All the stages of crisis management and the role of the interim manager

During a period of crisis (whether financial, managerial, operational, etc.), managers rarely have the necessary hindsight to turn around the situation effectively and responsively. Faced with major, sudden and unexpected challenges, it will then be very beneficial to outsource crisis management to an interim manager.

In this article, we take stock of the stages that mark crisis management and the central role of the interim manager in this period of upheaval.

 

What are the stages of crisis management?

Here are 5 key steps around which crisis management can be organized:

• Anticipating the risks of crises

Before talking about crisis management, it is important to prevent the risks that could generate such a situation within the company.

To do this, it will be necessary to identify the main risks within each department: cash flow problems, cyberattacks, change of management, peak growth, massive disengagement, labour shortages, logistics crisis, loss of key accounts, etc.

For each critical scenario, it will be necessary to prepare an adapted management plan and put in place preventive actions to limit future risks.

 

• Analyzing the situation

If, despite the risk management strategy, a crisis occurs, the first step is to assess its scope, its causes and its impact on the company, on its cash flow, on its ability to meet customer demand, on its human resources, on its brand image, etc. This diagnosis must be rapid, precise, and make it possible to guide immediate measures to stabilize the situation as quickly as possible.

• Deploy a crisis management plan

It will then be necessary to put in place a crisis management plan and identify the levers to be activated to minimize the consequences of this delicate period: job protection plan, liquidity management, debt negotiation, cost reduction, site closures, etc. The goal here is to avert immediate threats and stabilize the situation.

If it manages the crisis internally, the company will be able to set up a crisis unit made up of several key players playing a central role in crisis management.

 

• Putting a recovery plan in place

Once the situation has stabilised, actions to restore order in the long term will need to be put in place. This The recovery plan must enable the company to ensure its sustainability, regain the trust of stakeholders (customers, employees, investors, etc.) and restore its brand image, among other things.

It is also imperative to take the time to learn from this crisis : what were the causes? Could the crisis have been avoided? What actions can be put in place to prevent this situation from happening again? How can we strengthen the resilience of society and its agility? …

Several actions and challenges can then emerge from this reflection (change in corporate culture, management style, positioning, organizational change, staff training, etc.).

 

• Keeping teams engaged

As explained earlier, crises are accompanied by considerable human challenges. The risks of resignations, disengagement and absenteeism are then much higher. To prevent them, it will be imperative reassuring employees throughout the crisis, demonstrating transparent communication, welcoming everyone’s fears and preserving the social climate.

 

Why call on the interim manager in times of crisis?

The interim manager is a highly experienced professional. A man or woman in the field, it’s A natural leader and a true specialist in crisis management. Indeed, with a career of fifteen years in positions of high responsibility to his credit, he is experienced in emergency and crisis management, in a variety of contexts. It intervenes for a period of 6 to 18 months, the time to stabilize the situation and get the business back on its feet.

• Cutting-edge sector know-how

The interim manager is also provided withSector-specific know-how, which enables him or her to quickly understand the specific issues of the undertaking and its sector of activity.Agri-food, nuclear, Industry, luxury, Construction & Construction, Pharmaceutical & Healthcare, Banking & Insurance, retail…). In addition, the company can Calling on an interim manager specialized in a specific function, depending on the type of crisis experienced (Interim Executive Director ; Interim HR Director ; Interim Supply Chain Manager ; Interim Sales Manager ; Transitional CFO…).

 

• Soft skills adapted to crises and emergencies

In addition to their cutting-edge expertise, the interim manager has human qualities and managerial skills that are highly valued in times of crisis: adaptability, composure, listening, audacity, sense of leadership, pragmatism, agility, etc. This interpersonal skills allow him to gain the trust of the teams, to preserve everyone’s commitment and maintain a benevolent social climate during this delicate period. This is essential because crises are the cause of many upheavals on a human and managerial level: stress, loss of bearings, loss of motivation, loss of meaning…

 

• Operational excellence and a results-oriented methodology

As soon as they join the company, the interim manager demonstrates operational excellence : he or she diagnoses the situation, identifies the issues and implements a crisis management plan tailored to the challenges faced by the company.

Throughout his intervention, he adopts a methodology focused on obtaining tangible results, fast and efficient. Highly responsive and agile, he will be able to quickly identify the appropriate offensive solutions and recovery measures to be put in place to rectify the situation, minimize damage, protect the company’s resources and ensure business continuity.

 

• A neutral and impartial view

In addition, the interim manager is endowed with a neutral view and an external posture allowing him to make informed decisions necessary to ensure the survival of the company, without worrying about how his choices will be perceived.

 

• Planning for the end of the crisis

The interim manager is not satisfied with stabilizing the situation during the crisis. It also helps the company plan the next steps to Bounce back effectively and sustainably at the end of the crisis. It will also help the organization identify opportunities and lessons learned from this period.

 

Are you looking for an interim manager to manage a crisis within your organization?

Our interim management company WAYDEN mobilizes for you an expert in crisis management in your sector of activity, whose profile is tailored to your expectations. Thanks to his unparalleled interpersonal skills, his in-depth sector know-how and his expertise in crisis management, he will help you quickly turn around the situation and preserve the sustainability of your organization.

 

Contact us to find out more.