LinkedInterims discussion

In the midst of recession with so many senior managers out of work, why hire a Professional Interim?

LinkedInterims professional interim management consulting John L Evans employment trends contractor senior executive results outcomes success locris


The difference between a Professional Interim and an unemployed Executive:
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Being able to hit the ground running, be apolitical, add real value, and NOT make oneself indispensable is the art of the professional interim, and completely counter intuitive to the redundant, corporate, greasy pole climber. We strive to add value quickly, resolve problems without drama, and to return clients' businesses to a state of equilibrium. For this we charge a reasonable fee - a fee that reflects the fact that we are professionals, available at short notice, have high skills and expertise, and accept that maybe ½ of our time may not be fee earning. We carry professional indemnity insurance and the ability to manage situations that are much more significant than the problems we are often called on to resolve.

From the day I arrive at a client's, I make it my job to leave - to fix the problem and enable the client's people to be self-sufficient. I do not seek to carve out a niche for myself, or to build an empire - I work with the client, their people, processes, technology, investors, whoever, to deliver the change/ improvement/ fix/ turnaround/ system/ whatever, they need. I do not seek to impress or to bully. I do not threaten. I am objective, impartial and there to help everyone - I acknowledge that the client sets the objectives, however, the outcome is my responsibility.

I win trust - if I fail, it's my fault, if I succeed, it's the business and the staff's success.

Production / run the business managers are not good at managing change - most of them struggle to even specify change - so if there's a problem they have little hope of accurately identifying it and virtual no hope of fixing it.

They come into the market, dilute rates with stupid pricing, do little to solve clients' problems, preferring to ingratiate themselves into the client's business in an effort to get a job. As soon as they have one they assemble as many barriers as possible to interims or anyone else that might threaten their security of tenure.

Did I mention what a great job they do?

Amateur interims dilute the market, damage rates, damage reputation and generally do no good.

It is regrettable that employers and recruitment, search and selection, outplacement and coaching / mentoring businesses take advantage of the interim market in a downturn, for all the wrong reasons and in the wrong way. A downturn is the time to cull the deadwood and employ peripatetic expertise on a point basis - interims. It is not the time to be saddled with an out-of-work manager purporting to be an agent of change, who is, in effect, simply seeking to slide into the woodwork and become part of the organisation with the problem, not the bringer of resolution to the problem.

(c) John L. Evans 2011

Cheers John
"Intelligence is like four-wheel drive - it just gets you stuck in more remote places." - Garrison Keillor

John L. Evans FIMIS FCMI FIBC MBCS CITP MID MCIPS

Mobile: 07957 190186
Home: 01926 624832

http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnevans

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Copyright: All original thought and ideas vest in John Evans and are subject to any all usual protections.
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