Why a Fractional Integrator Might Be a Good Option

Hey everybody, it's Mark C. Winters and I want to address a question that I'm hearing a lot about fractional integrators. There are tons of people going back and forth on this topic and it's really interesting to see what they're saying. Now you may be wondering what the heck is a fractional integrator or how does that even work? Fractional integrators split their time between two or more businesses serving in a more limited time capacity. It's not ideal, but a fractional integrator is certainly better than no integrator at all. The reason I say it's not ideal is because a visionary needs their complementary counterpart at the helm of the company. They need to maximize that visionary integrator relationship to help take their company to the next level. That's more challenging to do on a part time basis with someone. But again, something is better than nothing to get you moving further along your EOS journey. Mainly we're seeing discussions about fractional integrators in the marketplace among smaller companies. Now, they have a couple of dynamics that are driving this conversation. One, they simply can't afford to bring on a full time integrator. Sometimes they feel they may never get to that point, so they're looking for a different type of solution. The other dynamic is the scale of the organization. It just hasn't created the need for a full time integrator yet. So in the meantime, what usually happens here is the visionary or another member of the leadership team does their best to cover that integrator seat as well, along with their primary seat. This second scenario worries me more than the first. The leader covering the integrator seat in addition to the regular seat on the accountability chart is rarely able to do both jobs well and sometimes they even burn themselves out trying. So I really want that organization's leadership team to take a hard look around. Is there really no one in the organization that's capable of serving in the integrator role full time? So, leaders, I want you to think about your accountability chart and what you really need from the integrator seat. Visionaries, be honest with yourself. It's very unlikely that you truly GWC that integrator seat. And if no one on your leadership team can effectively fill that integrator seat, then I want you to recognize that you have a void there, a serious void. When you have a void, you need to address it. And that may mean going outside the organization to fill it. In these cases, a fractional integrator may be the best or maybe even the only option. And here's why one Fractional integrators can work. I actually have an example where a company brought one in and grew by 1,400% in three years. Point two something is better than nothing. So I'd love to see you get started really embracing and filling that integrator function as soon as possible, even if it's just part time from now. And third, assuming you really don't have somebody there who can give you what you need from that seat, you have a void. And addressing that void is more important than having a perfect solution. So a little tangent alert. One of the other questions I get is can someone fill the integrator role remotely? The answer is yes, they can. Didn't many of us just do that for the better part of a year? As long as that integrator is rock solid on the five rules and the five tools, they can definitely fill that seat remotely. To any integrator types out there. Are you thinking about becoming a fractional integrator? Well, we've got some members in the rocket fuel community you could talk to and see if it might be a good fit for you. We've also had some fractional integrators take our Integrator masterclass. They said the class really helped them become stronger in the role and get even more out of their fractional integrator seats. So I invite you to check out the masterclass and see if it might be a good option for you as well, and join the discussion on our free Rocket Fuel Interactive Community Forum. Both are available on our website rocketfueluniversity.com and until next time, go Rocket.