The 6 Bad Habits to Break as a Fractional CFO

As a Fractional CFO, you play a critical role in the financial management of your client's business. Your expertise and insights can help guide their decision-making and ultimately contribute to their success. However, some bad habits can hold you back from fulfilling your potential and providing the best value to your clients.

In this article, we'll explore some of the most common bad habits that Fractional CFOs tend to fall into and offer some practical advice on how to break them. By identifying and addressing these habits, you can improve your effectiveness as a Fractional CFO and provide even greater value to your clients. Let's get started.

6 Bad Habits Fractional CFOs Must Break

1. Equating time with money
2. Failing to set boundaries
3. Trying to fix everything
4. "Too many cooks in the kitchen"
5. Failing to scale from identified gaps
6. Chasing quantity over quality

Equating time with money

It's easy to fall into the trap of equating the time you invest with the money you will receive from your clients. However, this can lead to a mindset that values your time over the value you bring to the client's business.

Instead of focusing solely on how much time you spend on a project, try to focus on the value you bring. It's essential to balance the time you invest and the value you provide your clients. This may involve shifting your mindset to prioritize outcomes and results rather than logging hours.

One way to start equating your time with the value you're providing is to have clear expectations and goals with your clients from the outset. This can help you prioritize your time and focus on the areas that will deliver the most value. Ultimately, breaking the habit of equating time with money can help you build stronger relationships with your clients and deliver better outcomes for their businesses.

Failing to set boundaries

As a Fractional CFO, it can be easy to blur the lines between your personal and professional life. If you don't set boundaries with your clients, they may expect you to be available around the clock or call you during off-hours. This can lead to stress and burnout and ultimately impact the quality of your work.

To avoid this, setting clear boundaries with your clients from the start is important. This can involve establishing a consistent schedule for communication and making it clear when you're available to take calls or answer emails. By setting these expectations, you can create a communication framework that works for you and your client.

Another way to set boundaries is to delegate tasks to other team members or colleagues so you don't feel the need to be constantly available. This can help you focus on your core responsibilities and avoid getting bogged down with unnecessary tasks. Remember, setting boundaries is essential for your mental and emotional well-being, as well as the success of your business.

Trying to fix everything

When working as a Fractional CFO, taking on more than your primary responsibilities is tempting, and trying to fix every problem within your client's organization is tempting. However, this approach can be detrimental and cause you to spread yourself too thin. It's crucial to remember that your main objective is to lead the finance organization and provide financial insights that align with the business's overall goals.

To avoid the temptation of branching out, it's important to develop clear objectives and key results (OKRs) that focus on the finance organization's priorities. This can help you stay focused on your core responsibilities and avoid getting sidetracked by other areas of the business. By setting these OKRs, you can also communicate your priorities to your clients and ensure you're aligned with their overall goals.

"Too many cooks in the kitchen"

The phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen" can apply to Fractional CFOs, full-time finance professionals, and social media. It refers to the feeling of not doing enough in various financial sectors, especially compared to others who seem to excel. This can be demotivating and distract from the value being provided to clients.

To avoid this feeling of being overwhelmed, it's important to take a step back and assess the situation. Identify the existing gaps and address them to ensure they don't become a source of demotivation. It's also important to remember that every professional has strengths and weaknesses, and there's always something to learn from others.

Failing to scale from identified gaps

One of the most significant mistakes that Fractional CFOs can make is failing to scale from identified gaps. When a gap is placed, finding a way to scale and fill the void is essential. One of the best ways to achieve this is by bringing in an expert with the skills, experience, and know-how to accelerate the Fractional CFO and their team.

If the Fractional CFO can cover 60-70% of the gap, bringing in someone to cover the remaining percentage is wise. This expert can bring a fresh perspective and offer valuable insights to help scale and fill the gaps.

To get the most out of the expert's skills, learning as much as possible about the identified gap is essential before bringing in an expert. This will enable a more targeted approach and ensure the expert's skills and passion match the identified gap. By scaling from the identified gaps, Fractional CFOs can ensure they provide maximum value to their clients and continue improving their skills and expertise.

Chasing quantity over quality

Focusing solely on the quantity of clients can be detrimental to the quality of service that Fractional CFOs provide. While taking on as many clients as possible is tempting, there's only so much one can handle realistically, given the bandwidth available.

When Fractional CFOs start taking on too many clients, the quality of service provided begins to suffer, and the value of their work decreases. Finding the right balance between quantity and quality is essential to provide the best possible service to clients.

Instead of chasing the quantity of clients, you should focus on providing high-quality service to existing clients. This can build a solid reputation, attract more clients, and increase the overall value of their work.

Conclusion

Breaking bad habits as a Fractional CFO is crucial to providing high-quality service to clients. You can improve your overall effectiveness by setting boundaries, focusing on core responsibilities, and balancing quantity with quality. And for expert financial partnership and advising, Fresh FP&A is here to help you meet your business goals. Contact us today to learn more!