The 9 keys to the success of an interim management mission

Moving a project forward in a non-hierarchical and/or hierarchical context on a temporary basis is complex.
It is often a question of shaking up certainties, questioning uses, asking to investigate new territories, etc.
However, there are several difficulties for the internal resources that lead these transformation projects (C-Level, Project Directors/Managers, PMOs, to name but a few):

• Technical and operational complexity of the project
• “Environmental” complexity, i.e. their ability to move forward on issues where each of their initiatives, proposals and/or decisions could have a negative impact on their career (project failure, inertia, new friends in the organization, etc.).

During a recent lunch, an HR director confided to me that he observed in his company:

• that many transformation projects (strategic and or intermediate) not only fail to succeed, but as a second penalty,
• that the notoriety of those who are entrusted with high-exposure missions is deteriorating to the point of “driving away some who no longer imagine their destiny here”

 

So why not call on an external, temporary and oversized expertise?

Interim Executive Management in Anglo-Saxon countries appeared in Europe in the 1970s, in the Netherlands and then in the United Kingdom, and consists of temporarily entrusting the reins of a company, one of its subsidiaries, departments, operational entities, departments or projects to an external operational manager, to initiate or support a transformation phase. of recovery, or of managerial deficiency.
What was often a last resort has become a managerial practice in its own right. There are several reasons for this:

• This solution has the advantage of speed. An interim manager can be available and operational very quickly: as a general rule, from a few days to one or two weeks.
• Interim management also has the advantage of flexibility. It makes it possible to strengthen the management team, in a transitional manner and for varying periods of time according to the evolution of the need. In the random economic world in which we live, this solution has the advantage of creating a position in the organization without making a commitment to duration and career development for the person concerned.
• Compared to internal solutions, interim management also has the advantage of giving access to a wide range of high-level skills. The true interim manager will compensate for his lack of knowledge of the internal culture and the company’s techniques with a great ability to adapt, his own experience, the contribution of an outside eye, no compromise linked to his past in the organization or ambition for career development or political play.
• They are real “people managers” directly inspired by the agile manifesto which invites us to rethink the relationship with others to inspire, engage, empower and accelerate transformation. They have moved from a statutory logic to a logic of contribution.

The perception and relevance of the use of interim management are changing and are now an innovative, flexible and positive solution.

 

However, for the success of the mission, the simple choice of the manager is essential but not sufficient.

How to ensure the success of a transition mission?

• 1/ Reduce the gap between the customer’s request and the actual need.

Faced with the urgency of the request, the requirement of the EMT (Interim Management Company) for a complete briefing is essential to understand the issues beyond the position to be filled

• 2/ Identify “compatible” profiles

Both in terms of Hard Skills and Soft Skills. Will the manager be in line with the corporate culture, his future colleagues? From his experience, is he able to deal with these subjects? Is his or her career path in line with the client’s activity?

• 3/ Present the mission in a clear and transparent manner to interim managers ‘

Clearly explain the issues, expectations, the environment of intervention, a mapping of powers. Don’t hide anything.

• 4/ Encourage interim managers to prepare for “customer” presentation interviews to discuss all subjects.
• 5/ Give honest feedback to the candidates at the end of the debriefing with the client.

Whether the candidate is chosen or not. For the chosen candidate, it is also an essential act both in terms of strengths and points of vigilance.

• 6/ The positioning of the manager in the organization and the discourse strategy for the announcement of his arrival.

These are two structuring elements for the success of the mission. It is both symbolic for the teams and statutory in the sense of the stakes.

• 7/ The drafting of the mission order, a real backbone that guides the trajectory to be followed and allows deviations to be rectified.
• 8/ Mission follow-up with the client and the manager to ensure that everyone is aligned

At predefined deadlines, meetings are held to exchange views throughout the mission.

• 9/ Conduct an end-of-mission interview with the client/manager to take stock of the situation, transmit information, identify next steps.