What is a Fractional Executive?

Ask yourself how much less you’d get done if you took one day a week off work. Would this 20% reduction in effort result in a 20% reduction in output? For most people, if we’re being honest, we could realistically deliver more than 80% despite the lost hours.

Now what if you did the same calculation with a 50% reduction in effort, but where the newfound 10 free days a month is spent working for other organizations, all the time picking up new contacts, and valuable knowledge from relevant industries that you can use to elevate your primary role?

You’re starting to see the value of hiring a fractional executive. I’m not suggesting all your executive positions should be fractional, but dipping your toe in the water can be a more prudent approach than the glorious cannonball.

Fractional executives have three key differentiators.

  1. They are part time, so they cost less than a full time executive.
  2. Their experience is broad, having worked for many companies in many industries, ensuring they bring a holistic approach.
  3. They are often a temporary hire, allowing you to set clearly defined measurable goals with a deadline.

Judging by the increased number of fractional executive placement firms over the last 5 years, the popularity of this approach is only set to increase, especially when one notices how many fractional positions posted on LinkedIn are by investment firms looking to place an experienced executive in their portfolio companies.

This doesn’t mean fractional executives are for everyone though. Have a look at Should you hire a Fractional CTO to see if you recognize your company there.

This is part 1 of a 3 part series.
You can find the other two here:

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