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When was the last time you missed an important deadline? How about the last time you dealt with a detail so minute that it should’ve been handled elsewhere? How often do you think your time is spent on the wrong things? If these questions are resonating with you, it may be time for a Chief of Staff.

Startup founders and practitioners are often debating the best actions to take and decisions to make in their early stage companies. Determining the right hires has often been a major part of this converstaion. While some startup leaders are busy debating the need for Human Resources early in an organization, deciding if an analytical marketer or a creative marketer is the best first hire, and choosing the right time to bring on an Executive Assistant or EA to optimize their own lives, the hot topic on the table lately has been around hiring the role of Chief of Staff.

The Chief of Staff role—one that I've found is seldom clearly defined—is quickly gaining pertinence. In short, the CoS role is that of a strategic thought partner to your CEO—guiding, advising and executing through everything cultural, operational and strategic in the organization. You and your principal (in my case, the CEO) should align on a role definition and key strategic priorities on Day 1. It helps to understand the expectations beforehand, but it's necessary to be flexible, both early on and as your role evolves.

The role on everybody’s lips in start-ups right now is ‘Chief of Staff’ and as far as job descriptions go, we’re seeing many variations across global markets! If you are a founder or CEO who believes that the Chief of Staff role is just an ops person ‘who does some extra bits’, you are sorely downplaying the potential you can create for yourself, your team and your start-up.

CEOs need more support than an executive assistant can provide. Although each leader should tailor the position to his or her own needs, the CoS should handle several principal duties, all focused on making time, information, and decision processes more effective. Patrick Aylward, a vice president and CoS at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, breaks the job down into five roles: serving as ...