Change is inevitably at the heart of most interim management assignments, and common reasons cited for initiating an interim assignment are:
- to drive change to fill a gap while recruiting to supply specific expertise needed for a project.
- to deliver extra short term resource to an important project.
- to fill in following the sudden loss of a manager to review business processes.
Increasingly, Chief Executives and HR directors are turning to an interim solution to resolve resourcing issues, as it delivers a 'sensibly over-qualified' experienced executive into the business in a time scale from a few days to two or three weeks, for a duration dictated by the business need. The relatively high per diem rate is more than offset by the complete flexibility of the arrangement, the transparent nature of the cost and absence of extras or add-ons.
Interim managers value the focus on the task in hand that the interim context provides. There is usually a limited timescale available for the achievement of the task, and the manager is not distracted by lengthy induction and acclimatisation arrangements or peripheral responsibilities. He or she expects to agree in the first few days the principal deliverables and the timescale for their achievement, and to take responsibility for delivery.
An often forgotten aspect of the successful interim assignment is the company's responsibility for the beginning, middle and end of the assignment.
Because an interim is likely to be a successful achiever with good interpersonal skills and team player attributes, it is easy to get used to having the person around, and to forget that they were engaged to achieve a particular task, and assignments can suffer from 'end-drift'. It is the responsibility of both parties to be alive to this possibility and to manage the end of the assignment as well as the early stages.
You may want to review the appropriateness of an interim solution to your business needs, but if you are planning for or being confronted by change, it may well provide a highly effective solution at a containable cost and a way of strengthening your existing team. Spindler is well placed to provide existing and new clients with free advice and will be glad to discuss your particular requirements.
Contact our specialist Pat Perridge on 0118 939 4506 or pat@stuartspindler.co.uk.
