A growth choice affects several teams. Sales, delivery and finance need to examine the same proposal and its consequences.
Work with Stan
Boards and leadership teams.
Work with Stan on a company decision involving several people and responsibilities. Agree the participants, preparation and contribution before work starts.
Growth, succession, a change in leadership or a difference between owners can all require the group to work through the choices together.
When the group needs help
Owners see different next steps. Their priorities, timing or willingness to invest may differ. Make those differences useful to the decision.
Responsibilities are changing. Succession or a leadership transition needs clear decisions about who will do what.
A decision keeps returning. Establish what remains unanswered and what the group needs before it can choose.
Agreement has not become action. Check the next step, who owns it and what is getting in the way.
What the work can cover
Stan works with the group on the business question, its options and the responsibilities involved. The setting may be the team's meeting, a board discussion or a working session agreed for the task.
Preparation, follow-through and any written work are requested and agreed as part of scope. All corporate work starts with an inquiry and a separate scope and quote. The monthly one-to-one price does not apply.
See how the work takes shape. A workshop or offsite is a separate format to consider when the work calls for it.
Use the offsite planning guide to agree what the group can decide and what needs preparation.
Company-sponsored coaching
Support a leader in the job.
A CEO, owner or people leader can inquire about work with an executive or manager. The focus might be delegation, difficult decisions or leading a team through change.
One leader. A clear working goal.
Illustrative: a manager takes every difficult customer decision back to the founder. We examine a recent decision, practise the conversation and agree what the manager will try next. If the founder has kept all authority, coaching alone will not fix that.
Agree what the sponsor hears.
Before starting, the sponsor, leader and Stan agree the goal, participation, confidentiality and progress reporting. Private conversation content is not automatically a report to the employer. Any feedback or written work is agreed in scope.
This is separately quoted corporate work, even when the meetings are one-to-one. Ask about leadership coaching or compare the kinds of support.
Fractional and interim work
When the company needs someone to carry responsibility.
A fractional role carries agreed responsibilities on a part-time basis. An interim role covers a defined period or transition. Either needs a clear job, relevant experience and enough authority to do it.
To discuss Stan for a role, describe what needs to run, who reports to it and what decisions it can make. We check fit and availability before agreeing any appointment.
- At the start: name the sponsor, priorities, time commitment, access and decision limits.
- During the work: agree which people, deliverables and operating decisions Stan would own.
- At the handover: name who takes over, what they need and how unfinished work transfers.
For example, taking responsibility for a stalled handoff between sales and delivery is different from advising the owner about it. Use the fractional leadership guide or compare advisory and interim work.
Discuss a company role. Responsibilities, fee and any on-site travel are agreed separately.
A useful meeting agenda
Illustrative example: opening a second location
- The choice. Open now, test the market first or wait.
- The evidence. Committed demand, available people, cash needed and effects on the existing business.
- The differences. What each participant sees and which assumptions matter to the choice.
- The next step. Decide, or name the missing evidence and who will obtain it.
A simple reader's record can capture: question; options; evidence still needed; decision owner; next action; review date. It is a tool for the group, not a promise of an automatic deliverable.
Scope and working arrangements
Participants and information. Agree who is involved, what preparation is useful and who may receive material from the work.
Privacy and conflicts. Discuss confidentiality, recording, information handling and relevant conflicts before starting.
Schedule and location. Agree availability, meeting format, term and any travel arrangements around the work.
Fee and completion. Agree the scope and fee, how progress will be reviewed and what happens if the work changes.
Advisory work supports the company's decision process. A formal director appointment is a different role; see board advisory and the role comparison.
Choose the contribution
- One-to-one coaching. Ongoing work with an owner on business decisions.
- Compare leadership support. Consider work with a leader, the group or an operating role.
- Decision rights. Understand who can decide, contribute and carry work forward.
Questions
When is work with the group useful?
When a company decision involves several people, responsibilities or points of view. The scope should identify the question, participants and contribution needed.
What written work is included?
Written work is requested and agreed as part of scope. Its purpose, audience and preparation should be clear before it is produced.
How long does the work last?
The schedule and term depend on the work and availability. Agree them before starting, with a point to review progress or changed scope.
Does this include a board appointment?
No. Advisory work with a board or leadership team is separate from a formal director appointment and its responsibilities.
Work through the next company decision
Describe the company, who is involved and the contribution you are considering.