Columbia Alum Shares Advice for COOs

Columbia Business School alumnus Alexander Tuff ’03 discusses five key concepts every Chief Operating Officer should know. The article, written by Tuff, was featured in the Alumni Magazine of Columbia Business School. Tuff is the chief operating officer and head of strategy at Winged Keel Group in New York City.

Tuff begins his article with an explanation of how he was determined to acquire the skills necessary to become and efficient leader. After being appointed to his first leadership role as COO of risk at CIT Group, he realized that there was not a lot of information on how to be a successful COO. Only through experience was he able to learn what was necessary to be successful in the role of COO at any company. He explains that there are guiding principles to follow to help ensure success.

Tuff gives these principles to readers:

“1. Identify the key issues: Every organization has areas for improvement. Meeting with people at every level and asking the right questions will help you identify these issues. By talking with people at various levels of the organization, you will gain insight into decision-making processes.

2. Strive for alignment: It is no small feat to align behaviors, organizational design, compensation and goals across a firm. Leaders must agree on the mission, vision, and values of the company. Once there is consensus, you can communicate the company’s purpose, direction, and values to your employees.

3. Find and invest in your best talent: COOs are only as effective as the people they lead. Quickly identify the worst and best performers and cultural supporters. Removing the worst performers and replacing them with the best talent will improve standards across the organization.

4. Lead corporate planning efforts: Involvement in the development of the strategic plan, budget plan, operating plan and project plans gives you the ability to channel resources to the most important efforts.

5. Improve everything you touch: Feedback loops for each process help your organization continuously improve. Identifying waste or unnecessary work will free up resources. Rewarding employees for removing bottlenecks, over-production and poor prioritization will help create a culture of continuous improvement.”

regions: New York City

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