Why is there a preoccupation on the sector focus for selection of interim managers?

 – An IIM consensus on the sector misnomer is being reached – it makes no rational sense, although in times on unceratinty we are driven back to the familiar solutions for comfort. But there are some aspects I suggest we as interims become aware of..

  1. Recognising the scenario and adjusting the approach e.g.
    1. turnaround or
    2. realignment
    3. checking the brief – there is actually some change to do (vs. gap / more of the same management)
      1. What do they wish to different?

                                                               i.      (is there any change aspect to the role that defines the end point – i.e. is it an interim or temporary gap role)

  1. What does that look like?

                                                               i.      checks values (not what are the issues – goes nowhere)

  1. Will they give us the space brief to do so?

                                                               i.      Micro management we find is a killer of an interim assignments success

  1. And reading the culture.
    1. What makes the business successful?
    2. How does it work?
    3. What are the organisation values?
    4. How are decisions made?
    5. What does success look like?
    6. Etc.
    7. CPD – there are aspects of CPD (a focus of the icebreaker team) about that supports interims in reading these situations better – which is more about “us changing” rather “than them” – so independent of scenario anyway.
    8. Technically the way our brains work means that if a scenario is familiar we will not think – our subconscious processes it automatically – so out of sector input is vital to effect the difference
      1. Infantile public sector risk adverse procurement processes – actually therefore deliver quite the opposite – embed and accept the existing risks in the current scenario.
      2. We have found the same issues and inefficiency in banks in 2006 – and look what happened!

These can apply equally in the public or private sector. And you can find pockets of both traits.

Variety of experience is what enables the interim to develop their capability, and engage and be useful within days because we have seen so many different scenarios. But hey it is never easy and we rarely get it right first time.