Operations still depend on you
You remain the default owner of recurring operational decisions and business follow-through.
Fractional operating leadership
Fractional COO for founder-led teams.
You need someone to lead operations—not just keep the moving pieces connected.
I offer fractional COO support alongside Chief of Staff services. We define the operating remit you need to hand over, the outcomes it should deliver, and the authority required to lead it.
Discuss fractional COO supportWhat is a fractional COO?
A fractional Chief Operating Officer is a part-time operating leader accountable for a defined operational remit. Unlike a coordination-focused Chief of Staff engagement, the role needs explicit decision authority and ownership of agreed outcomes. Fractional describes the commitment—not a reduction in accountability.
When this fits
The gap is operating ownership.
Coordination alone is not enough
The team needs someone accountable for an operating remit, not only someone connecting projects and people.
You are ready to delegate authority
You want to hand over clearly defined responsibilities and the decisions needed to deliver them.
Fit depends on operating complexity, delegated authority, and the presence the work requires—not a fixed employee count. If the remit needs continuous full-time leadership, a fractional engagement may not be the right fit.
Before work begins
A clear mandate, not an open-ended title.
We agree what the role owns and where it stops. Team management, budgets, delivery responsibilities, and decision rights are included only when explicitly agreed—not automatically because the title is COO.
- Operating remit and priorities
- Outcomes, measures of success, and review cadence
- Decision authority, reporting relationships, and escalation boundaries
- Weekly commitment, availability, timing, and fee
Chief of Staff or COO?
Choose by responsibility.
Chief of Staff
Connects priorities, decisions, and people alongside the CEO. Best when work stalls between existing owners and the founder carries the coordination load.
Fractional COO
Leads an agreed operating remit with accountability and delegated authority. Best when operations need an owner, not just better coordination.
The operator behind the method
Shanshan Thompson
My experience spans strategic planning, organizational design, cross-functional initiatives, hiring and onboarding, and operating systems. The same focus on clarity and execution underpins both services.
Mantle OS™ provides the shared foundation: Clarify, Organize, Support. We tailor its application to the role and remit your company needs.
Practice · Experimental game
What would you do as the COO?
Try fictional startup scenarios about ownership, competing priorities, and escalation in the satirical operations game I built.
Experimental alpha with placeholder scenarios. Separate from the Mantle OS™ diagnosis and consulting services.
What do you need to stop owning?
Let's discuss where operations depend on you and whether fractional COO leadership is the right fit. Scope, authority, commitment, and fee are agreed before work begins.
Book a free consultation