Fractional Chief of Staff

When hands-on work is needed, the work of a top force multiplier and administrative leader will join your staff on a part-time and temporary basis, for a special project, strategy design, or a fresh perspective.

What is a Chief of Staff?

A chief of staff is a leader who is part of the executive team and advises and supports C-suite officers in their daily duties and helps them maximize their efforts. They serve as a sounding board for ideas, provide strategic counsel, and attend to executive leadership duties in the chief executive officer's absence. They create, recommend and advise on operational processes and strategies, and drive improvements and projects to meet the organization's objectives and goals.

Duties may vary industry-to-industry, but in all cases they are key to keeping a company running smoothly.

WhyFractional?

The answer is easy:

Bringing a Chief of Staff on board on fractional/part-time basis provides (1) the expertise and skills of a seasoned executive without the full-time salary and benefits, making it a cost-effective alternative, and

(2) Flexibility: As businesses evolve, their needs can change.

Reasons to Have a Chief of Staff

Core operations stay intact and priorities can proceed as normal. A Fraction CoS brings a laser focus to a project that no one else on the team can provide.

As a strategic doer, there is minimal onboarding time required. A CoS is skilled at assessing a situation, identifying the most urgent needs, making a plan, and executing.

Bringing in someone from the outside is a positive message to the team. It supports the importance of the project, and shows the team that it's appropriately resourced - and not negatively impacting their time or duties.

Having a fresh, third-party perspective on a situation or a project can reveal both issues and solutions not seen by the permanent team. As an outsider, a CoS can speed the decision making process.

With their extended and varied experience in leadership in various companies and industries, a CoS can help you anticipate challenges and provide fresh solutions.

Questions to Ask Yourself

Considering adding a Fractional Chief of Staff?

Pondering these questions may help you decide.

Are you spending enough time on the important/urgent quadrant, or do you get lost in the other three?

Do you have enough "white space" in your calendar for strategic planning and creative though, or do you spend too much time reacting or in meetings?

When making decisions, do you often, after the fact, get surprised with new information that you should have known?

Are problems identified early enough to take corrective action, or do you and your staff constantly feel unprepared or surprised?

Does the culture encourage resistance to change or insulated silos rather than embracing new ways to improve?

Do you hear back on requests you made, and do you have confidence in your team when they say they will follow up or follow through?

Have more questions?

Book a complimentary call to discuss how a Fractional Chief of Staff can work with your organization!

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