When you’re the Chief Operating Officer, everything lands on your desk eventually — and most of it comes labeled “urgent.”
From team escalations to strategic pivots, you’re expected to act fast, delegate smart, and never drop the ball.
But here’s the catch: not everything can be a priority — even if it feels like it is.
Great COOs don’t just move faster. They prioritize better.
And in high-growth environments, the ability to filter noise and focus on what truly matters is the difference between leading and reacting.
Why Prioritization Is the COO’s Superpower
Unlike the CEO, who sets vision, or department heads, who own their lanes, the COO sits in the center of the storm.
You translate strategy into execution. You connect the dots. You fight fires — but only the right ones.
Without clear prioritization, COOs fall into:
- Task saturation: Constant motion with little progress
- Decision fatigue: Worn down by small, low-leverage choices
- Team confusion: Your lack of focus becomes theirs
That’s why world-class COOs treat prioritization as a skill — not just a to-do list.
How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Important
Here’s a COO-tested framework for cutting through urgency and focusing on what moves the business forward.
1. Align with the CEO’s Current Top 3
If you’re not in sync with the CEO’s evolving priorities, you’ll always feel like you’re playing catch-up.
Every COO should know, at all times:
- What are the CEO’s Top 3 priorities right now?
- Which of them depends on Operations to move forward?
- What can I say no to in order to support them?
Check in weekly if needed. It’s not micromanagement — it’s alignment.
2. Use the 3 Buckets Model
Cameron Herold teaches COOs to break priorities into three distinct categories:
- Grow (what scales the business)
- Fix (what’s broken and hurting performance)
- Support (what enables other leaders to succeed)
Every task or project should fit into one. If it doesn’t? Question it.
3. Prioritize Leverage Over Volume
As COO, your job isn’t to do more. It’s to do what matters most.
Ask yourself:
- Will this decision remove a major bottleneck?
- Will this action help multiple departments at once?
- Is this task $10/hour, $100/hour, or $10,000/hour work?
High-leverage activities compound. Focus there.
4. Build a Culture That Knows What Matters
Your prioritization doesn’t live in a vacuum.
Your leadership team — and their teams — take cues from you.
Ways to model this:
- Talk openly about trade-offs in meetings
- Celebrate ruthless focus, not just busy schedules
- Empower teams to delay or kill low-priority projects
You’re not just prioritizing your work — you’re teaching the organization how to think.
Managing Pressure Without Losing Clarity
When everything feels urgent, your ability to stay calm becomes a competitive advantage.
Here’s how COOs stay grounded:
- Daily check-ins with yourself: What’s truly critical today?
- Tactical use of sprints: Short bursts of focused execution (not constant hustle)
- Space to think: Block time on your calendar for strategy, not just meetings
- Support systems: Peer networks, coaches, or COO groups that help you zoom out
You can’t prioritize chaos. You have to create the space to think.
The Bottom Line: Lead the Urgency, Don’t Let It Lead You
Prioritization isn’t just about productivity.
It’s how you protect your time, your team, and your ability to make great decisions under pressure.
You’ll never have a shortage of demands. But you do have a choice about where you focus your energy.
Want to scale faster and lead with more clarity?
Join COO Alliance — the #1 community for second-in-command executives.
Surround yourself with top-tier COOs, learn proven prioritization frameworks, and lead with confidence even under pressure.
Join us today: https://cooalliance.com/apply-for-cooa/
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