Key Things Discussed
“Rewirement” and Laurie’s career pivot into coaching.
The specific roles and functions that chiefs of staff serve.
The three C’s that form the basis of Laurie’s trusted advisory practice.
Block-and-tackle tools and systems to optimize leadership goals and efficacy.
The unique cross-industry opportunity that Laurie’s ChiefSpace group coaching program offers chiefs of staff – especially those who are operating in isolation.
Valuable lessons learned, especially when it comes to speaking up early and often!
Show Notes
00:03:48] About the many hats that Laurie wore during a long career at AT&T and the venture she has more recently launched as a business coach for high-level leaders.
[00:04:53] “Rewirement” and what it means to pivot – not into retirement but into an opportunity to leverage skills sets, experience and passions in new ways.
[00:07:31] About the 3C’s that form the basis of Laurie’s trusted advisory practice: 
Coaching
Consulting
Chief-ing


 [00:09:13] Breaking down the role of chief of staff into five parts:
Air traffic controller for a leader and their team.
Integrator among silos.
Master communicator.
Link between the executive team and broader organization.
Honest broker and truth-teller, a confidante without an agenda.


[00:10:08] Laurie’s take on the servant-leader role that chiefs of staff play, which is shaped by the requirements and needs of specific leaders at any given moment.
[00:13:08] Why developing relationships and ensuring alignment among various team members is a critical aspect of performing the Chief of Staff function.
[00:14:53] How it feels to work for a Fortune 10 company on the cutting edge of innovation, including the exhilaration (as well as occasional exhaustion and loneliness) associated with being integral to critical decision-making.
[00:17:18] Laurie shares strategies she deployed with the leaders she served at AT&T, challenging narratives, providing perspective, highlighting risks and rewards and pushing back where necessary. 
[00:19:08] Ultimately a chief of staff’s highest purpose is to see what needs to be done and then ensure that, one way or another, it happens efficiently and effectively.
[00:21:23] More about the chief of staff’s highly strategic niche:
Identifying and delivering on goals.
Ensuring alignment among companies, departments and divisions.
Tracking progress against strategic plans.


[00:22:00] About where the chief of staff function should sit organizationally and why. 
[00:25:35] Laurie touts the 4D Productivity System as a helpful filter for chiefs of staff:
Do it – Is this a task that I can accomplish quickly?
Delegate it – Is this something that could be better done by someone else?
Defer it – Could this be pushed out to a later time?
Dismiss it – Does this really need to be done at all?


[00:27:28] About the power of time blocking, which places all planning in an intentional framework that modulates energy and maintains focused priorities.
[00:27:48] More helpful tools for chiefs of staff, leaders and really anyone at any level:
Apps to support morning routines and drive efficiencies.
Intention-setting at the start of meetings.


[00:31:16] Laurie’s ChiefSpace group coaching program targets chiefs of staff, who generally lack a support network, offering them a cross-industry opportunity to:Navigate critical decisions with speed and confidence. 

Act as an accountability partner and reality check. 
Drive alignment and maximize efficiency across the enterprise. 
Act as a gatekeeper, protecting and advancing leadership’s key priorities.
Learn how to work powerfully and deftly across silos.  
Be a strategic thought partner and proxy in executing strategy.
 [00:31:48] About the book Laurie is writing – which is the book she wished she had when she first started in her chief-of-staff role. It will demystify the job and offer advice. 
[00:34:56] How to turn challenges into foundational opportunities:
Cultivate crystal-clear clarity about where yo