Interims Drafted in to Royal Mail

Three reasons why interim leaders can prove a first-class choice during a crisis

We are pleased to be able to reproduce an article produced by New Street Consulting Group’s Gavin Wingfield that draws together excellent reasons for the use of senior interims in making the major change and transformation required in a very high profile situation where effective implementation is required at pace. The original article was published on 18th July at the NSCG website.

“The Post Office is facing a momentous, uphill battle. It’s aiming to change its culture and rebuild trust after the Horizon IT scandal and leadership issues. This is the type of strategic challenge and long-term goal that will often see sweeping changes made among senior leaders, with permanent replacements hired to renew confidence among stakeholders. Instead, the Post Office has made a series of high-profile interim appointments. Gavin Wingfield explains why.

Following a series of senior departures and absences among senior leaders, the Post Office has decided to make short-term hires in key positions. The organisation has chosen to appoint interims in its Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) roles, which follows the recent selection of a new Chair on a 12-month contract.

Interim professionals are an ideal choice for helping drive change out of a crisis. Here’s three key reasons why.

1) Laser-focused problem solvers   

Interim hires have a unique freedom to prioritise the problems at hand. They can operate outside of the conventional ways of working and thinking that naturally exist in any organisation. There are often several success factors in play during typical day-to-day operations, such as team dynamics, structures and progression plans. Performance and effectiveness usually rely on these elements, but they can, inadvertently, prove counterproductive during a crisis. The decision making and actions of permanent employees can be compromised by fear of how issues will affect careers and an individual’s wider standing within an organisation. Interims don’t have this fear. They will be tasked with a specific brief or challenge, and this becomes their sole professional purpose.

Fulfilling a brief and delivering long-term, sustainable change is a huge motivator for interims. It defines their success and satisfaction. They will break projects down into logical segments, with a clearly defined and timed path plotted from problem to solution. This involves key stakeholders from across all levels, with consideration given to engaging all relevant parties to understand how issues have impacted them.

Interims will work closely with teams to get to the root cause of a crisis and to determine the most effective ways of taking people on a journey of recovery. Fixing problems will be tough and transformation can be challenging. Interims appreciate this and will create change management strategies that are practical and palatable for workforces who may be sceptical and fatigued, because of previous problems.

2) High performers who thrive under high-pressure

Data from the Institute of Interim Management shows that the average interim has spent 9.5 years working in such a capacity, with the average length of each assignment lasting around 9 – 10 months. They are professionals who’ve transitioned to a new way of working, which has equipped them with an eclectic wealth of knowledge, insight and experience.

Interim professionals will draw on their learnings from across a multitude of sectors, workplace cultures and challenging tasks to bring fresh thinking when time is of the essence, and all other solutions have come up short. This will be delivered with a measured calm, which isn’t compromised by the noise and pressure created by a crisis.

Dealing with complex problems is an interim’s bread and butter and is second nature to them. They are less likely to be phased by crisis situations and can maintain a methodical way of working that avoids oversights to implement effective changes. The very nature of short-term roles and projects focused on troubleshooting builds resilience in interims. It also strengthens their assertiveness and confidence, and, just as importantly, their adaptability. Interims can quickly read a room and dissect a situation to present solutions in an authoritative and engaging manner. They acclimatise to different working environments to constructively contribute to solving issues.

3) Goal-oriented impartiality  

Organisations value interims for their impartiality. In many cases, they will be ‘parachuted in’ when challenges are stretching teams beyond capacity. The usual problem-solving abilities of permanent employees can be clouded, leaving solutions and change seemingly out of reach. Interims bring fresh resource and an outsider’s perspective that’s independent and objective and driven by what should be possible. Their strategic thinking isn’t restricted by familiar ways of doing things that are ingrained in the fabric of day-to-day processes and practices.

An interim is goal-oriented, which starts with their full understanding of a project’s desired outcomes. They work backwards from this, plotting timescales and key milestones for evaluating performance and progress. An important element of this involves the quick wins and immediate resolutions needed to start turning a crisis around. However, near-term actions are grounded in long-term thinking which will far exceed an interim’s tenure. Well-experienced interims have the ability to drive transformation and start laying solid foundations for a permanent successor to build on. They solve problems and create time for organisations to properly understand why a crisis occurred in the first place and to determine the leadership attributes they truly need of a long-term hire.”

The IIM is grateful for permission to reproduce the article and welcomes comments or contributions to topics of interest to the interim community.