Flagship Framework
Executive Office
Operating Model
The Executive Office Operating Model is Brandyberry House's signature framework for intentionally designing one of the most influential—and often least intentionally developed—functions within an organization.
Developed by Lori Dawn Coker from decades of practice inside complex organizations, the Executive Office Operating Model provides the language, structure, and practical tools that executive offices need to move from reactive to designed.
Purchase the EOOMThe Premise
The executive office deserves to be designed.
Most executive offices are not built — they accumulate. A role is added here, a process is improvised there, and over time a collection of capable people doing their best in the absence of a coherent system emerges. This is not a failure of individuals. It is a failure of organizational design.
The Executive Office Operating Model begins from a different premise: that the executive office is one of the most consequential operational systems in any organization, and that it deserves the same rigor of design that organizations bring to their most critical functions.
When the executive office is designed — when its purpose is clear, its processes are intentional, its people are developed, and its systems are built to sustain performance over time — the entire organization benefits. Decisions move faster. Communication flows more clearly. The executive's attention is protected and directed toward the work that only she can do.
THE COMPLETE SET
Put the Executive Office Operating Model Into Practice
The complete three-piece Executive Office Operating Model includes the Manual, Workbook, and Executive Companion Guide—designed to work together as an integrated system for executive office effectiveness.
Complete three-piece set · $247
Purchase the EOOMThe Framework
Six pillars. One integrated system.
The Executive Office Operating Model is organized around six interdependent pillars. Each addresses a distinct dimension of executive office function. Together, they form a complete operational system.
I
Clarity of Purpose
Every executive office must begin with a precise understanding of what it exists to accomplish — not in general terms, but in the specific context of the organization it serves. Purpose defines scope. Scope defines structure. Structure enables performance.
- Organizational mandate and strategic alignment
- Defined scope of executive office authority
- Explicit accountabilities for every role
- Shared understanding of what success looks like
II
Operational Architecture
The systems, processes, and structures that allow the executive office to function with consistency and reliability — regardless of who is in the room, what is on the calendar, or what the organization is navigating.
- Decision-support systems and information flows
- Meeting architecture and calendar management
- Document and knowledge management protocols
- Operational rhythm and cadence design
III
Communication Systems
How information moves through the executive office — and from the executive office into the broader organization. Communication architecture is not a soft skill. It is a designed system, and it performs in direct proportion to how deliberately it has been built.
- Internal communication protocols and channels
- Stakeholder relationship management
- Executive correspondence and representation standards
- Organizational communication cascade design
IV
People and Professional Development
The executive office is only as strong as the people within it. This pillar addresses how those people are selected, developed, supported, and retained — and how the culture of the office is built and sustained over time.
- Role design and competency frameworks
- Onboarding and professional development systems
- Performance standards and feedback culture
- Succession and continuity planning
V
Strategic Integration
The executive office does not exist in isolation. This pillar addresses how it connects to the broader organization — how it serves the executive's strategic agenda, supports organizational priorities, and maintains alignment across functions and levels.
- Strategic planning support and facilitation
- Cross-functional coordination and liaison
- Board and governance interface management
- Organizational change navigation and support
VI
Continuous Improvement
A well-designed executive office is not a static achievement — it is a living system that must be regularly assessed, refined, and adapted as the organization evolves. This pillar builds the discipline of ongoing operational improvement into the fabric of the office.
- Operational assessment and diagnostic frameworks
- Performance measurement and review cadences
- Process improvement and refinement protocols
- Adaptation to organizational change and growth
In Practice
From framework to function
01
Assess
Begin with an honest diagnostic of the current state. Where is the executive office functioning well? Where are the gaps, the friction points, the unspoken assumptions that are costing the organization? The model provides a structured assessment framework for this work.
02
Design
Using the six pillars as an organizing structure, build the systems, processes, and role definitions that the executive office needs to function at its highest level. Design is not a one-time event — it is an iterative process of building, testing, and refining.
03
Sustain
The most carefully designed systems degrade without intentional maintenance. The model includes the review cadences, improvement protocols, and adaptation frameworks that allow the executive office to sustain its performance as the organization evolves.
Who It Serves
Built for those who do the real work of organizational leadership
Chief Executives and Senior Leaders
Who want to build an executive office that functions as a genuine operational asset — not a collection of support roles, but a designed system that amplifies their leadership capacity.
Executive Support Professionals
Who are ready to move beyond task management and into the strategic practice of executive office operations — and who want a framework for understanding and advancing their own professional mastery.
Operations and HR Leaders
Who are responsible for the design, development, or transformation of executive office functions and who need a rigorous, practical framework to guide that work.
Organizations in Transition
Navigating leadership change, rapid growth, restructuring, or the professionalization of previously informal executive support functions — and who need a structured approach to building what comes next.
The Complete Three-Piece Set
Put the Executive Office Operating Model Into Practice
The complete three-piece Executive Office Operating Model includes the Manual, Workbook, and Executive Companion Guide—designed to work together as an integrated system for executive office effectiveness.
Complete three-piece set · $247
Purchase the EOOMSpeaking & Training
Lori brings the Executive Office Operating Model to life through keynotes, workshops, and training engagements designed for leadership teams and professional associations.
View speaking topics→Related Reading
Explore the Insights section for articles that go deeper into the principles behind the framework — including the foundational piece on the executive office as operational system.
Read the article→Begin a Conversation
To discuss how the Executive Office Operating Model might serve your organization — through consulting, training, or a speaking engagement — reach out directly.
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