Your team is busy, projects keep slipping, and you're wondering whether it's time for operational help. Here are the questions I'd ask before hiring a fractional COO, based on 14+ years inside growing companies.
Katie, great article. You explained my day job in many ways 🤭 as I venture into Advisory work, this article helped me think through ways I can help companies get sustainable outcomes even in times of rapid growth.
How do you keep to a fractional timeframe with a growing company? What are your boundaries?
Thanks, @Samantha | Strategic Friction ! Boundaries are a real beast! As someone who gets very involved with the companies I work with it can be super hard to shut off, but you need to be clear up front for all parties. It goes back to what I preach all the time transparency is kindness. Being open about the expectations and what has been agreed upon up front helps all parties! SO I force myself to be clear from the start and then if someone starts pushing the limits a bit, I recenter and bring us back to the agreement. Often that involves saying what would you like to parking lot for now so that we can add that new item.
This was a great read! I think one of the biggest things to look for is someone who can challenge the founder without getting sucked into the politics. Plenty of people can identify what’s broken. Finding someone who’s willing to tell leadership they’re part of the problem? Much harder.
It’s definitely a challenge sometimes! My 15 yrs with early stage founders (and being a founder myself now) has given me a unique mix of empathetic leadership with a side of no BS. LOL I’ve learned that I have earned the right to speak up and share what I see!
I'd put the fee on naming who owns the next step. A team that looks like a people problem is often just nobody knowing who decides, and a fractional who can say that out loud is rare.
So helpful to have this spelled out. I love the questions to consider, including the uncomfortable ones and the reminder that this isn't right for everyone, too <- I think more of us as CEOs would benefit from that kind of discernment.
These are questions that all leaders should be asking themselves all the time. Really enjoyed the read, thanks for sharing.
Katie, great article. You explained my day job in many ways 🤭 as I venture into Advisory work, this article helped me think through ways I can help companies get sustainable outcomes even in times of rapid growth.
How do you keep to a fractional timeframe with a growing company? What are your boundaries?
Thanks, @Samantha | Strategic Friction ! Boundaries are a real beast! As someone who gets very involved with the companies I work with it can be super hard to shut off, but you need to be clear up front for all parties. It goes back to what I preach all the time transparency is kindness. Being open about the expectations and what has been agreed upon up front helps all parties! SO I force myself to be clear from the start and then if someone starts pushing the limits a bit, I recenter and bring us back to the agreement. Often that involves saying what would you like to parking lot for now so that we can add that new item.
Good stuff Katie. And great advice. It’s a constant balancing act.
This was a great read! I think one of the biggest things to look for is someone who can challenge the founder without getting sucked into the politics. Plenty of people can identify what’s broken. Finding someone who’s willing to tell leadership they’re part of the problem? Much harder.
It’s definitely a challenge sometimes! My 15 yrs with early stage founders (and being a founder myself now) has given me a unique mix of empathetic leadership with a side of no BS. LOL I’ve learned that I have earned the right to speak up and share what I see!
I'd put the fee on naming who owns the next step. A team that looks like a people problem is often just nobody knowing who decides, and a fractional who can say that out loud is rare.
So helpful to have this spelled out. I love the questions to consider, including the uncomfortable ones and the reminder that this isn't right for everyone, too <- I think more of us as CEOs would benefit from that kind of discernment.