What do interim managers do?
Interim managers bring well-qualified skills and expertise to bear at short notice, without the overheads and shackles associated with employment. They consult, plan, advise, implement, and embed the lessons, then exit, handling a range of key strategic and tactical interventions. As businesses in their own right, they offer independent expertise, free of company politics, and take responsibility for delivering results, not just offering advice.
The ‘hallmarks’ which differentiate professional interim managers:
- High-impact. Interim managers are practised at making a significant difference quickly, assessing and working with the company culture and often with little in the way of a formal ‘brief’. They do not need time to warm-up or to settle-in, but focus quickly on the work in hand.
- Independent. They remain outside of company politics and so are able to address issues from a position of neutrality. This can be particularly useful when difficult and unpopular decisions have to be taken. They also act as trusted advisors who tell it as it is.
- Professional. Interim managers are micro-businesses in their own right, usually operating as limited companies. They trade with the hallmarks of business, not employment, such as Professional Indemnity Insurance, business e-mail and often their own business website.
- Senior. Operating at Board or near-Board level, interim managers are managers and executives who have gravitas and credibility. They are used to leading businesses, functions, and departments. Suitably well qualified, they advise then deliver effective solutions.
- Transformational. Interim management is often focused on activities related to change, transition, business improvement, crisis management and turnaround. Even when their assignment addresses a gap or shortage, they add value and energise the workplace.
- Wide expertise. With a strong track record of completing a variety of assignments, interim managers typically combine depth and breadth of expertise in their chosen sectors and disciplines. Their agility gives them the wide-reaching expertise to deliver results quickly.
- Time focused. Interim managers are available at short notice. Once engaged, they will focus on providing significant value within the agreed fixed-term time parameters, seeing the assignment through to a conclusion and not staying for longer than needed.