The COO Roundtable Podcast: Episode 63

Do’s and Don’ts of COO Onboarding

In his third ever monologue “rant,” Matt takes a break from our normal interview format to speak directly to RIA owners and COO candidates to discuss the “Do’s and Don’ts of COO Onboarding.”  Referencing conversations with COOs, past articles he’s written, and former podcast guests, Matt urges RIA owners to have a clear understanding of what they need from their next Operations hire before beginning a search (how will you know you’ve found a good candidate if you don’t know exactly what you are hiring for?).   He also recommends that newly-appointed COOs consider the firm’s capacity for change as they look to make recommendations to add efficiency and scale to their new RIA.  His ultimate goal is for COO candidates and RIA owners to use this episode as the foundation for productive conversations during the interview process to ensure the right people, with the right level of experience, are being hired for the right roles.  During this episode, Matt hits on the following topics:

• The definition of “Founder’s Bias” and how it derails a newly-appointed COO
• Why he’s not a fan of the fractional COO role
• Things COO candidates should look and listen for during the interview process to ensure they will be set up for success
• David Canter’s four action items every COO should perform after accepting a new job
• Why Ted Lasso was the perfect COO
• The difference between an Operations Manager, Director of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer
• The ultimate sin RIA owners can commit when hiring a COO

You can read the full transcript here.

The following resources were referenced in this episode:

COO Roundtable Episode 52

COO Roundtable Episode 14

Why Professional Management Fails at RIAs

Founder’s Bias and the COO Dilemma

The Importance of Strategy and How a COO Can Help

RIABiz Article: Plague of Failed Hires Come Back to Bite Strapped RIAs