Pulling Levers: Finding Success as a Chief Operating Officer

Having been in the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) within the human services sector for almost a decade, Kerin McMahon has become adept at “straddling both the operational lens of an organisation and the strategic”.

McMahon, who recently made the move from disability services to childcare, says this is a strength that has been critical to her success and a skill she has seen in many great COOs and peers she has worked with.

Elaborating, McMahon said “to be a successful COO, you need to be able to work with the board and all your stakeholders at a strategic or external level, and you have to really know the operations in detail so you can pull the right levers – whether that’s big government regulation, quality standards and frameworks, financial modelling or staff utilisation.”

“I’m passionate about the detail, but I also know when I have to be focused on the big picture.”

Knowledge is Power

To McMahon, knowledge is power and that requires spending time on the ground with staff and clients.

“I genuinely believe that when you're running large scale operations that have lots of different risks and complexities, it's harder to be successful if you don't know the business in depth and if you don't truly understand the sector you're operating in. So I ask a lot of questions, and I get involved.

“When I first started my career in disability services, I shadowed staff on the frontline to understand what it was like to support people across a range of programs and facilities; and some of the challenges that come with that.

“Since then, I have spent a lot of time in the field, at sites talking to people. It's absolutely critical.

“If you don’t walk a mile in the shoes of the people that are running your services, how can you ever really relate to them, and how can you ever really know exactly what it is that they do? Not everyone agrees with me.

Structured Rules

As well as shadowing people on the frontline, she said regular, structured interactions with her team are essential.

“I spend a lot of time with my direct leaders or my direct reports. My door's always open, but we have a lot of structure around the types of meetings that I have with them. If you don’t have a plan about how you're going to engage, things very quickly become unstructured and you'll absolutely see this in your results.”

Board meetings, she says, are one of the most enjoyable parts of the role.

“As a COO I have the best role because I get to be so intricately involved with the day-to-day organisation and the people who are delivering our services, but I also get a seat at the ultimate decision-making table with the board. Though as COO, I’m more of a guest at the table, supporting the CEO; sharing information trends, information on internal and external factors and the organisation’s performance.”

Through experience she has realised just how important it is to understand “where each of the board members comes from: the aspects of the business they are focused on, particular issues that may concern them, and their individual skill sets”. 

“Boards don't meet all that often and when they do, they've got a lot to do in a relatively short amount of time.”

By understanding each of them in depth, “you can really prepare yourself to be quite effective in those meetings. You can pre-empt the types of questions and conversations that might come up”.

Professional Satisfaction

McMahon says the direct outcomes she witnesses as a COO working in human services are immensely satisfying.

“There's nothing more rewarding than seeing the impact your organisation has on the people you're providing services to… than going to site and chatting with a client who has a disability and hearing that they've reached a goal or they've got a new job, or moved into their own home for the first time… it’s a very tangible way to see the impacts of how you're running an organisation and how you're driving the right service outcomes. I think this is one of the best things about human services for sure.”

Throughout her career spanning over 20 years, McMahon says mentors have been “really important” to her success.

“I've been fortunate to have worked with many leaders and many of them are still in my life, if not all of them in some way, shape, or form – either as a mentor or a genuine friend.

McMahon is now a mentor in her own right, taking three young executives under her wing.

Asked about the advice she offers them she said, “I tell them it’s about leaning into opportunity… it's about leaning in and just having a go.

“I've been prepared to say yes to every opportunity, even if it’s something I’m less confident in. And it's worked well for me because if I believe if you are eager, and enthusiastic, you learn so much and it absolutely propels your career progression within organisations and sectors.”

Additionally she advises them, “to absolutely become an expert in the operations that you're running”.

As for stepping into an organisation as the new COO, she said success will not be achieved by rushing to make fast transformational decisions. Instead, it’s critical to find the balance.

“Even if there is a drive or a burning platform (for change), to have impact, you've still got to pace yourself. You have to take time to understand the business. You can't be seen to be coming in and changing the world when you don't know the world.

“So you've got to build credibility – people need to know that what you’re proposing has been well thought out, that it makes sense. They need to trust in what you’re doing.

“Though every organisation is different, that balance is critical. How long it takes to gain the credibility to implement change will depend on how much change has happened in the past, how much trust there is in the workforce, all those types of things. So, you've got to make that assessment quickly and then work out where you are going to start.”