Top 5 challenges for today’s Offices of the CEO

Here are the top 5 challenges we've found facing Offices of the CEO, based on the 100s of primary research interviews: 24/7 Workload, Too Much Tech, Risky Business, Volatile Markets and Restless Teams.

1. 24/7 Workload

The Office of the CEO is faced with an avalanche of meetings, loads of projects, and tons of inbound messages every day. The executive office is beholden to dozens if not 100s of stakeholders including leaders, investors, board members, consultants, prospects, customers and strategic partners. Technology and cultural norms have shattered work boundaries, and the result is that the CEO, Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant is always on, at the risk of burnout.

2. Too Much Tech

Technology has exploded and the result for leadership is disastrous if left unchecked. Too much tech in the Office of the CEO can become a distraction, where every notification, ping and alert takes away from the focus on growing the company and setting the vision for the future. iMessage, Teams, Outlook, Zoom, Asana, Concur, OpenAI, Salesforce anyone? Meanwhile, AI has been touted as a savior for the workplace but implementation has been haphazard and outcomes have been spotty.

3. Risky Business

Business risk is increasing, not decreasing. After the pandemic, supply chains have been scrambled, political outcomes remain uncertain and customers are still finicky. Planning and forecasting is harder than ever for the Office of the CEO, given all of the hidden risks in the business including customer retention risk, employee attrition risk, sales risk, succession risk, and financial risk. Risk mitigation remains a focus for many executive offices.

4. Volatile Markets

Lately, the markets have been anything but tranquil. Fluctuating stocks, domestic inflation and rising cost of capital has made the financial piece of running a business a headache. Still, investors and board members demand fiscal responsibility, huge growth, and responsible risk taking. Offices of the CEO must thread the needle carefully, doing more with less while keeping enough money in the bank.

5. Restless Teams

For the first time in history, the employee workforce now has 5 generations in the office. But differing perspectives on work ethic, ways of working, and the use of technology, also coupled with post-pandemic malaise, has led to internal culture issues. These include high turnover, lack of loyalty and vocal employees who demand change from within. The Office of the CEO must move the company culture in a positive direction and adapt with the times.

So there you have it - the top 5 challenges facing Offices of the CEO today. The best Offices of the CEO simultaneously manage all 5 to stay ahead of the curve.

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