Chiefs of staff often work largely outside of the public’s view and behind the scenes before, during and after a corporate crisis. Their proximity to CEOs, knowledge of company silos and ability to coordinate across departments and divisions can help them identify developing problems and prevent bad situations from getting worse.

“What’s interesting about the role of the chief of staff is that their job often takes place out of the public eye and they rarely receive credit for their work,” Abbe S. Depretis, an associate teaching professor of business communication at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business, told me in an online interview.

Chiefs of staff can spot trouble early

Coordination is essential during a crisis, especially when divisions, departments, or offices have wrong or outdated information, different priorities, or are seeking guidance or approval from the CEO. A chief of staff can help coordinate those groups and ensure the organization acts as one and speaks with one voice.

Chiefs of staff can be in a particularly useful position to identify issues or problems before they morph into a full-blown crisis. Unfortunately, not all crisis situations can be seen ahead of time. “Because they have knowledge of all aspects of the company, they can utilize the whole organization to respond. They should be able to coordinate communication between all departments because they have relationships with all of them. It is rare that one individual can solve a crisis alone, so serving as that point of contact for the various groups within the organization is necessary to organize an effective response,” Depretis advised.

At BlackRock, global chief of staff Stacey Mullin helped the investment management company survive a variety of crisis situations, including the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Barron’s, Mullin also established the company’s........

© Forbes