A Day in the Life of a Chief of Staff at Microsoft
A Chief of Staff's day at Microsoft, according to Sonia, involves "making sure [the] corporate vice president is set up for success," managing projects like overseeing launch moments and content creation, and leading cultural initiatives with a virtual team. This multifaceted role also includes handling miscellaneous tasks and ensuring team alignment, highlighting the varied and often demanding nature of the position.
Executive/Leadership, Project Management, Communication, Teamwork, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Sonia Dara
Chief of Staff
Microsoft
Harvard
N/A
Economics
Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Communication and Marketing
Honors Student, Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. A Chief of Staff (CoS) ensures their executive (corporate vice president in this case) is prepared for meetings and has necessary information.
2. A CoS manages various projects, such as overseeing product launches which involves coordinating digital marketing, content creation, and executive communications.
3. A CoS often handles miscellaneous tasks and leads initiatives, such as cultural programs, sometimes involving virtual teams across different departments.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a chief of staff look like?
A Chief of Staff's role can vary. For example, it might look one way for a Chief of Staff at Microsoft but very different for a Chief of Staff in a smaller marketing organization.
For me, my day primarily involves ensuring my corporate vice president is set up for success. This means making sure he's prepared for his day and week, especially for key meetings with other leaders or partners.
I also check in with the team, ensuring they're aware of any team huddles or other important content. Additionally, I manage my own individual product projects.
As I've mentioned, I oversee launch moments. This involves a lot of work streams, from digital marketing and content creation to keynotes and executive communications.
Chiefs of Staff also often handle miscellaneous tasks. If something doesn't have a clear owner, I help pick it up.
I also lead many of our cultural initiatives, including what we call our "Culture Crew." This is a virtual team across members of our organization.
Virtual teams, or VTEs, are groups formed from people in different departments, not necessarily within your direct reporting structure. I lead many of these initiatives as well.
Some days are very busy with back-to-back meetings, while others are more open, allowing me to focus on other work.