Before the first session
- Gather what exists: company overview, key figures, org chart, strategy documents, even incomplete ones.
- List your three priority topics, and what you expect on each.
- Decide where decisions will be written: one place that you, your right-hand and, where relevant, your team share.
The more your right-hand knows before the first session, the less time you spend re-explaining.
Days 1–30: understand
The first month is for diagnosis: where the business stands, what works, what's stuck, what depends only on you. A good right-hand asks a lot of questions and proposes little, at first.
By the end of the first month, you should agree on three to five written priorities.
Days 30–60: decide and structure
Each session tackles one topic and ends with a decision or a dated action with an owner. This is the time to lay foundations: direction, who decides what, the first processes. See how to structure your business.
Days 60–90: set the rhythm
Rituals settle in: a regular review of goals, a look back at past decisions. The team starts moving topics forward between sessions, without everything going through you.
On day 90, review together: what has changed? What should continue? Should the rhythm change?
Rituals that work
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Before each session | A status update: what moved, what's stuck, today's topics. |
| During | One topic at a time, until a decision. |
| At the end | Decisions and actions written down, with an owner and a date. |
| Between sessions | Actions move forward; follow-ups happen. |
| Each quarter | A review of the engagement and the priorities. |
Pitfalls to avoid
- Re-explaining everything each session because nothing is written down.
- Sessions that end without a decision: a good conversation isn't a result.
- Keeping the engagement secret from the team, when they're the ones who apply the decisions.
- Becoming dependent on your right-hand: the goal is a business that holds up better, not one that needs them for everything.
The question to ask at the end. If the engagement stopped tomorrow, what would remain? A written strategy, clear roles, shared methods, recorded decisions: that's the proof it was worth it.
To choose your right-hand: the complete guide. For the format: fractional right-hand.