built most of these capabilities for myself before the announcements dropped. Sure, the commercial versions are more polished and integrated. But what I built? Good enough for my use cases.... and in many ways better because it's my own understanding of the system that runs on my computer.

And that tells me something important about where we're headed.

The Only Real Moat Is the Frontier Period

The only truly proprietary advantage left in AI is how long model companies can maintain a frontier lead. That brief window where one lab has a meaningfully better base model than everyone else. But even that advantage is shrinking fast.

Here's the reality: if you care about security, if you need systems that are completely offline, open source models are good enough for most use cases now. Not all use cases, but most. And that changes everything about how we should think about AI infrastructure.

That's why I've started hoarding GPUs. Not because I'm paranoid about the future. Because I want control. I want to satisfy my own computing needs as an individual, as a consulting business, and when I'm helping companies implement AI. I want systems I can trust, running on hardware I own, processing data that never leaves my environment.

And if you needed another reason to own your own infrastructure, look at what just happened with AWS. The recent outage reminded everyone that even the most reliable cloud providers have single points of failure. When your AI capabilities depend entirely on someone else's infrastructure, you're one outage away from dead in the water.

The only AI you should truly trust is the AI that runs on your computer.

How I'm Building My Own System

I've changed how I work with open source solutions entirely. I used to clone GitHub repositories, try to integrate them, and then constantly deal with updates, breaking changes, and dependency hell.

Now? I assess the concepts and ideas in open source projects. I pull the specific ideas I want into my own bespoke system. That way it remains mine. I don't have to constantly change things when some dependency updates or a project pivots direction.

I'm cherry-picking at the end of the day. Taking the best ideas, the proven approaches, and building them into something that works exactly how I need it to work. It's more work upfront, but it's infinitely more stable and customizable long-term.

This approach works because these AI systems can help me understand and recreate the core logic of almost any open source tool. I don't need the entire codebase. I need the insight, the approach, the technique. And then I can build my own version that fits my specific requirements.

Why Physical Goods and Services Matter Again

I think we're heading toward a fundamental shift in how value gets created. Technology scaling has been the main driver of company growth for decades. But if AI commoditizes the technology work itself, what happens?

You end up with fewer massive tech companies and more small, efficient teams. The real moat at the end of the day becomes physical goods and services. Things AI can't easily replicate or deliver on its own.

And yes, there will be opportunities for people who are very good with AI. They'll be key critical people within companies. But here's the thing: companies won't need many of them. A small number of AI-capable people can leverage these tools to do what used to take entire departments.

I think we're going back to our roots in some ways. Before the industrial revolution, value came from physical goods and services delivered by skilled people. Unless you're part of the industrial or technological infrastructure itself, that's where we're headed again.

What Differentiates You Isn't Your Knowledge Anymore

This is the hard truth that knowledge workers need to face: your domain expertise alone doesn't differentiate you anymore. These AI systems can code well enough to recreate features just by looking at them or ideating around them. They can research, write, analyze, and synthesize at expert levels across most domains.

I suggest everybody really focuses on upskilling and learning their AI tools. If you don't have that capability, you don't have much going into the future.

The people who will provide AI solutions and support aren't going to be traditional employees. They'll be curious, highly flexible learners with multi-domain coverage. And most likely, they'll provide fractional support across many companies rather than full-time roles at one.

You already know this intuitively if you're paying attention. The job market is shifting. The skills that mattered five years ago aren't the skills that matter now. And the pace of that change is accelerating.

The Three-Layer Skill Stack You Need

Let me make this concrete. There's a progression to AI capability that's learnable, and knowing where you are helps you focus on what's next.

The Foundational Layer is about understanding how these systems actually work. Not building them from scratch, but knowing enough to make good decisions. You know you're moving past this layer when you can explain to a colleague why an AI gave a particular answer, or why it's struggling with a specific task. You understand context windows, training data limitations, and the difference between different model types.

The signal you're ready for tactical work is when you stop being surprised by what AI can and can't do. You've developed an intuition for the technology's boundaries.

The Tactical Layer is where you're building things. Custom GPTs, automation workflows, integrated solutions that save real time. You're not just using AI tools, you're architecting how they fit together. You're designing prompts that consistently get good results. You're connecting AI to your actual work processes.

You know you're ready to move into strategic territory when people start asking you to solve their AI problems, not just use the tools for your own work. When you can look at a business process and immediately see three ways AI could improve it, and know which one to actually implement.

The Strategic Layer is about knowing when NOT to use AI. It's advising on major implementation decisions. It's understanding organizational readiness, change management, and where the technology is mature versus where it's still too unreliable. You're thinking about competitive positioning, capability building, and how AI fits into broader business strategy.

This progression takes time. Foundational might be 2-3 months of consistent learning and experimentation. Tactical is 6-12 months of hands-on practice building real solutions. Strategic is 1-2 years of applied experience across different contexts and use cases.

But here's what matters: each layer has market value right now.

Foundational capability means you can use AI tools effectively in your current role. You're more productive than colleagues who haven't learned these systems. That's immediate value.

Tactical capability means you can build solutions that save 10-20 hours per week for a team. You're not just productive yourself, you're multiplying the productivity of others. That's consultable, billable value.

Strategic capability means you can advise on $100K+ AI implementation decisions. You're helping organizations avoid expensive mistakes and identify high-value opportunities. That's executive-level value.

The people who will thrive aren't the ones with the most AI knowledge. They're the ones who know which layer they're on and focus their learning accordingly.

The Domain Expertise Paradox

Here's where it gets interesting. I said your domain expertise doesn't differentiate you anymore. But I also said specialized domain expertise that requires years of context still matters. Both statements are true. You just need to understand which parts of your expertise are vulnerable and which parts are defensible.

Knowledge versus judgment. That's the distinction.

Knowledge is facts, procedures, frameworks. It's the stuff you can look up, the best practices you learned, the standard approaches to common problems. AI can replicate all of that. It can probably explain your industry's frameworks better than you can, because it has perfect recall and can synthesize across thousands of sources.

Judgment is different. Judgment is knowing which approach fits THIS specific situation. It's reading between the lines in a client conversation. It's understanding the organizational politics and history that explain why the technically correct solution won't actually work here. It's recognizing patterns from failures you've seen before that don't show up in any documentation.

AI doesn't have judgment. It has pattern matching at massive scale, but it doesn't have your ten years of watching initiatives fail in your specific organization. It doesn't know that the VP of operations and the CFO haven't spoken in six months, so any solution requiring their collaboration is DOA.

Context depth is your moat. And I don't mean general industry knowledge. I mean the specific, granular context of THIS company, THAT client, THESE stakeholders.

You know the unwritten rules. You know why the last three change initiatives failed even though they looked good on paper. You know which person's opinion actually matters in the decision, regardless of the org chart. You know that when this particular client says they want "innovation," they actually mean "make it look different but don't change how we work."

That kind of context takes years to build and can't be replicated by an AI that wasn't in the room for all those experiences. The knowledge worker who survives isn't the one with the most industry knowledge. It's the one with the deepest contextual understanding of their specific environment.

Domain experts who learn AI have an advantage over AI experts who learn domains. This is critical to understand.

You can teach someone to prompt an LLM correctly in a few weeks. You can teach them to build basic automations in a few months. But you can't teach them 10 years of healthcare compliance nuances, or supply chain failure patterns, or the subtle indicators that a client is about to churn.

If you're a domain expert who learns AI, you're combining deep contextual judgment with powerful new tools. That's a force multiplier.

If you're an AI expert trying to learn domains, you're starting from zero on the context and judgment that actually matters. You'll build technically impressive solutions that don't quite fit the real problem.

The domain expert has the harder-to-replicate asset. AI capability is the learnable skill that unlocks it.

Your role shifts from creation to curation. This is what expertise looks like in an AI-augmented world.

AI can generate the first draft, the analysis, the list of options. It can pull together information from sources you'd never have time to read. It can structure thinking and identify patterns across data sets.

But someone still needs to know what's actually right for this situation. What's missing from that analysis. What's technically correct but politically impossible. What will work in theory but fail in practice because of factors the AI can't see.

The expert becomes the quality filter and the decision-maker. You're not producing the raw output anymore. You're evaluating it, refining it, and making the judgment calls about what to actually do.

That's higher-level work than what most knowledge workers do today. It requires more expertise, not less. But it's a different kind of expertise than we're used to valuing.

The Learning Velocity Advantage

When I talk about curious, highly flexible learners with multi-domain coverage, people nod along. But what does that actually mean in practice? How do you develop that capability?

Cross-pollination is a skill you can practice. Learning across domains isn't about becoming an expert in everything. It's about recognizing patterns and applying concepts from one field to another.

I've used logistics concepts to redesign project management workflows. I've applied sales frameworks to internal stakeholder communication. I've taken manufacturing efficiency principles and used them to optimize service delivery processes.

The cognitive process looks like this: you learn a concept or framework in one domain. You abstract it to its core principle, stripping away the domain-specific details. Then you look for analogous situations in a different domain where that principle might apply.

For example, the supply chain concept of "buffer inventory" to handle demand uncertainty translates directly to "slack time in project schedules" or "redundancy in staffing plans." The underlying principle is the same: you're managing uncertainty by building in cushion where variability is highest.

The more domains you learn, the more patterns you recognize. And AI makes this dramatically easier because you can use it to help you understand the core principles of unfamiliar domains quickly, then test whether your cross-domain applications actually make sense.

Curiosity isn't just a personality trait, it's a practice you can cultivate. Some people are naturally curious, but anyone can become more curious through deliberate habits.

Systematic curiosity means having a method for exploring new domains. When you encounter something unfamiliar, instead of glossing over it, you stop and investigate. Not for hours, just for a few minutes. What is this thing? Why does it work this way? What problem was it designed to solve?

I keep a running list of concepts I don't fully understand. When I have 15 minutes, I pick one and dig into it. Sometimes with AI, sometimes with articles or conversations. The goal isn't mastery, it's familiarity. I want to build a mental map of adjacent territories.

The key is making curiosity sustainable. If you try to deeply learn everything that interests you, you'll burn out or become scattered. Instead, you're building breadth first. You're developing conversational competence across many areas, then going deep only where depth is strategic.

Adjacent domain strategy is how you prioritize learning. You can't learn everything, so you need a framework for choosing what to learn next.

Start with where you already are. What domains are one step away from your current expertise? If you're in finance, supply chain operations is adjacent. So is data analytics. So is regulatory compliance. These domains share concepts, stakeholders, and business processes with what you already know.

Learning graphic design is further away. It might be interesting, but it doesn't multiply the value of your finance expertise the way supply chain knowledge does.

The strategic question is: which adjacent domains, when combined with what you already know, create the most value? Usually it's domains that either feed into or receive output from your current work. Or domains that serve the same stakeholders you serve.

For me as someone who's operated as CRO, COO, and CTO, the adjacent domains that multiplied each other were organizational behavior, change management, and technical architecture. They all touched the same core problem: how do you actually implement technology change in complex organizations?

Build multi-domain coverage strategically, not randomly. Think about domains that compound each other's value. That's how you become irreplaceable, not by knowing one thing better than anyone, but by combining things in ways no one else can.

Why Small Companies Will Win

This shift toward AI commoditization doesn't just threaten existing business models. It creates opportunities for new ones. And I think small companies are positioned to win in ways that aren't obvious yet.

The coordination cost collapse changes everything. Large organizations have always had advantages in resources and scale. They can invest in big projects, weather market fluctuations, and access capital efficiently.

But they've also always had disadvantages. Coordination overhead, bureaucracy, slow decision-making, misaligned incentives across departments, communication breakdowns, political infighting. The larger the organization, the more energy goes into managing internal complexity rather than serving customers.

AI eliminates many of the tasks that used to require large teams. That means the coordination advantage of being small suddenly outweighs the resource advantage of being big.

A five-person team with AI can move as fast as they can think. No committees, no approval chains, no cross-departmental alignment meetings. Everyone understands the whole business. Decisions happen in conversations, not email threads. When you spot an opportunity, you can pivot immediately.

That speed and clarity is a massive competitive advantage when the technology itself is commoditized. Everyone has access to similar AI capabilities. The winners will be the ones who can deploy them fastest and most intelligently.

Niche specialization becomes the winning strategy. Instead of trying to be everything to everyone, which requires scale, small teams can go deep in specific niches.

AI handles the generalist work. The market research, the first-draft content, the routine analysis, the standard procedures. What humans provide is specialized judgment and relationship depth in narrow domains.

Picture this: a three-person firm that only does AI implementation for regional hospital systems in the Southeast. They know those systems intimately. They understand the specific regulatory environment, the common technology stacks, the typical organizational structures. They've seen the failure patterns. They know the key stakeholders at most of their target clients.

They can't compete with McKinsey on brand or resources. But they can run circles around McKinsey on speed, relevance, and practical implementation in their specific niche. And they can charge accordingly, because the value of specialized fit is higher than the value of general brand.

That's the future. Highly specialized boutique firms that combine AI leverage with deep domain expertise and strong client relationships. Clients will increasingly prefer them over large generalist firms, because they get better outcomes faster with less friction.

The ownership economics are compelling. Here's the math that matters: if 3-5 people with AI can do what used to take 30-50 people, and they own the business, the economics are extraordinary.

Instead of revenue being split among 50 people (with the bulk going to partners and shareholders), it's split among 5. Better margins, more control, and a direct connection between effort and reward.

Lower fixed costs mean you can weather downturns more easily. You don't have the overhead of maintaining a large organization. No HR department, no facilities management, no middle management layer. Just the people who actually deliver value to clients, leveraging AI to handle everything else.

This isn't about everyone becoming a solo entrepreneur. It's about ownership groups of 3-10 people building profitable, sustainable businesses without needing to scale to hundreds of employees.

For the people who position themselves right, this is a wealth-building opportunity. You're not climbing a corporate ladder hoping to make partner in 15 years. You're building equity from day one in a business with fundamentally better economics than traditional service firms.

Anti-fragile structures win in uncertain times. Small, AI-leveraged companies aren't just more profitable. They're more resilient.

Lower fixed costs mean less vulnerability to revenue fluctuations. You don't have massive payroll obligations that force you into survival mode when a few clients churn.

The ability to pivot quickly means you can respond to market changes before large competitors even finish their quarterly planning cycle. When you see an opportunity or threat, you can redirect resources immediately.

Less legacy infrastructure means fewer dependencies and single points of failure. Remember that AWS outage? Large enterprises dependent on cloud infrastructure were paralyzed. Small companies with owned infrastructure, or with diversified architecture, kept running.

Distributed rather than centralized risk. If you're one person in a 5,000-person company and your division gets cut, you're job hunting. If you're one person in a five-person firm and you lose a major client, you're part of the team figuring out the solution. Your fate is tied to the group's success, not to corporate politics three levels above you.

This anti-fragile structure matters more as the pace of change accelerates. The companies that survive won't be the biggest or the oldest. They'll be the most adaptable.

The Convergence Is Both Amazing and Terrifying

What amazes me is how quickly capabilities proliferate across the ecosystem. Something launches, and within days, everyone else has it. Most of this technology is built on open source foundations. The coding ability of these systems means they can recreate features by mimicking or iterating on what they see.

It's genuinely impressive to watch. But it also means differentiation through technology alone is becoming almost impossible.

What terrifies me is how many people aren't preparing for this shift. They're still operating like knowledge work will protect them. Like their expertise is a moat. It's not. Not anymore.

The competitive threat isn't AI itself. It's people who effectively leverage AI outperforming those who don't. And that gap is widening every single day.

What I'm Doing About It

I'm building my own infrastructure. I'm learning these tools deeply, not just using them. I'm thinking about how to combine AI leverage with things that can't be commoditized: relationships, physical presence, specialized domain expertise that requires years of context.

And I'm helping companies do the same thing. Not by selling them automation. By building AI capability through their people first, then automating based on what they learned. AI literacy before AI automation.

Because here's what I've learned: Technology adoption isn't something you can delegate. Leaders need to understand these tools themselves. They need to know what's possible, what's mature, and where to deploy strategically versus where to be patient.

Meet the technology where it's at. That's always been my approach, and it matters more now than ever.

Many of you are already building this capability in your own way. You're experimenting, learning, adapting. The fact that you're thinking about these questions puts you ahead of most people.

Connect with Sean here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-patterson-ct/

You’re Not the COO I Hired: How COOs Can Find and Sustain Alignment

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:05:05 +0000

👂Listen to You're Not the COO I Hired: How COOs Can Find and Sustain Alignment

Have you ever stepped into a new role with all cylinders firing ─ where everything feels easy? You make significant improvements early on, your CEO is singing your praises and you feel like a rock star. Fast forward a few years, and suddenly you feel like a stranger in your own organization. You rarely interact with the CEO, decisions seem to be made without you and you're left wondering what changed. Sometimes this can occur early on or over years of slow erosion. Either way, it can happen ─ and it happens to the best of us.

The COO role is often described as the riskiest seat in the C-suite. High turnover is common, expectations are fluid and your success depends as much on the CEO’s style as on your own operational chops.

In the Harvard Business Review classic, Second in Command: The Misunderstood Role of the Chief Operating Officer, Nate Bennett and Stephen A. Miles captured this truth bluntly: the COO’s fate is deeply contingent on the CEO.

Almost 20 years ago, Janet Boydell, Barry Deutsch and Brad Remillard relayed a similar alarm in You’re Not the Person I Hired! ─ warning that nearly half of new executives fail within 18 months. Together, the picture is clear: alignment isn’t optional — it’s existential. (And as one of my favorite books, I couldn't resist making a play on its title.)

A COO Forum partner and member favorite, Rachel Lebowitz, reminds us in Empowered COO that even when the structure looks solid, COOs who neglect their own empowerment, boundaries and inner narratives risk burnout and resentment.

I wrote this article because I want you to avoid the pain of CEO/COO misalignment. I want you to feel empowered and in control. I want you to contribute to your organization at your maximum capability. This article lays out a practical playbook: how to assess alignment during the interview process, how to invest in it once you’re in the chair and how to sustain it years into the future.

Before You Sign On: Interviewing for Alignment

Too many COOs take the job and worry about chemistry later. That’s a recipe for regret. Instead, treat alignment as a hiring filter.

1. Clarify the “why” behind the role.
Bennett & Miles identified several COO archetypes — from executor to heir apparent. Ask the CEO: Why are you hiring a COO now? If the answer doesn’t match your ambitions or capabilities, you’re mismatched before you even start.

2. Get role clarity upfront.
Push for a written charter: what domains do you own? Where do you have decision rights? How will disagreements be escalated? Vague expectations kill COOs faster than weak financials.

3. Probe for trust and conflict style.
Ask: When a past COO or executive challenged you, how did you respond? If the CEO bristles at the idea of pushback, you’ll either burn out or flame out.

4. Test psychological fit.
Lebowitz would say: listen for empowerment vs. permission. Does the CEO expect you to act with authority or constantly ask for permission? That subtle difference will dictate whether you feel empowered or diminished.

Early Tenure: Building Trust and Empowerment

Landing the job is just the beginning. Even a well-matched CEO/COO duo can drift apart without deliberate work.

1. Over-communicate early.
In your first 90–180 days, err on the side of transparency. Share progress, ask for feedback, and hold “alignment check-ins” that are about the relationship, not just metrics.

2. Establish your Leadership Avatar.
Lebowitz encourages COOs to articulate who they are in the role — how they show up, where their boundaries are and what’s non-negotiable. Share this with the CEO: I don’t respond after 8:30 unless it's critical. I need space to reflect before making counter-pivots. These ground rules prevent resentment from festering.

3. Practice assertive communication.
Don’t fall into the COO trap of always accommodating. Lebowitz’s advice: replace passive “softening” with clarity — Here’s my concern. Here’s what I propose. Here’s what I need.

4. Monitor for resentment.
Resentment is the canary in the coal mine. If you catch yourself thinking, Why wasn’t I looped in? or Why am I carrying all of this alone? — surface it in your 1:1s. Small cracks become chasms if ignored.

Long-Term: Sustaining Alignment Over Years

Even strong COO/CEO pairs need to revisit the foundation as the business evolves.

1. Revisit your charter annually.
Markets shift and priorities evolve. Yesterday’s COO scope might be outdated. Don’t assume continuity — renegotiate domains and escalation rules regularly.

2. Guard against drift.
Watch for temperature drops: 1:1s that feel transactional, expectations that shift without conversation or employees who start bypassing you for the CEO. These are early signs of relational erosion.

3. Renew your empowerment.
Lebowitz stresses the importance of re-checking your boundaries and identity. Have you slipped into martyrdom — working 70 hours, saying yes to everything, sacrificing your well-being? If so, you’ve lost alignment with yourself, not just with the CEO.

4. Align on ambition.
If succession is in play, make it explicit. If it’s not, calibrate your long-term role. Nothing undermines alignment faster than mismatched expectations about your future.

Why It Matters

Turnover is costly. Failed COO tenures destabilize the organization and drain trust.
Misalignment is avoidable. Most COO failures stem from mismatched expectations and weak relational infrastructure, not lack of operational talent.
Empowerment sustains longevity. The most successful COOs balance structural clarity with inner resilience and empowered boundaries.

Final Word

If you’re a COO (or aspiring to be one), your real job isn’t just running operations. It’s building, protecting and renewing alignment with your CEO — and with yourself.

Because in the end, operational excellence matters. But without alignment, the partnership won’t last long enough for anyone to notice.

The COO Steps Into the Spotlight: Leading Enterprise Transformation in the Age of AI

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 18:24:44 +0000

From the Shadow to the Spotlight

For decades, the COO has been seen as the operator behind the CEO’s vision. That dynamic is shifting—fast.

In 2025, the COO is no longer just the steward of execution. We are the architects of transformation, the integrators of human and machine potential and the visible leaders of enterprise reinvention.

The role of the Chief Operating Officer has always been elusive—there is no universal job description, and scope varies dramatically by company size, industry and leadership culture. Yet one truth binds COOs together: responsibility for making the business work.

Today, however, the role is no longer just about keeping operations efficient. It has become the nerve center of transformation—and the COO is increasingly stepping out from behind the shadow of the CEO to lead the most important enterprise shift of our era: the integration of artificial intelligence into the heart of business strategy.

Why Now?

The 2020s tested operations leadership like never before—pandemics, geopolitical volatility, ESG demands, hybrid workforces and supply chain shocks.

Now, one force is rewriting the playbook: Artificial Intelligence.

• 62% of companies have already embedded AI into at least one core function (Deloitte, 2024).

• By 2027, 80% of operational leaders will be directly accountable for AI-driven outcomes (Gartner, 2025).

This isn’t IT’s turf anymore. It’s ours.

From Executor ➝ Transformer

Traditionally, COOs have been the stewards of execution, ensuring strategies set at the top were implemented with discipline. But in today’s environment, strategy and execution are inseparable.

That’s why CEOs are increasingly turning to their COOs not just to manage efficiency, but to architect transformation:

AI deployment across workflows – From supply chain forecasting to workforce optimization, COOs are deciding where and how AI creates measurable value.
Cultural change leadership – Embedding AI isn’t about software; it’s about shifting how people work.
Resilience and sustainability – Integrating ESG metrics, risk frameworks and AI-driven scenario planning into daily operations.
Cross-functional innovation – Acting as integrators across marketing, finance, HR and IT to accelerate AI-driven performance.

The COO is no longer “second-in-command.” Increasingly, they are the chief transformation officer—the executive who makes the leap from AI experimentation to enterprise-wide adoption.

"We aren’t just running operations—we are re-wiring them."

AI as Your Strategic Thought Partner

At COO Forum, we’ve watched conversations shift dramatically. In 2023, members asked “What AI tools should I be exploring?” By 2025, the dialogue has advanced to “How do I embed AI in board prep, M&A due diligence and frontline decision-making?”

Forward-looking COOs are treating AI not just as a tool, but as a strategic thought partner—a system that challenges assumptions, aggregates insights and reveals non-obvious opportunities. This is the new frontier: COOs leveraging AI not only to reduce cost, but to create growth, resilience and strategic agility.

The Expanding COO Toolbox

AI is now the centerpiece, but it sits within a broader, expanded COO remit that includes:

Digital transformation and cybersecurity oversight
ESG accountability and regulatory compliance
Hybrid workforce management and talent upskilling
Investor confidence and board-level innovation narratives

A recent Spencer Stuart analysis underscores the shift: nearly half of COOs now bring prior backgrounds in strategy or finance, reflecting the hybrid leader companies now demand. This is a far cry from the traditional “operations-only” resume.

The Leadership Test of Our Time

Will some COOs evolve into “Chief AI Officers”? Perhaps. But the deeper trend is clear: the COO is reclaiming the center of enterprise leadership.

AI has created a new test of leadership—one that demands vision, speed, and execution. CEOs may set the tone, but COOs are now the ones wiring AI into the organization’s DNA, closing the gap between strategy and action and defining what operational excellence means in the AI era.

The COO is no longer just the steward of operations. In 2025 and beyond, the COO is:

The architect of transformation
The integrator of human and machine potential
The visible leader of enterprise reinvention

The role has never been more complex—or more critical. And for those willing to lead boldly, the future belongs to them.

Coming Soon!

The 2025 State of AI in Operations Study / AI COO Certificate Program

We've partnered with AI Leadership and Geoff Woods to not only survey top COOs about their AI readiness and usage, and to turn those insights into a practical playbook and the upcoming AI COO Certificate program!

Watch for more information.

The Evolving Role of the COO

Tue, 25 Mar 2025 17:09:22 +0000

The role is more critical—and more complex—than ever.

We often say that there is no single job description for a COO. And likewise, there is a large variety of scope and responsibilities within the role. Add in differences driven by size of company and industry and sometimes I wonder if we ever have anything in common!

The reality is, each COO is bound by the primary responsibility for a company’s operations. Of course, “operations” can mean many different things. For instance, some COOs have Human Resources report to them while others do not. Software development or IT services may report to the COO, while in other organizations, those functions report to the CIO or CTO. We could go on as we compare and contrast typical functional areas across companies.

External Forces Have Made a Huge Impact on the COO Role

Prior to the 2020s, COOs have dealt with economic booms and busts, the Y2K challenge, and global conflicts. These events forced executives to recalibrate spending and investments, operational footprints and more.

Then, seemingly overnight, the role is facing enormous pressures from evolving social, political and environmental factors. The COVID-19 pandemic exploded onto the scene and, combined with the other elements, ushered in even more challenges for the COO. Environmental impact reduction, DEI initiatives, supply chain resiliency, new remote and hybrid workforces, increased minimum wage pressures and reshoring are the new lexicon of a COO.

According to a 2023 McKinsey study, 71% of operations leaders said their role had changed more in the past five years than in the previous twenty. This pace of transformation is unprecedented, and COOs are now expected to be not just operators, but innovators, technologists and transformation leaders.

Enter Artificial Intelligence

If COOs did not already have enough on their plates, new AI technologies hit the stage in a flurry, adding yet another set of challenges. Businesses are quickly trying to “figure out” their AI strategy and often, the COO is in the lead.

Our AI conversation around the table at COO Forum has exploded since 2024; moving from, “What are some AI tools?” to full-scale implementation plans across multiple functions of their businesses. This has placed tremendous pressure on COOs to not only scale up their own AI knowledge but to apply it across the organization.

We recently had Geoff Woods present at COO Forum on the topic of using generative AI (think ChatGPT) as a Strategic Thought Partner. This use case goes beyond employing AI to generate marketing content. Instead, he shows how COOs can bring AI’s knowledge base into the conversation in order to develop innovative strategies to tackle their toughest challenges.

A 2024 Deloitte report revealed that 62% of companies have already embedded AI into at least one core business function. Of those, operations was the second most common area for AI deployment, just behind customer service. This shows the increasing expectation that COOs must be at the helm of digital transformation.

The Expanding COO Toolbox

Beyond AI, today’s COO is now expected to navigate:

-Digital transformation initiatives

-Cybersecurity risks and compliance

-Sustainability and ESG metrics

-Cultural and workforce transformation

-Cross-functional innovation

This shift in responsibilities has made COOs more cross-disciplinary than ever before. It's not uncommon to see a COO actively involved in strategic planning, board-level decisions and even investor relations.

In fact, according to Spencer Stuart, 45% of sitting COOs now have prior experience in strategy or finance—a noticeable departure from the traditional "operations-first" resume. That experience mix reflects the increasingly hybrid nature of the role.

Where Does This All Take the COO Role?

Does AI become the "one more thing" added to a COO’s plate? Do some COOs evolve into the Chief AI Officer (CAIO)? Very possibly. Time will tell. One thing is for certain, the speed of change in this arena is very fast. Plan to learn, adapt and pivot quickly. Just like you always have.

COOs have long been the stewards of execution. But today, they are also visionaries of transformation, architects of resilience, and integrators of human and machine potential.The role is more critical—and more complex—than ever.

2024 COO Forum Year in Review

Sun, 29 Dec 2024 21:14:23 +0000

Celebrating 20 years of serving Operations Executives!

2024 was a year of firsts and twentieths for COO Forum. We celebrated 20 years of serving Operations Executives and the broader operations community. From our humble beginning in Silicon Valley to our reach across many of the world's time zones, we continue to honor our mission: provide Operations Executives the best peer-based, professional development experience in the world.

Take a look below to read more about our firsts and the many accomplishments of our members.

COO Forum by the Numbers:

330 hours of chapter meetings

16 hours of monthly Executive Sessions
18 hours of monthly Presenter Series sessions
12 hours of workshops
2024 State of Operations Report
Over 40 new members
Launched our first learning Cohort: Executive Change Leadership
Held our first all-member conference in Indianapolis

We are also extremely proud of what our members accomplished in 2024:

Member Accomplishments:

Selected into Leadership Greater Chicago’s 40th Class of the Signature Fellows Program
Recognized by Black Leaders Worldwide™ as a 2024 Woman to Watch
Elected president of the Illinois Environmental Council
Nominated for the 2024 Inspirational Women Forum and Leadership Awards by L.A. Times B2B Publishing
Named as one of seven EdLoC members leading the charge in policy reform
Newly-Appointed to a board of directors
Named Top Nonprofit Executive in the Social Advocacy category at the Orange County Inspirational Women Forum and Leadership Awards
Recognized in The Software Report’s The Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS
Featured as an Ambassador for Women in Construction at New York Build Expo
Selected as Executive In Residence at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
Named Leader of Influence in Los Angeles Business Journal
Moderated Mastering Difficult Dialogues for Effective Leadership at the Airport Minority Advisory Council's She Soars - Women in Aviation Summit
Presented at the IndustryWeek Operation's Leadership Conference
Delivered Powerhouse Perspective: Empowering Leaders for Business Breakthroughs podcast
Appeared on leadership podcasts
Earned advanced degrees

Member Company Accomplishments:

Recognized in Energage's Top Workplaces USA List for 2024
Named one of Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces for the 4th year in a row
Ranked #14 on USA TODAY's list of Top Workplaces for companies with 500-999 employees
Placed in the top 5 of Best Companies Group's Best Places to Work in Technology list
Awarded Ad Age's #1 Best Places to Work for 2024
Named one of the 2024 World’s Most Ethical Companies® by Ethisphere Institute for the 17th year in a row
Won the 2024 QSR Media Awards Brand Collaboration of the Year
Named Automotive Software Supplier of the Year
Received the Best Overall Connected Healthcare Solution in the 8th annual MedTech Breakthrough Awards
Recognized as one of the Best Workplaces in Technology by Great Place To Work US and Fortune Magazine
Named a Top Employer of Gen Z for four consecutive years
Recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere for 10 consecutive years
Received the Recharge Igniter Award for 2024
Named a Gold winner in the Achievement in Web Design category in The Stevie® Awards
Placed #22 for the Top 49ers list from Alaska Business Magazine
Ranked 3rd in Austin Business Journal's Fastest Growing Companies 2024
Named among Highest-Scoring Businesses on Inc. Magazine’s Annual List of Best Workplaces for 2024
Landed a spot on USA TODAY’s 2024 Top Workplaces list
Recognized with a Silver Award in the category of Front-Line Customer Service Team of the Year - Technology Industries at The Stevie® Awards
Ranked #15 on Charlotte’s Fast 50 list for 2024
Rated Best Cell Phone Service in Watauga County for 2024
Received the prestigious 2023 GA Chapter Corporate Champion by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Named Top National Auto Insurer on CRASH NETWORK’s 2024 Annual Insurer Report Card for the fifth year
Received the Community Impact Award by Twin Cities Business for the Mental Health Collaboration Hub
Won 6 Muse Awards
Recognized in the 2025 Legal 500 UK Rankings
Placed #28 on Business North Carolina's N.C. Mid-Market Fast 40 list
Nominated for Best After-School Program for the 2024 Reader’s Choice Awards hosted by Parenting OC Magazine
Honored with the Supplier Champion Award at the 19th annual Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Supplier Diversity Achievement Awards
Named Best Places to Work by North Bay Business Journal two years in a row
Received Industrials Deal of the Year in the Deals Over $100 Million category by The M&A Advisor's 15th Annual International M&A Awards
Awarded a Top Workplaces 2024 honor by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ranked #1 Best Place to work in South Carolina for 2024
Named a Top Workplace by the Washington Post
Nominated in the financial services category in 2024 Best of Bloomingdale
Awarded the Silver Medal at the EuroTier Innovation Awards
Became a corporate member of Women in Manufacturing
Selected for Kansas City Business Journal's Fast 50: Fastest-Growing Businesses in the Kansas City Area
Featured in the latest issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review
Named a Top Rated IT & Engineering Staffing Firm for the first half of 2024 by Great Recruiters
Recognized in the 2024 Spencer Radio Group People’s Choice Awards
Named a Global Leader in the content and language industry by Slator
Awarded the UKG Aspire 2024 Innovation Award
Recognized with three awards at the 2024 Golden Trumpet Awards ceremony
Received two prestigious 2024 MarCom Awards
Named one of Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT for 2025
Nominated for four Children’s & Family Emmy Awards across Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Donkey Hodie
Ranked in the Inc. 5000 (multiple companies)
Named a 2024 Top Workplaces winner from Chicago Tribune
Opened new offices, won major deals, completed mergers and acquisitions

While all of these accomplishments are a source of great pride at the COO Forum, we are equally proud of our members' dedication to making their communities a better place.

Member Community Service:

Held company-wide blood drives
Donated for hurricane relief
Assembled care kits for a local domestic violence shelter
Used Volunteer Time Off to ring the bell for the Salvation Army
Raised Denim for Dollars donations for Feed Our Children
Donated over $1 million to local schools through the Communication 4 Education program
Participated in the Move for Mental Health Walk
Restocked local schools' supply closets
Helped pack 39,312 meals that will feed 108 children for a year
Built a playground in West Englewood for Brightpoint
Sorted and distributed over 3,000 pounds of meat sticks to support those in Metro Detroit
Brought books to life for Think Together students
Joined forces with Rise Against Hunger to pack over 10,000 meals for those in need worldwide
Funded 100,000 meals for children around the world
Participated in a sorting event at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina
Volunteered for gardening, cleaning and painting at Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte
Packed 100 Mother's Day bags for those at Horizons for Homeless Children
Participated in the annual United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania's Big Book Drop for 30,000 children
Supported the Native Village of Eyak to provide funds to the Cordova School District
Participated in the American Cancer Society's Walk and Roll event
Donated dozens of bags and hundreds of clothing items to benefit the IBEW Local 701 Women’s Committee 2024 Clothing Drive and IBEW Local 134 Helping Hand Fundraiser
Participated in numerous American Red Cross relief efforts
Packed over 20,000 meals for those in need around the world
Good Neighbor Campaign raised $166,212 for local nonprofit organizations
Boxed meals for Feed My Starving Children
Restored veteran headstones at a local cemetery
Volunteered to feed over 800 families for Thanksgiving in Washington County
Chef for the Day at Ronald McDonald House Charities
Participated in the Chicago Volunteer Legal Services’ 29th Annual 5K - Race Judicata
Led the 2024 Autism Hero Walk at the Detroit Zoo
Volunteered with Nourish Up in Charlotte
Collected coats and winter gear to benefit the Coats for Kids Drive
Sponsored two local families this holiday season for Adopt-a-Family

Looking Forward to 2025

As we close out 2024, we are excited to kick off our 21st year in 2025. What can you expect from COO Forum in the new year?

First, we will continue to deliver on our mission of supporting Operations Executives through our monthly chapter meetings, Executive Sessions, national presenters and workshops.

Second, we are adding more learning programs for members through our diversity of partners such as The Change Architects, Double Gemini and The Breakthrough Co.

And finally, we are looking forward to innovating and learning alongside our members. Watch out for special opportunities to capitalize on unique meet-ups, author panels and more.

Here's to 2025!

Get our Newsletter!

The Problem Paradox: How Leaders Make Problem Solving Too Difficult

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 22:59:44 +0000

Learn how you, as a leader, can adopt a simple approach to
solve any type of problem, whether simple or complex.

As leaders, we are expected to solve problems. Big problems. And sometimes, we get those pesky little problems too. Whether big or small, these problems are often handed to us soon after we step (or are dragged) into our first leadership role. For some of us, this could have occurred as early as our teenage years when given a supervisory position in an after-school job. We were thrown into the fire, armed only with our best English Lit or Geometry problem-solving skills which, for the record, are not the skills you need to solve an employee issue on the fry line!

So, very early on in our “careers”, we might face issues with little knowledge of the problem-solving process other than our own experience. The process, up to this point, is a little bit like the diagram below. When encountering a problem for the first time, we enter into the maze, bounce around trying out a variety of approaches until something sticks and we exit. Problem solved!

Then, when a new problem arises, we look for a repeatable pattern. We say to ourselves, "Is this problem similar to one I’ve encountered before?" If so, jackpot! We coolly apply the same solution. Like a good shampoo, we lather, rinse & repeat…

Another thing that happens in our brains, besides problem pattern recognition, is that we start to short-circuit our thinking by generating solutions without fully understanding the problem. Our organizations might even reward this behavior as being “quick, decisive…always has good answers or solutions”. You know - management material!

And so it continues. Organizational behavior rewards leaders with bigger and more complex problems as you “climb the ladder”. We are conditioned to think and behave this way.

Now, I am not arguing that pattern recognition and experience have no role in problem solving. They absolutely do. I would argue, however, that we begin to adopt a mindset that tells us simple problems have simple solutions and complex problems have complex solutions. It is this very mindset, I believe, that can put us at a significant disadvantage.

Take these examples of two very different problems:

Problem A: You are informed that an employee on your production line has been producing low-quality parts for the first half of his shift.

Problem B: Customers from all over the country have complained about your rubber seal failing during service. The seal is delaminating along a metal insert that is meant to grip onto a pipe, forming a bond. This delamination has reduced contact pressure by 50%. Ultimately, the seal has or will fail, causing thousands of dollars of damage to customers’ facilities.

Question: Which is the more complex problem?

Problem B, of course. Right? And which is the simpler problem to solve? Problem A?

Well, both are actual problems that I experienced early in my career.

Given Problem A, I was instructed that I needed to go and “have a word” with the employee producing the low-quality parts. I was to have him read the work instructions then give him a "warning". If there were any additional problems, I would have to increase the disciplinary measure.

Problem B turned into a Six Sigma Black Belt project which included an exhaustive review of returned service-failure parts, a complete measurement systems analysis and multi-factorial, Plackett-Burman experimental design trials across three shifts of molding equipment. All told, this was a six-month project with nearly $50,000 spent in time and labor to wrap our arms around the problem.

Now that I have set the stage (and perhaps showed my hand…), which problem was solved with a simple solution?

Problem B!

You see, Problem A involved an employee who had just left the hospital after spending all day with a dying parent. He had rushed into work, his mind frazzled. He hadn't told anyone; he'd simply gotten to work. But the problem didn't end there. Unbeknownst to anyone, the employee from the previous shift had failed to set up the machine properly for the upcoming shift. The employee making the low-quality parts had assumed the machine was ready to run, just as it always had been. Added to that, the quality inspector had not made it to the employee's machine to inspect parts at start-up, so the employee had run half the shift before they caught the problem. It hadn’t helped that, during this particular week, the company had been pressuring everyone to increase output. So many moving pieces here! Not to mention an employee who then felt even worse. Now that is a complex problem to fix.

The solution to Problem B? Simple. A blasting machine had not received the required maintenance it had needed - for years! In fact, the operator had complained to his supervisor that something wasn’t right. He'd noticed the metal finish wasn’t as rough as it had once been (and was supposed to be). However, after a few years, he had stopped complaining. Ultimately, the lack of maintenance had begun to slowly affect the quality of the product.

The solution: simple maintenance that required about $500 worth of repair parts and a couple hours of downtime. The problems immediately went away. No more service failures.

Thanks to that Black Belt project years ago, I now follow a simple rule I call The Problem Paradox:

If confronted with a “complex problem”, look for the simple solution.

If confronted with a “simple problem”, prepare for a complex solution.

My rule runs counter to all we’ve been taught and conditioned to expect. In fact, if I were to admit it, the problems don’t actually become more difficult as we climb the ladder. At least, they don't have to be. As long as we develop a fundamental problem-solving approach, apply some rules and use our past experiences to guide us into new ways of thinking, problems can actually become easier to solve!

As Albert Einstein famously said:

“If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking

about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.”

Here's a simple approach to solving the most complex (and simple) problems:

First (and also the number one rule of problem solving): Understand the problem BEFORE attempting to solve it.

Some effective tools to use:

a.) Ask questions. When did it first happen? What are some other factors that might be contributing to the problem? Who’s involved in the problem? What is the effect of the problem? At COO Forum, we use a tool called the COO Arena™ process. This first step is called “Framing the Issue".

b.) Apply the 5 Why question technique. This is another tool that can help you to understand a problem’s “root cause".

c.) Look internally. If the problem involves a communication or behavioral issue with another person (employee, peer, manager or other) ask, “How might I be contributing to the problem?” Sometimes a problem might simply be a misperception and not accurate at all.

d.) Create a visual. Sometimes visually mapping the process or sketching the problem using tools such as a Mind Map or a Fishbone Diagram triggers a solution.

Second, apply the “Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time” approach. In other words, break down a larger problem into smaller, “bite-sized” pieces. This approach helps us to mentally wrap our heads around a problem by simplifying it. In reality, even the most complex problems, when broken down, will yield opportunities for taking some level of action, resulting in progress.

Third, seek out different viewpoints. This may seem like an obvious thing to do. However, as busy leaders, we often find ourselves feeling the need for quick solutions and avoid asking for help. Sometimes our own experiences can even create blind spots that prevent us from seeing a problem clearly.

Finally, continue to learn new techniques for problem solving. There are a wide variety of approaches that we can master. New advances in technology allow for greater data analysis, visualization and even AI-generated solutions. Stay current and practice. And remember, do not be fooled by either complexity or simplicity.

Remember this: a good problem always fights back!

The AI-Driven Future: Strategic Operations for the Modern COO

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 02:30:50 +0000

Guest Blog
By Jill Tarallo

As we move forward into 2024, COOs are at the forefront of transformative leadership, prepared to navigate through a time of rapid technological advancements and shifting global dynamics. Driven by the integration of artificial intelligence, digital transformations, and a growing emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility, the operational landscape is changing at an unprecedented rate. This pivotal moment offers a unique opportunity for COOs to reimagine their strategies, focusing on innovation, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership to propel their organizations toward innovation, sustainable growth, and competitive advantage.

The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum held in Davos in January underscored AI's immense potential in addressing some of the world's most pressing challenges, from climate change to healthcare. The discussions also highlighted the need for ethical governance, workforce adaptation, and collaborative efforts to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks of AI technologies.

What do COOs need to know? Here is a summary of the key themes coming out of Davos and some ideas on what you can do to make an impact:

1. Ethical AI and Governance:

Davos 2024 emphasized the critical need for ethical frameworks and governance in AI development and deployment. Discussions revolved around establishing global standards and practices to prevent biases, ensure transparency, and protect privacy in AI systems. Leaders called for a collaborative approach involving governments, businesses, and civil societies to shape these ethical guidelines.

· Develop an AI ethics charter within your organization, aligning with global standards to ensure AI applications respect privacy, fairness, and transparency.

· Implement an AI governance framework that involves periodic audits and assessments of AI systems to mitigate risks and ensure compliance with evolving regulations.

2. Workforce Transformation and AI:

The discussions acknowledged that AI is reshaping the workforce. The focus was on upskilling and reskilling workers to thrive in an AI-driven economy. The need for educational systems to adapt and prepare future generations for an AI-centric world was also highlighted.

· Create reskilling and upskilling programs for employees, focusing on AI literacy and data-driven decision-making skills.

· Foster a culture of continuous learning to enable employees to adapt to AI-enhanced roles, ensuring a smooth transition and minimizing resistance.

3. AI and Global Economic Impact:

AI's influence on the global economy was a key subject. Experts discussed AI's role in driving economic growth, enhancing productivity, and creating new market opportunities. However, there were concerns about AI-induced job displacement and the need for policies to mitigate economic inequalities.

· Explore AI-driven business models to identify new revenue streams and enhance competitive advantage in the market.

· Advocate for and participate in policy-making discussions to shape fair AI regulations that foster innovation while addressing economic disparities.

4. AI in Cybersecurity:

With the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, the role of AI in enhancing cybersecurity was discussed. AI's ability to predict and prevent cyber-attacks and its potential vulnerabilities were examined, stressing the need for robust AI security measures.

· Adopt AI-powered security solutions to enhance threat detection and response capabilities, staying ahead of sophisticated cyber threats.

· Conduct regular AI security training for IT teams to identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities in AI systems and infrastructure.

5. Public-Private Collaboration in AI Development:

A recurring theme was the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in AI development. This includes sharing data and expertise, co-developing regulations, and jointly investing in AI research and innovation.

· Engage in partnerships with government bodies and academic institutions for shared AI research initiatives, contributing to the broader AI ecosystem.

· Participate in cross-industry consortia to standardize AI practices and share critical data sets, enhancing the development of AI technologies across sectors.

6. AI's Role in Climate Change:

A significant theme was leveraging AI to combat climate change. Panel discussions emphasized artificial intelligence’s potential for evaluating climate data, optimizing energy use, and creating sustainable solutions. There was a strong emphasis on AI-driven innovations in renewable energy sectors and environmental monitoring.

· Invest in AI-driven technologies for better resource management, reducing waste and improving energy efficiency in operations.

· Collaborate with startups and tech firms on AI solutions for carbon footprint analysis and sustainable supply chain optimization.

7. AI in Healthcare:

AI's transformative impact on healthcare was a prominent topic. Speakers shared insights into how AI is revolutionizing diagnostics, personalized medicine, and patient care. The importance of data privacy and security in healthcare AI was underscored, along with the need for equitable access to these technologies.

· Leverage AI to enhance patient care by integrating AI tools in diagnostics and treatment plans, improving outcomes and patient experience.

· Prioritize data security and privacy in healthcare AI projects, ensuring patient data is handled with the utmost care and in compliance with regulations.

How can you take these themes and harness the potential of AI in your organizations? There are several important trends and strategies to consider:

1. Embracing Technology for Competitive Advantage: It's crucial for companies to not only undergo digital transformations but to also fundamentally rewire organizational structures to maximize the benefits of these digital advancements. This encompasses adopting new technologies, enhancing digital capabilities, and ensuring that these efforts contribute to business growth and efficiency.

· Accelerate digital transformation initiatives to streamline operations and enhance customer experiences.

· Leverage emerging technologies such as AI and IoT for predictive analytics and smarter decision-making.

· Foster a culture of innovation to encourage the adoption of cutting-edge solutions.

2. Purpose-Led Business Approach: Companies are increasingly expected to demonstrate strong ethics, social responsibility, and a clear purpose beyond profit. In 2024, it will be important for COOs to embed their organization's purpose, mission, and vision in every aspect of their operations. This approach should aim to make a positive societal impact and be reflected in client engagements and business practices.

· Integrate the organization’s core values and purpose into every aspect of the business model.

· Strengthen commitments to sustainability and social responsibility to build trust and loyalty among consumers.

· Engage stakeholders in meaningful conversations about the company's vision and societal impact.

3. Data Management and Security: Efficient management and utilization of data will be a key focus. This includes establishing robust data architecture, governance, and security. Trustworthy handling of data can unlock significant opportunities for businesses and customers alike, aiding in the delivery of effective digital services and the realization of potential efficiencies.

· Implement robust data governance frameworks to ensure accuracy, privacy, and security.

· Utilize advanced analytics to gain insights and drive business strategies.

· Prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive information and maintain customer trust.

4. Cybersecurity Alignment with Business Goals: The alignment of cybersecurity strategies with overall business objectives will remain a priority. This includes addressing new vulnerabilities that arise from increased reliance on advanced technologies like Generative AI. A security-by-design approach will be essential for COOs to ensure their organization's competitive advantage while managing operational risks.

· Align cybersecurity strategies with business objectives to safeguard assets while supporting growth.

· Embrace a security-by-design philosophy in all technology deployments.

· Continuously update and educate the workforce on emerging cyber threats and best practices.

5. Talent Management and Upskilling: Close collaboration with People Operations (HR) and talent acquisition teams will be crucial in addressing IT talent concerns. This involves upgrading and managing key talent, focusing on upskilling and reskilling efforts to meet the evolving demands of cybersecurity, AI, cloud migration, and digital transformation. Effective workforce learning programs and talent management strategies will be pivotal in adopting new technologies and driving business growth.

· Develop comprehensive upskilling programs in AI to bridge the digital skills gap within the organization.

· Foster a culture of continuous learning and development to support career growth and innovation.

· Implement strategic talent acquisition practices to attract and retain top talent in a competitive landscape.

6. Automation and AI Integration: COOs should focus on improving automation through emerging technologies like generative AI. This will involve tackling challenges in automation with innovative AI applications, which can lead to significant productivity improvements and cost management efficiencies.

· Identify and implement AI-driven automation solutions to enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs.

· Explore innovative applications of generative AI to improve product development and customer service.

· Monitor and evaluate the impact of AI and automation on workforce dynamics and job roles.

7. Data Quality and Availability: With the rise of generative AI, the quality and availability of data within organizations will become increasingly important. Ensuring good data management practices will be critical for COOs to leverage AI's benefits effectively.

· Ensure high standards of data quality and accessibility to fuel AI-driven initiatives.

· Establish clear policies for data management and usage to support ethical AI practices.

· Leverage data insights for strategic decision-making and operational improvements.

As we navigate these priorities, we should aim to balance technological advancements with a strong organizational culture and a clear focus on societal impact. The role of COO becomes ever more critical in steering organizations toward a future defined by agility, innovation, and integrity. The journey ahead demands a balance of technological prowess and a deep commitment to driving positive change, positioning COOs as key architects of sustainable, resilient, and adaptive business frameworks to meet the challenges and opportunities of the future. By embracing these strategic approaches, we can lead our teams to not only adapt to the changing business landscape but to thrive within it.

20 Years of Support for Operations Executives: Lifelines, Friendships and Trust

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 21:21:13 +0000

For nearly two decades, I've had the incredible opportunity to help drive the expansion of the COO Forum, a transformative space that has provided unparalleled support to Chief Operating Officers and Operations Executives. Being a part of the journey, I've seen our community grow, yet deeply hold to the foundation established in 2004, which is to provide a confidential space where Operations Executives can openly share their biggest challenges, work toward solutions, celebrate victories and find solidarity as fellow COOs.

As we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, the COO Forum remains a beacon of support and collaboration for Chief Operating Officers across the country. Throughout the years, I've been privileged to witness firsthand the incredible power of peer collaboration and support. Every day I am inspired by the resilience and determination of our members as they navigate the ever-changing business landscape. More recently, these past four years have placed unprecedented pressure on COOs, and our members have faced incredible challenges brought about by the pandemic, talent management, remote work, AI integration, supply chain disruptions and (you name it). We continued throughout this challenging time to be the beacon of support!

Each COO's journey is as diverse and unique as they are, yet there's a common thread of being the driving force behind operational success. At the COO Forum, we've recognized that, despite the diversity of industry sectors and company size, COOs share common struggles and responsibilities. This understanding has empowered our members to connect, share experiences and draw from collective knowledge to overcome challenges.

It has been a privilege to be part of this close-knit community of Operations Executives, some of whom have been here nearly 20-years and many of whom have developed long-standing friendships and established unwavering trust. I am excited about the COO Forum's continued role as a vital support system that empowers COOs and reminds them that they are not alone in their journey to drive their organizations forward.

The COO Forum is more than just a professional network; it's a lifeline for Operations Executives, providing the enduring power of peer collaboration and support.

2024: Celebrating 20 Years Serving Operations Executives - Top Ten Insights

Sun, 24 Dec 2023 00:30:37 +0000

What do you do after searching for a community of Operations Executives to work on challenges unique to your role…and don’t find one?

You build one!

That’s exactly what we did in Silicon Valley in 2004. We built the first peer organization in the world exclusively to empower Operations Executives to achieve more. We understand that each operations leader might have a slightly different role based on industry, company size or company stage. That’s what makes each Operations Executive so unique. You can throw out the one-size-fits-all playbook for Operations Executives because there isn’t one.

Our strengths are grounded in the collective knowledge, experience and skills of our members. It’s why we attract the very best. After 1000s of conversations over the last 20 years, we have gotten to know Operations Executives better than any organization in the world. We’ve loved every minute of it…and all our members along the way.

Here are our Top Ten Insights:

Sales and revenue responsibilities on the rise: While the COO role is more commonly pointed inward, we have seen increasing focus placed on revenue generation. In 2022, we surveyed our members, asking about their top areas of focus. 48% identified scaling the business. It may be the result of more organizations adopting a Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process toward business planning or possibly the nature of an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to lift growth following the pandemic.
Navigating the CEO relationship is still a common challenge: It seems as if new COOs click very well with the CEO shortly after being hired. Then, as the novelty wears off or the “honeymoon period” ends, problems can arise. Our members have the benefit of drawing on similar experiences across their COO Forum peers to learn strategies to improve alignment with their CEOs. However, we have seen the best odds of success require designing a CEO/COO relationship prior to the hire in order to close any alignment gaps quickly.
Demands on the COO’s time are greater now than ever: During the past five years, there has been an explosion of additional duties and areas of focus placed on COOs. These responsibilities reflect the enormous change taking place in society, including environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), cybersecurity, work/life balance shifts, AI integration/policy making and more. It doesn't appear to be easing off any time soon!
COOs are the key change agent in their organizations: Typically, the CEO is given credit for being the visionary within the business and is associated with change and improvement. However, we know that the COO or Operations Executive is the key figure that interprets that vision, develops it into an organizational plan and executes the strategy. As Steve Jobs said, “..ideas are worth nothing unless executed.”
COOs are a resilient and gritty bunch! It takes a lot of pressure to create diamonds. COOs are no different. During the past 20 years, we have seen our members work through very stressful (high pressure) situations with success. They come through the other end of their challenges more resilient and stronger as an executive.
COOs are growth oriented: “The only easy day was yesterday” may be the motto of the US Navy Seals but we believe it applies to our members as well. The COO role requires constant growth and learning to stay ahead of the ever-changing business landscape. Our members are readers. They attend workshops and seminars. Some still find time to participate in other peer groups, including specialized industry associations.
COOs have heart: It is no coincidence that the COO is most often the go-to problem solver in their organization. They have honed their listening skills and empathetic approaches to employee challenges. This attracts people to their offices. COOs understand that people are the most important resource an organization has. Just look at last month’s blog article to see how the COO’s heart spills over into their communities as well: https://www.cooforum.net/blogs/post/2023-coo-forum-year-in-review
It really is lonely at the top: A common refrain we continue to hear from our members over these 20 years is “it is so great to feel understood, valued, and heard at the COO Forum." COOs put themselves out there for the entire organization and yet often do not give themselves the time to de-stress, share their challenges or recharge. It gives us all so much satisfaction to provide the support and community our COOs and Operations Executives need.
Post-pandemic changes are here to stay (mostly): Businesses have seen many different bubbles and crises over the years, including some in our more recent memories, such as the dot-com bust and the financial meltdown of 2008. While those crises had lasting effects, none affected us more than the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent return-to-office initiatives often make headlines, but we can tell you that remote and hybrid work is very much here to stay. Our COOs are still working through these challenges. It forces greater emphasis on leadership, communication, culture and preparation than ever before.
Yet to be written.

Wait! How can you end a Top Ten Insights list with #10 empty? All right, sure, we could probably name one hundred or so more insights we have gained over the last twenty years of serving the best Operations Executives in the world. But...we’re leaving #10 open for the next 20 years.

At the COO Forum, we like to say that our #1 strength is the collective knowledge of our members, Directors, thought leaders and team. That really is what defines the COO Forum peer experience. We aren’t just a single person who showcases all they’ve learned and offers to share their singular experience. Nope.

It has been the 1000s of conversations with members…their hardships, successes, laughs, cries and new insights over these past 20 years that have made us who we are.

Come and see what we are all about. You just might get to help us complete #10!