Interim management is the novel art of providing leadership capabilities and people insights in order to direct, build and ensure a period of change and transition within an organization”.

 

 

 …and its done by shaping capacity and peoples’ capabilities to plan, structure, run and measure operational outcome.

 

Interim and value

The ability to advise, shape and lead change is possible because interims are part of organisation and their advice is perceived to be honest as interims operate independently of the organisation’s past and future politics. Therefore interim managers are typically brought in to implement change or support an organisation to grow out challenging periods of times. 

 

Interim and capabilities

Interim leaders provides insights and experience to organisation that are undergoing challenges and is on a journey to adopt to new way of working. Characteristic for interim leaders are:

  • Highly qualified and brings broad leadership capabilities obtained from different industrial environments. Normally, they also bring deep experience from some business disciple.
  • They bring know-how and skills to make rigorous assessments of the organisation’s current situation and future needs.
  • Have the ability to structure and shape plans that engage people and they are confident in drive implementation programs.
  • Ability with short notice act as a line managers taking responsibility for sustain and developing organisation and people.

Transitions and people

Since all aspects of change and transition journeys involves people, the interims ought to be able to balance different organizational needs while implementing solutions to achieve objectives. As well as making judgement calls about the balances between short and long term perspectives while implementing solutions. Therefore the interim leader need to be able to put change and transition into a context that motivate people.

From – To

In order to explain the context its essential for the interim leader to clearly manage and communicating the rational for change. This includes  describing change and objectives in a straightforward ”from – to”  terms. As well as coaching and empowering co-workers to contribute to achieve organisation’s goals. Meaning that collaboration and trust need to be imbues in teams in order to conduct a solid  change journeys, therefore it important to establish an environment of a shared consciousness about were the organisation is going and why.

 

Operations and implementations

As the implementation of new operations becomes established. The interim leader starts to focus on sustaining operations and plan for a smooth hand-over to the permanent leadership. – A proper hand-over process is important both for the organisation, as well as for the interim leader – since both their futures is based on a successful track record.

 

Deliveries and end

At the end of an interim mission, the Interim Leader ought to reflect on what the organisation have achieved in the light of the objectives and the organizational development during the assignment. This ”lesson learnt” is normally summarized in an Interim report, that provides additional value for the organisation going forward and normally includes recommendations for the permanent leadership based on experience of the misson.

Example of interim solutions can be found via this link: Interim Services

Certified Change Practitioner using the PROSCI methodology as a tool for  delivering transition and change projects.