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Interim management is a valuable tool for bridging resourcing gaps at a senior level. By choosing the right interim manager for the correct role, it is also possible to achieve significant benefits. You can ensure business continuity is maintained, perhaps even exceeding the performance you would have expected previously. In other words, you may be able, through careful use of an interim manager, to turn a problem into an opportunity.

There are four main reasons for hiring an interim manager, namely:

cover absentee managers
fill recruitment gaps
free resources for a strategic project
enable change in the organisation

The interim resource centre

All organisations face tricky resourcing issues from time to time, for a variety of reasons, for instance, a member of staff on long term sick leave, a new recruit unable to join until their notice period completes. What happens when one of the management team suddenly, and out of the blue, resigns to move to the competition? They'll be on "gardening leave", so how do you cover the role: do nothing, or get someone to do two jobs?

If it were your PA who had suddenly left, you'd pick up the phone to the staff agency immediately and hire a temporary replacement. But when it's a key member of your management team? The usual response is to muddle through.

The modern alternative is to use an interim manager. Not only can the interim manager provide valuable assistance in alleviating regular resource issues, but can also help by freeing up an existing resource to take over, or indeed,

head up, a new or critical/unforeseen project.

If temporary staff are good enough to cover your secretarial gaps, why stop there?

The interim change manager

As a driver of organisational change the interim manager can be used not only to resolve resourcing shortfalls, but also in a start-up (or indeed, downsizing) role to drive potentially unpopular change. This clears the decks for the new, or existing, leader since the interim manager, who, as the 'sin eater'* is the focus for ill-feeling, and takes away much of the negativity on leaving the organisation. What better way to make difficult change in your organisation whilst minimising lasting ill-feeling?

* Sin-eaters were poor persons hired at funerals in olden days, to eat beside the corpse and so take upon themselves the sins of the deceased, that the soul might be delivered from Purgatory!

If you would like to receive a copy of MossKing's Interim Management report or to discuss our experiences of interim management, please call MossKing on 01379 608054

FIRST PUBLISHED MKAL UPDATE SPRING O4