Fractional Resources

As a fractional leader, your most valuable asset is your time. But when you’re juggling multiple clients or balancing fractional work with full-time commitments, setting and maintaining boundaries becomes crucial. Let’s dive into how you can master this essential skill.

Understanding Your Time Constraints

First things first: you need to know your limits. If you’re capping your engagement at 20 hours a month, break that down. What does that look like week to week? Is it five hours a week? Two full days? Getting clear on the shape of your time helps you structure your engagement — and manage your cost — effectively.

And remember, you’re not just accounting for direct work time. You need to factor in prep, follow-up, and the mental overhead of context-switching between clients or roles. This is why I never recommend billing by the hour — your “billable hour” often eats up 2–3 hours of real energy. Price accordingly.

When you define your time up front, you can create an engagement that supports regular contact while leaving space to go deep when needed — without overextending yourself.

Taking Control of Your Schedule

One of the most powerful tools in your arsenal? Control over your calendar. I’m a strong believer in Calendly for both schedulers and schedulees, but use whatever works for you. The key is to not overcomplicate things.

For most fractional engagements, you’ll primarily need two types of scheduling links:

1. Primary client contact: For regular check-ins and strategy sessions. You might consider opening your free/busy calendar directly, but this gives you less control over how they block your time.

2. Team interactions: For specific situations where you need direct team contact. Depending on the client, you might just add these to their calendars directly.

Set rules that work for you. Allow more flexible scheduling for your primary contact, but require more advance notice for team interactions. Use your scheduling tool to enforce these rules - maybe direct clients can book same-day, but the team needs a week’s notice.

Remember, too many scheduling links get confusing fast. Stick to these two types, with maybe one or two special cases if absolutely necessary.

This approach gives you control over your time while remaining accessible to your client and their team in a structured way.

Structuring Your Engagement

Here’s a sample structure for a 20-hour month. Understanding hours helps you understand cost - even if you don’t bill (or price) by the hour.

• Two hours a week for catch-up and check-in with your primary contact
• Three hours a week for one-on-ones with team members or focused work sessions

This structure allows you to maintain regular contact while also diving deep into specific areas or relationships.

Setting Expectations on Deliverables

When it comes to deliverables, be clear about your role. If a client asks you to write something up, pivot that into a collaborative session. Say something like, “Great, let’s get on a call. I’ll be here while you write it up.”

This approach ensures you’re providing guidance and expertise without taking on work that should be done by the internal team. Remember, you’re fractional - you’re not taking on the entire role. Make sure your client understands they need to handle the parts of the role you’re not covering.

Defining Your Point of Contact

One crucial boundary: define who you work with. In advisory roles, I always recommend working directly with a senior leader - a CTO, CEO, or equivalent. For other fractional roles, ensure you’re working with someone at an appropriate level of authority.

Never let your primary contact be a project manager. Why? Your contact should be as busy as you are. If they’re dedicated solely to managing you, the “unlimited access” and “insurance policy” aspects of a retainer fall apart fast.

The Power of Saying No

Remember, setting boundaries often means saying no. No to scope creep, no to last-minute requests that don’t fit your schedule, no to tasks that don’t align with your role as a fractional leader.

But “no” doesn’t have to be negative. It’s about redirecting efforts to where you can provide the most value within the agreed-upon scope.

Conclusion

Setting and maintaining clear boundaries is an essential skill for any fractional leader. It ensures you can deliver maximum value within the constraints of your engagement, prevents burnout, and helps manage client expectations effectively.

By taking control of your schedule, structuring your engagement thoughtfully, setting clear expectations on deliverables, and defining your key relationships, you set yourself up for success in your fractional leadership role.

Remember, good boundaries don’t limit your impact - they enhance it by ensuring your time and expertise are used where they’re most valuable.

Want to dive deeper into effective fractional leadership strategies? Check out my article on “Hitting the Ground Running: The Power of Onboarding in Fractional Roles” for more insights. And if you’re ready to level up your fractional practice, book a strategy session with me. Let’s make sure you’re set up for success from day one.