Dear Colleague,

There are lots or reasons for becoming an Interim Manager.In my case I had enjoyed many years of progress as an employee but sensed that I was reaching a plateau with no obvious ways to progress. It seemed to me that to manage my own transition at a time and manner under my control was far preferable to being offered a take-it-or-leave-it deal. Even so making the initial change was full of fears. At the age of 40 I had no idea how I would market myself, or even how to describe my skill-set .I had spent most of my career in retail financial services, but who would want an interim banker?

The outplacement advice my last employer provided was incredibly helpful answering that all-important question “what am I?”. As employees we tend to define ourselves in terms of the jobs we’ve done and the companies we’ve served, and this can drastically narrow our self-perception. By assessing my capabilities and experiences in far more generic and transportable ways this ex-banker has worked with clients in the electronic media, in performing arts and recently in a national utility.

It’s vital to maintain your own pace and drive, especially if the client’s culture is less pacy than you’re used to, but also to be sensitive to taking the client’s staff with you. On longer-term assignments, as mine tend to be, it can be easy to succumb to the local culture and become indistinguishable from the employed staff. The contract and working relationship between the Interim Manager and client is an excellent way to focus on making a difference and then move on.

Clients expect immediate delivery so there’s little or no time to learn the ropes. By the end of the first week I aim to have made a number of tangible value-adds, even just small ones. Every week I cost the client money – often more than an equivalent employee – so I need to be very focused on the improvements I’m making or it’s time to go.

Each new assignment and client is a learning opportunity. The cumulative experience and knowledge gained over different commercial sectors is what enriches my skill-set and makes me worth my day rate. They also build your network but you must make the effort to maintain it.

A big benefit for an interim over being an employee concerns the client's corporate politics. They can’t be ignored as they represent significant constraints on how you operate, but ultimately they don’t have the same long-term personal impact. What a relief that is!

Yours truly,

Rod McPhee
Interim Manager