Your j and s interim and management consultancy ltd kettering Information
Malcolm Smith has been an interim manager for two and a half years. Here, he shares his experiences and advice for anyone thinking about a move in to interim management. Malcolm is currently Interim Director of Regeneration at the London Borough of Lewisham.
1. What is your background?
I started as a town planner, 34 years ago nearly but after about 10 years I moved into general environment services and regeneration. My days as a planner are long gone now but ironically now I still manage planning services. I don’t actually work as a town planner on any basis, but that is my background.
2. Why did you decide to become an interim manager?
A combination of circumstances really. I’d been looking to move into a Chief Executive role and for a number of various reasons I just didn’t get lucky though I came close. At the same time, the Council I was working with, Newham, wanted to make some changes and so the opportunity came up for me to effectively take redundancy but also to have the benefit of taking my pension at the same time. That made me think about what did I want to do with the rest of my time working and I thought that interim would be something I’d quite like to do.
3. What are the pros?
Well I think, for me, certainly when I started I did quite like the uncertainty. I quite liked the newness of going somewhere with essentially a clean sheet of paper. The organisation didn’t know me so I was able to start things quickly. I also like the variety – you are working with different organisations and different people. That might not be for everybody and I think it’s for everyone to make their mind up about when and if this is right for them, it just happened to be right for me. That’s one of the pros for me.
4. What are the cons?
Some of that uncertainty can be stressful. It hasn’t happened to me but if there is a significant gap between assignments there would be some degree of worry, some financial worry about when would I next get an assignment and that could be a con. I think you have to learn some new skills – even at a basic level you have to be a company director and run your own business, albeit with the help of experts who can help you. But that’s something that isn’t for everyone and it’s certainly something I didn’t really particularly like doing and still find it a bit of a pain to be honest! And there are times when you are away from home, as in the first assignment I had. At times when I first started that one I felt a bit homesick, but it didn’t last long and I was fine.
5. Is it for everyone?
No. Definitely not. It’s not for me to say who it is for, that’s a personal judgement. It’s about how do you feel, how confident are you, is it the sort of change that is right for you at this time in your life, do your family circumstances and financial circumstances allow it. This wouldn’t always be the case – I was very lucky in both cases, financially and domestically it was absolutely right. But it isn’t for everybody, no. For a person who likes certainty, security and regularity, I would say they need to think very hard if they want to do it.
6. What advice would you offer anyone thinking of moving from permanent employment into interim management/consultancy?
I would say take some time out with someone who can counsel you as to what you really want to do with the rest of your working life. I did this, actually Newham paid for me to go for a day to a consultancy I respect a lot, which do a lot of mentoring, coaching and career planning. It was the best day I ever spent because we went through all sorts of analysis of what did I want to do with the rest of my working life and the consultant helped me through it. At the end of that process, after a bit of thinking, I was absolutely convinced that interim was the right thing to do. So my advice would be, talk through your options and choices and thoughts with a third party that you don’t necessarily know, who is independent and can look at it objectively and help you tease out those issues. Whilst it’s important to talk to those closest to you they don’t bring an objective viewpoint, they bring a whole set of other baggage with them.
7. How do you go about marketing yourself and what advice can you offer?
It’s a combination of things – there’s professional networks, social networks, CVs through recruitment agencies, CVs through outplacement agencies and it’s a combination of all these things. There isn’t just one solution but I would say the networks and the people you already know in your world are probably the most important.
8. What distinguishes a good Interim Management service provider from the not so good?
One who has as much commitment to the potential interim as to the paying client. In other words, they are working for two clients – the interim is as important a client for the agency because they are their resource. If the agency doesn’t have them to sell, it doesn’t matter if they’re the best consultancy in the world, they still have no resources. Paying attention to aftercare and follow up with the interim is important but also with the paying client. Being timely and quick with potential interims and showing due care and attention really. Looking after the interests of both is important – some will look after the interests of the client as opposed to the interim, which is out of balance. For me, agencies have to make sure they have this balance right.
9. What variety of assignments have you worked on?
I’ve worked on three different director assignments and one head of service in local government over the last two and a half years. They have varied from Director of Environment, Director of Customer Services, Head of Regeneration and now Director of Regeneration. So I’ve stayed in local government because that is my background but I have always said, even though my circumstances are slightly different now that I have got a semi-permanent role now in my current assignment, that I would quite like to go and work in central government or the voluntary sector or wherever really. I don’t believe I couldn’t do that but usually you will be put forward for assignments in the area for which you have most expertise and so I’ve stayed in local government.
10. Do you have periods of ‘feast or famine’ and if so, how do you deal with that?
Personally, I haven’t. I’ve been lucky as I could have worked every day if I’d wanted. But I know that it can and does happen and one needs to be prepared for it.
11. What is the first step for someone wanting to be an IM?
Having a conversation with yourself about why you want to do this, do you really want to do it? Secondly have that same conversation with those close to you and thirdly, importantly, as I advised earlier, talk it through with someone who can bring an objective, outside perspective on it. Then, when you’re comfortable you can say yes at the end of that, then it’s probably right for you. If you can’t and you’ve got any significant lingering doubts beyond the inevitable nervousness about would I get that first assignment, which is inevitable for everybody, then it probably isn’t for you.
12. Do you think taking regular holidays is important?
Yes, it’s vital! It’s absolutely vital. You can, if you want, work 230 days a year but you’re actually no good to people if you haven’t had holidays. Why should you approach your work/life balance any differently as an interim than you would as a permanent? Because, by definition, you’re an employee, so you need to remember to look after yourself. It’s just common sense really, so yes, make sure you take breaks and holidays.
13. Any other advice for anyone thinking about IM?
Make sure you take care of business and look after the paperwork. Because as a company director you have responsibilities – financial, tax, legal – and you have to make sure you keep on top of that. It’s not that difficult but it’s a fresh skill for some people to have to learn. It was for me, but I think I’m on top of it now!
Article author: Dennis Simpson
Making the decision to “take the kings shilling” effectively meant to become the king’s man – to eschew all of your decisions and role in life to that point. When one considers it in the context of interim management versus a permanent role it becomes slightly less dramatic yet nonetheless interesting.
Now that the corporate world has got a firm grip on what being an interim manager actually means, the experienced interim with plentiful assignments behind his or her back is a prized commodity. Therefore after many years as a successful interim, why would one choose to opt back into a permanent role?
An eminent HR professional, Stephen Hall has spent much of his career working at Board level on an international basis. In July 1995 he made the decision to use his skills and knowledge in a different way and thus developed a second career as an interim manager.
Within this environment he thrived, taking on large scale roles within complex organisations, injecting efficiency and reaping better results for a variety of FTSE 350 Companies. However this changed when an interim assignment for Metronet (a consortium of five international companies, charged with upgrading, replacing and maintaining two-thirds of London Underground’s infrastructure under a thirty year PPP contract) turned into a permanent role.
Objectivity and the benefit of being an outsider are often identified as key factors in ensuring that interim managers have the personal impact to deliver. Therefore, taking a permanent role can be viewed as tantamount to losing this detachment. Also, not remaining an interim until (and sometimes beyond) retirement can be seen as misunderstanding how the industry functions i.e. just seeing interim as a short break rather than a substantive career option.
This scenario does not apply to Stephen. In 2005 he made a decision to take a permanent position at Metronet and is relishing the challenge that it presents. His initial role as an interim was Head of Human Resources and Admin for the Asset Renewal part of the organisation. He was then offered the role of Vice President, Human Resources covering Asset Renewal, Engineering and Safety and Corporate Support Services, covering some 2500 employees.
He sees returning to interim as being an option in the long term, but at the moment his Vice President role is playing to his strengths. In his view “talented interims will often have plenty of offers of permanent roles arriving at their door. However you need to be pragmatic about what each one means and how it will impact upon the development of your CV and interim career.”
Stephen has clearly managed his interim career brilliantly. He secured assignments that used his strongest skills and offered him the opportunity to implement real change in organisations. Joining Metronet permanently was something that he did for the right reasons. His proactive approach to interim meant that his decision to take the corporate shilling centred entirely upon Metronet’s pull factors rather than the push of Interim Management and as long as these factors remain in place, he will continue in the role.
Making the decision to “take the kings shilling” effectively meant to become the king’s man – to eschew all of your decisions and role in life to that point. When one considers it in the context of interim management versus a permanent role it becomes slightly less dramatic yet nonetheless interesting.
Now that the corporate world has got a firm grip on what being an interim manager actually means, the experienced interim with plentiful assignments behind his or her back is a prized commodity. Therefore after many years as a successful interim, why would one choose to opt back into a permanent role?
An eminent HR professional, Stephen Hall has spent much of his career working at Board level on an international basis. In July 1995 he made the decision to use his skills and knowledge in a different way and thus developed a second career as an interim manager.
Within this environment he thrived, taking on large scale roles within complex organisations, injecting efficiency and reaping better results for a variety of FTSE 350 Companies. However this changed when an interim assignment for Metronet (a consortium of five international companies, charged with upgrading, replacing and maintaining two-thirds of London Underground’s infrastructure under a thirty year PPP contract) turned into a permanent role.
Objectivity and the benefit of being an outsider are often identified as key factors in ensuring that interim managers have the personal impact to deliver. Therefore, taking a permanent role can be viewed as tantamount to losing this detachment. Also, not remaining an interim until (and sometimes beyond) retirement can be seen as misunderstanding how the industry functions i.e. just seeing interim as a short break rather than a substantive career option.
This scenario does not apply to Stephen. In 2005 he made a decision to take a permanent position at Metronet and is relishing the challenge that it presents. His initial role as an interim was Head of Human Resources and Admin for the Asset Renewal part of the organisation. He was then offered the role of Vice President, Human Resources covering Asset Renewal, Engineering and Safety and Corporate Support Services, covering some 2500 employees.
He sees returning to interim as being an option in the long term, but at the moment his Vice President role is playing to his strengths. In his view “talented interims will often have plenty of offers of permanent roles arriving at their door. However you need to be pragmatic about what each one means and how it will impact upon the development of your CV and interim career.”
Stephen has clearly managed his interim career brilliantly. He secured assignments that used his strongest skills and offered him the opportunity to implement real change in organisations. Joining Metronet permanently was something that he did for the right reasons. His proactive approach to interim meant that his decision to take the corporate shilling centred entirely upon Metronet’s pull factors rather than the push of Interim Management and as long as these factors remain in place, he will continue in the role.
Stephen is therefore eager to emphasise the role that ethics should play in the relationship between interim manager and the provider. There are many stories around concerning providers not paying Interim Managers for work that has been undertaken or extending credit periods. In essence, both parties are entering into a contractual relationship, however this will only progress smoothly if there is sufficient support to the payment and clerical process. Therefore he advises that interim managers should ask about a provider’s administrative function, guaranteed payment terms and financial standing.
There are several hundred firms in the UK stating that they are interim providers but only a small proportion can really substantiate that claim. In essence, it comes back to the professional service that is offered and delivered. Members of the Interim Management Association (IMA), the Trade Body for the interim management industry, can be regarded as substantive practitioners. The IMA ensures that all of its members operate to a code of practice and that the assignments they handle are bona fide Interim Management roles rather than consultancy, contractor or temporary employee.
Similarly, Stephen senses that there can be an element of overselling within the provider/ client relationship. The realistic impact that any individual can have within a set timeframe is clearly limited therefore correct scoping of a project is essential. Even if someone is a phenomenal interim manager, he or she is not a miracle worker even though many have been asked to ‘walk on water’. There have to be clear terms of reference drawn up between the client, the provider and the interim manager about what the outcomes of the assignment will be within a set period of time and regular dialogue through the length of the assignment.
There also has to be regular channels of communication between all three to ensure that appropriate progress is being made. Reaching the end of a complex programme of work should not be the point at which it is realised that the outcomes do not line up with the corporate plan. The terms of reference need to be ‘signed-off’ at the end to ensure closure for the interim and the client and a formal, final review should be de rigeur. Stephen points out that one’s reputation as an interim manager can be made or broken by one assignment. Essentially, there must be no scope within the process for finger pointing should something go wrong. Therefore you need to be sure that your interim provider will give you a full, professional service rather than simply take a fee for showing a client your CV.
It is easy to see how the corporate shilling can be such an attractive proposition. Being an interim manager is a difficult task and if one attempts it without proper support and forethought, it could be an unpleasant experience. Stephen, however, is keen to emphasise that this wasn’t the case for him. He found that the challenge of being dropped into a new organisational environment and really having an impact within such a short space of time is tremendous.
For Stephen, Metronet is not about the corporate shilling but rather about a great opportunity. It might be that a permanent role seems to be an attractive proposition should your interim career not develop as one would hope. However, it would appear that there are considerations that could change your mind, dependent upon the sustainability and longevity of the corporate challenge within a senior permanent role.
Article author: Dennis Simpson
Interim Management – increasingly part of the plan
Interim management has traditionally been seen as a reactive response to organisational
failure. Increasingly, a new breed of interims are emerging – people who
regard interim
management as a career and have transferable leadership skills to work across
sectors. Building in organisational capacity to accommodate career interims
‘as part of the solution’ is discussed.
Interim management saw rapid growth in the private sector in the 1990s. It
experienced a decline as the downturn bit in 2000 but has shown signs of picking
up in the last eighteen months. In the public sector interim management has
been slower to take off but has seen rapid growth in the last two to three years,
first in London and then throughout the country. As with the private sector,
interim management was associated with organisational failure but is now slowly
being seen as part of the solution.
In both sectors – private and public – many corporate HR
specialists, as well as group managers, are only just beginning to see the
potential in recruiting interim managers as part of their change programmes.
As such, interim management is still very much an untapped resource.
Below, we explore these issues in greater depth with Linda Booth, Group HR
Director for United Utilities, a FTSE100 company. The interview is interspersed
with real life examples where Veredus interim managers have been brought in
to help organisations.
Has there been a growth in interim management used by your company?
“Yes, but very gradual. At United Utilities group level we have used no
more than possibly five to seven interims in the past two years. This, out of
a total of 120 staff. We have three recruitment streams: from headhunters
and executive recruitment brokers, from single independent contractors and
from larger consultants who can offer specialist services. Within the larger
group of 17,000 employees business managers have the capacity to recruit their
own interim staff. In the main we don’t use headhunters but rely more on
independent contractors. My personal view is that interim management is still
largely an untapped resource which, if used properly by organisations, could
support forward thinking programmes.”
Part of the solution – Veredus
case study
Increasingly interim managers are being used by central government in a more
strategic way. In one part of central government an interim manager has been
placed to oversee the establishment of a new agency with a high political profile.
The interim has been responsible for setting up the corporate governance of
the agency, establishing the structure of the new organisation and working with
civil servants on recruiting the senior permanent staff team. In this case,
interim management is being used as a resource to set up executive structures
in a newly formed national organisation.
What are the qualities/skills you look for in an interim manager?
“In the main we are talking about senior managers. So, someone who comes
with good technical skills and can ease into the role smoothly, someone who
can quickly understand the organisational culture and work with the grain, someone
who can offer a challenge to the company and identify where improvements can
be made, someone who is focused, has delivered before and can form easy –
but not collusive – rapport with colleagues. Also, someone who can see
the bigger picture. Equally important is the ability to not get ‘pushed
back’ – someone who can stand their ground in the face of opposition
once having agreed ‘the brief’ and has a clear definition of the role.
Good interim managers come with a degree of maturity – they tend not to
be phased by the ‘ups and downs’ of an organisation and have the ability
to get on with the job. They know they are only going to be around for a limited
period and can ride the stormy bits. Good interims get on with the job, can
be set free quickly and want to make things happen.”
Has interim management changed in the last 2-3 years in terms of skills, talent
and age?
“Most definitely. My sense is there has been a big change. Alongside those
who have retired or taken early retirement is a new group of interim managers.
Not just people with good technical skills but people with transferable management
and leadership skills who can effectively move between sectors. Also people
who appear to have more flexible lifestyles, who see interim management as a
career – either as a medium or long term opportunity – and who are
prepared to travel. My other feeling is that they are getting younger. Good
project management skills are essential but increasingly so are good leadership
and management qualities. Only now are we becoming aware of the pool of talent
available.”
Part of the solution – Veredus case study
A national rail infrastructure company was awarded a £3bn contract as
part of a private/public sector package. Part of the business plan was to look
at different elements of the contract and consider options for more rational
and cost-effective models of service delivery. For example, whether to outsource
or keep in-house some aspects of the service as well as how to turn round failing
parts of the organisation. In this case, interim management being brought in
at an early stage to consider future strategic options for the company.
Is there a place for interim managers to be seen as part of your longer
term business strategy?
“Generally we don’t plan for interims as a part of our business cycle.
As I mentioned before we still use interims as a reactive response. Using interim
managers or technical experts as part of a planned development is still relatively
new and undeveloped. I can see how built in capacity can be valuable to an organisation
given the need to stay ahead of the game and give us a competitive edge. Not
only technically but also managerially. Particularly in scoping either a new
role or a new development where some uncertainty exists about long term viability.
Less personal upheaval may result as well as less business instability. Certainly
an idea that needs to be developed.”
Part of the solution – Veredus case study
A medium size unitary county council had recently appointed a highly able Director
of Children’s Services. The new director had previously turned round a
failing social services and was now expected to do the same for the education
(schools) in the newly combined service. The authority agreed to bring in an
interim manager – on a project basis – to work on poorly performing
service blocks. The interim manager was previously a successful director of
education. From the beginning role boundaries were made clear. The newly appointed
chief officer would have complete responsibility for the management of the service
but would use the interim as a mentor in getting to grips with the schools agenda,
and as a resource in quickly drawing up action plans for ‘fragile’
parts of the education function. An example of interim management as a coaching
resource and providing capacity to move forward quickly in getting the whole
service up to speed.
In a nutshell, how would you summarise the qualities of a good interim manager?
In a nutshell, people who provide you with immediate access to high quality
talent, who come with good track records, represent low risk and maintenance
and can offer you more instantly by seeing things through a fresh pair of eyes.
It’s interesting to speculate - coming back to the question of using interims
as part of the solution - what came first. Did organisations identify a need
or were they reacting opportunistically to a more talented and flexible pool
of talent. My feeling is that it was a bit of both. Either way, we need to use
interims in a more creative way and develop a clearer understanding of what
interim management is.
Article author: Dennis Simpson
