Mark Frein, COO at Oyster on Being a Multifunctional Executive and Harnessing Pattern Recognition in Leadership Roles

Supermanagers

Mark Frein, COO of Oyster, discusses how he approaches his role as a multifunctional executive. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the scope and responsibilities of the job, rather than the title.

Transitioning from a single-function to a multifunctional executive, like a COO, requires a significant shift in how you operate. According to Mark Frein, whether it's navigating a discussion on service metrics one moment and pivoting to product innovation the next, being able to adapt and change at a moment's notice is vital.

Mark Frein is a seasoned leader and the Chief Operating Officer at Oyster. With decades of experience in the tech industry, including roles as Chief People Officer and a professor in academia, Mark has established himself as a dynamic force driving organizational growth and operational excellence.

In episode 3 of season 2, Mark offers valuable perspectives on effective goal setting, prioritization, and the power of hypothesis-oriented goals in driving success. He delves into prioritizing job scope and responsibilities over titles and shares insights on aligning people practices with business objectives. Mark explores the challenges of fostering cross-functional collaboration and highlights the importance of fostering a cohesive team environment. Drawing from his expertise as an executive coach, he discusses the role of HR in a business context and the significance of systems thinking and multidisciplinary approaches in leadership. Mark also addresses the evolving landscape of remote work in 2024, advocating for inclusivity and equal opportunities in distributed work environments.

Tune in to hear all about Mark’s leadership journey and the lessons learned along the way!

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TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[04:02] Context switching as a multifunctional executive

[09:25] Shiny object syndrome

[14:28] Creating cross-functional collaboration

[20:19] Executive coaching in leadership

[28:11] Systems thinking and multidisciplinary approaches

[33:50] The state of remote work in 2024

[39:04] The never-ending craft of being a manager

👉 Check out the resources mentioned here: https://fellow.app/supermanagers/mark-frein-oyster/

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Follow Mark on Medium

Check out the book Range by David Epstein

Join the Supermanagers Slack community