Interim manager and crisis management consulting

Within a company, crises can take many forms. It is generally an unforeseen and exceptional event, which jeopardizes the sustainability of the activity.

The crisis can, for example, be linked to a change of manager, a sharp decrease in demand, or an unexpected peak in activity. It may also be related to a workforce reduction (PSE), a merger, or a restructuring.

It can be global and affect all departments of the company or be focused on a particular function (e.g. the IT function with cyberattacks). The media crisis (bad buzz management) is also specific and requires the intervention of a Chief Communications Officer (CCO). But the causes can also be external to the company, as was the case with the health crisis, which threatened the future of a large number of organizations. If not managed effectively, these crisis situations can therefore have very detrimental repercussions. By calling on an interim manager during crisis management within your company, you minimize the risks during this pivotal period. He sets up a crisis management plan, rolls out the steps and manages internal communication. The sensitive situation is quickly stabilized, allowing you to bounce back effectively on a new basis, with more resilience.

The interim manager intervenes within the company while the business is turned around. Its objective is defined in advance with the client: it is therefore immediately operational. The duration of his intervention generally ranges from three months to more than a year, depending on the extent of the crisis and the needs of society.

Due to their strong involvement and emotional commitment, a business leader can sometimes lack an overview in times of crisis. In this, the interim manager will support him on a daily basis, thanks to his hindsight and neutrality. Totally external to the company he supports, the latter takes a fresh and objective look at the problems encountered. He will thus be able to implement short-term actions in an ultra-reactive manner to deal with the urgency of the situation. But it will also integrate these recovery measures into a more global strategy, adapted to a long-term vision. In addition, during this period of crisis, this expert takes over the company, or a specific department (HR, Finance, Logistics, Purchasing, etc.). He is therefore specialized in a particular sector or function.

When they arrived in the organization, the interim manager had already analyzed, anticipated and made a fair and precise diagnosis justifying their crisis system. He will then federate the teams around an in-depth action plan adapted to a defensive context to get through the crisis and anticipate the aftermath. In this way, he avoids major risks and implements offensive and sustainable solutions.

The presence of the interim manager, integrated into the daily life of the company, also allows the company to breathe new life into the company. It helps employees regain confidence, and turn any sense of failure into opportunities. Crisis communication with employees is essential because it avoids negative leverage effects related to the human factor. Indeed, as each crisis is a vector of progress, the interim manager helps you to identify areas for improvement, to explore new ways of working or to set up a more beneficial organizational management over time and above all to maintain operational continuity while you get through these delicate situations. He also supports you at the end of the crisis, to gradually re-energize the activity and turn the company around in the long term.