Crisis Opportunities - Interim Management

Such dire climates we are in right now will show what type of manager will float and who will drown. Many will, and this is therefore the right period for interim management.

An interim manager may apply unpopular measures that are not allowed under normal circumstances. Interim managers often use a "harder" approach to the organization, whereas normal - nice weather managers - apply a softer approach.

This is normal because under normal circumstances you should care for your popularity as a manager. In a negative economic climate there is often less space for a white gloves approach. The focus in on controlling costs and employees are portrayed as such (costs) whether in prosperity they are "our most valuable assets."

Interim management is exactly that, interim. You do not want this approach to rule for ever. But a good excuse to take unpopular measures is better done by others. Although credibility is at stake. Even better would it be to be able to fall back on a risk-fund; every organization should have a plan for such circumstances. But reserving funds is against the idea of optimizing shareholder value.

I have met one interim manager once, who used the complete opposite of this approach. He had a very social attitude and he tried to change the organization from within, having faith in the potential of the employees. Many were impressed by his focus on details and his communication skills. Yet his change path took too long and made the shareholders nervous. Or not even that, they didn't care whether the organization could change. They had already decided to diminish the head-count.

That is one of the problems with interim managers, they are often hired to do a job, and a possible potential of employees is not the first focus. The interim manager has a short term focus and is guided by a simple execution policy of higher management or stakeholder.