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Category comparison
Lock vs. a fractional CHRO
A fractional CHRO sells judgment and part-time attention. Lock designs the connected, measurable mechanism the CHRO would otherwise have to build ad hoc, and the design is transferable to whoever operates it next.
Comparison table
| Dimension | Lock | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | A designed, documented, connected process architecture fitted to the company. | Ongoing part-time executive judgment and decision-making capacity. |
| Who runs it afterwards | The client’s own team, or Lock on a defined implementation or improvement scope. | The fractional executive, for as long as the engagement continues. |
| Whether seams are connected | Yes — hiring, compensation, onboarding, performance, and systems interfaces are designed together. | Depends on the individual; connections across functions are usually informal. |
| Measures | Built into the mechanism from the start, with defined measures per process. | Added at the executive’s discretion, if at all. |
| Price model | Published starting prices by scope (see /pricing). | Typically a recurring monthly or day-rate retainer. |
When not to use Lock
This comparison is not always in Lock's favor.
- You need ongoing executive presence in leadership meetings, not a designed process.
- You need someone to make people decisions on your behalf, not architecture you will run yourself.
- The company is too early to have a repeatable process worth designing yet.