Fractional
Part-time senior leadership, two to six days a month, ongoing, with a six-month minimum. Up to three of these run in parallel — never alongside an interim engagement.
You have inbound from a region you don't operate in. A board asked about international revenue and you have no credible answer. A distributor or partner is nominally covering a market and nothing is happening. Or the opportunity is obvious and a full-time hire is twelve months and a quarter of a million euros away from being justifiable.
Leverage, not attendance. Two to six days a month only works if what gets built keeps working when I'm not in the room: the partner structure, the qualification discipline, the stakeholder map, the reporting rhythm. If an engagement depends on my presence rather than what my presence built, it has failed — and I'd rather say that in month one than in month nine.
Two to six days a month, six-month minimum, open-ended after that. A fixed first month, then a monthly retainer plus an outcome component tied to what we agreed in month one. Up to three fractional roles run in parallel. When all three are taken, you'll get realistic timing in writing rather than a queue you never hear from again.
If what you need is someone in the market four days a week, this shape will disappoint you and I'll say so before you sign. That's an interim engagement, or a hire. Fractional works when the constraint is seniority, not hours.
The difference in one table
| Interim | Fractional | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Full-time equivalent, one client | 2–6 days per month, ongoing |
| Term | 6–12 months, defined end | 6-month minimum, open-ended |
| Typical trigger | Someone left, or a search is running | The market is real, the headcount isn't approved |
| Buys you | A vacant role covered now | A role you can't yet fund full-time |
| Capacity cost | The whole practice | One of three |
| Month one | Fixed fee. It can end in "don't fill this role yet" — the fee is the same either way. | |
| After month one | Monthly fee plus an outcome component tied to what we agreed in month one. | |
Tell me which role is open and what has to be true in six months. If it's the wrong role, I'll say so.
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