Adaptability

30 October 2008

Thoughts from IIM Director, Stephen Graham-Weall

There are some widely quoted rules or qualities for success as an Interim; however in my experience they are for guidance rather than unthinking obedience.

Interim managers have to be cultural chameleons adapting their approach and style to suit their assignments. Consider the following:

The first quality believed to be necessary to success as an Interim manager is the ability to hit the ground running. This ability is also frequently advanced as an advantage of employing an Interim manager. Is this true?

Assignments are, broadly, sorting out a mess, back filling a role or introducing change. Sorting out a mess, whatever the cause, demands clarity of vision, analytical skills and quick action, so hitting the ground running on as many as possible of the range of skills needed is essential.

Back filling a role requires a softer approach if the operation is running smoothly, including a short induction programme and agreeing the scope of actions to be taken during the assignment. Back filling when all is not well needs the same approach as sorting out a mess.

Introducing change is different, as the ability to hit the ground running will be needed for the process of introducing change, rather than the specific change that is the reason for the assignment.

The ability to hit the ground running is essential to an Interim manager, provided that they adapt the way they apply their skills and knowledge to suit the assignment.

Another common piece of advice is to dress one level more formally than the clients’ personnel, to show you are different. But this depends on the circumstances – are you backfilling a team leader role or introducing change; is a culture change needed?

During a back filling assignment, despite the exhortations and examples from the Interim MD and me, the team continued to wear suits and ties. When the permanent Operations Director joined, and was seen not to wear a suit or tie, the team relaxed their dress. They had been waiting for his arrival to see what he wore before deciding to change their dress code. So don’t underestimate the hidden, probably unconscious, implications of the dress code.

Interims obviously need to adapt their working hours and style to meet the needs of the role, but what is not so clear is what working conditions (office, IT, communications, support etc) should be made available to an Interim.

Whilst not being status driven, Interims need the facilities to enable them to perform efficiently, so the client should provide them. You will not receive credit for working without the necessary tools; after all, the client is investing in Interim management in the expectation of receiving a high quality professional service that is better than they could deliver internally.

What is not negotiable or variable is adherence to the relevant Codes of Practice and the highest standards of conduct, whilst resisting the temptation to ‘go native’.