It’s hard to see all the parts of a system when you’re responsible for it, and even more difficult to understand how others experience it. An impartial perspective is very helpful for that.
So true! When I am embedded as a fractional in a role I find it really eye-opening how transparent and vocal the team will be with me about their pains.
Yes, it is lonely, nigh impossible, and, in my case, ironic to do it for yourself even when it is exactly what you do for customers. Building a startup from scratch is not the same as coming into someone else's operation to help fix what's broken. The emotional investment you have in your startup is absent when working on someone else's business/venture/baby.
I may very well be wrong, but it sounds like your ego is speaking.
CEOs and companies expect consultants to be dispassionate to maintain objectivity, allowing them to make informed decisions, foster client trust, and solve problems without emotional bias.
Leave ego at the door to prioritize effective, client-focused solutions over personal validation. This mindset shift fosters trust, encourages active listening, and allows for collaborative problem-solving, ensuring the best outcome rather than simply proving the consultant right.
So good, Katie! Founders have a hard time getting out of their own way, and because they only know one speed, it's more important for them to respond quickly than accurately. Quick may signal competence in the moment, but as you've explained, it can be short-sighted. Sometimes, what they really need is to pause.
It’s hard to see all the parts of a system when you’re responsible for it, and even more difficult to understand how others experience it. An impartial perspective is very helpful for that.
So true! When I am embedded as a fractional in a role I find it really eye-opening how transparent and vocal the team will be with me about their pains.
Yes, it is lonely, nigh impossible, and, in my case, ironic to do it for yourself even when it is exactly what you do for customers. Building a startup from scratch is not the same as coming into someone else's operation to help fix what's broken. The emotional investment you have in your startup is absent when working on someone else's business/venture/baby.
Basically, what @Janna McGregor said. ;-)
This is true. Though I’d gently push back on the emotional investment part.
That may be something I still need to learn to manage better as a fractional.
I spent 14 years as a second-in-command inside other people’s companies, and I was often deeply emotionally invested. Often to my own frustration.
Even now, months into working with clients, I feel a real pull to make sure they succeed.
The difference for me isn’t caring less, it’s learning how to hold that care without letting it consume me.
I may very well be wrong, but it sounds like your ego is speaking.
CEOs and companies expect consultants to be dispassionate to maintain objectivity, allowing them to make informed decisions, foster client trust, and solve problems without emotional bias.
Leave ego at the door to prioritize effective, client-focused solutions over personal validation. This mindset shift fosters trust, encourages active listening, and allows for collaborative problem-solving, ensuring the best outcome rather than simply proving the consultant right.
So good, Katie! Founders have a hard time getting out of their own way, and because they only know one speed, it's more important for them to respond quickly than accurately. Quick may signal competence in the moment, but as you've explained, it can be short-sighted. Sometimes, what they really need is to pause.