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Showing posts from March, 2024

Navigating Change with Vision: The Role of Future State Visualization in Fractional Leadership

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When companies face hurdles during times of change, it's important to create an environment that supports growth. One powerful visual tool is Future State Visualization. It can be hard to see beyond the current problem, but using Future State Visualization helps not only to (re)set the vision but also to see a full picture of the future and a shared understanding for getting there. During a recent engagement, a company efficiently identified its future vision, current state, and actionable steps in just a couple of hours through the guidance of a fractional leader facilitating the Future State Visualization process. Outline of the Approach 1. Look to the Future: Get a sticky note or use a visual tool to map out what the future looks like. When teams lay out these sticky notes and discuss them, they often find significant differences in perception and thinking. A facilitator adds an additional layer to this step by helping the team use clear language that everyone understands. 2. Mo

The Art of Influence and Impact as a Fractional Leader

A quiet trend has begun, and smart, agile companies on the growth path are taking notice. This trend is an opportunity for leaders who want to make a full-time impact with part-time input by being a fractional leader. Fractional leaders are becoming a critical component of the business landscape as companies, new and established, realize that some leadership roles, while critical, do not currently need a full-time head. Enter the fractional leader: a seasoned professional carving out space in organizations as a part-time yet impactful force. While the model offers freedom and adaptability, it also presents unique challenges, particularly around influence and impact. I believe that one does not need to be on the full-time payroll to have a full-time impact. So, to you fellow change-makers, I offer some thoughts on how you can wield influence while still clocking out in time to enjoy your life or other ventures. Before We Begin Let's clear the air on what it means to be a fractional

How Agile Marketing + Fractional Leadership Fuel B2B Growth

It’s 2024 and the technology, channels, and ways in which we discover and learn about products and services we want to purchase is changing constantly, nearly daily. Consequently, as businesses sprint to keep up, I see leaders and marketing teams scratching their heads or excessively pivoting when stuck at the crossroads of "What’s New" and "What Works." So it’s no surprise that as businesses strive to keep pace with that shifting customer journey, their needs, market conditions and technology, the necessity for marketing to embody flexibility with a drive towards performance is not just an advantage, it’s a necessity. Enter the concept of agile marketing :  a responsive, iterative, and customer-centric approach that has become vital for business and revenue growth.  And at the heart of this lean, mean marketing strategy is—you guessed it—Fractional Leadership. Like Swiss Army knives, Fractional Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) are proving to be the perfectly versati

Unlock Engagement with Fractional Executives

 As Bob and Hank sat down to discuss their next steps in addressing the persistent challenges facing their 25-year-old technology and software solutions business, the weight of the situation hung heavy in the air. Christa's resignation had served as a wake-up call, highlighting the pressing need for a strategic solution to address employee disengagement and turnover. "We can't keep going on like this," Hank sighed, with concern written all over his face. "Losing Christa was a blow, but it’s symptomatic of a larger issue." In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, workplaces worldwide face lasting disruptions, affecting the engagement and well-being of millions. Recent data from Gallup shows that U.S. employee engagement has stagnated, especially among younger generations who feel increasingly detached from their work and employers. This would not come as a surprise to Bob and Hank, the visionary co-owners of a technology company who find themselves

Maximizing Growth on a Budget: The Strategic Impact of Hiring a Fractional RevOps Executive for SMEs

Small to medium-sized firms (SMEs) in the business world are always looking for new tactics to improve efficiency, stimulate growth, and stay competitive. Forward-thinking firms are increasingly using the integration of Revenue Operations (RevOps) as a key technique. RevOps coordinates sales, marketing, and customer success teams to work together towards a common goal of increasing revenue. Yet, the obstacle for several SMEs is the resources needed to create and sustain a specialized RevOps team. Here is where the idea of employing a Fractional RevOps Executive transitions from being merely beneficial to being crucial. The Strategic Benefits of Employing a Fractional Revenue Operations Executive A Fractional RevOps Executive is a viable alternative for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to utilize the advantages of RevOps without the financial obligation of hiring a full-time executive. This strategy offers organizations the opportunity to utilize senior-level expertise on a