The Interim Managers’ surprise

Often you aren’t told the truth until you are in 

Prior to my career as an interim manager, while working as a management consultant, I learned by practical experience that there can be three honest reasons for a company to bring in an external consultant: 

• To acquire or at least utilise specialist knowledge that they do not have or do not want to maintain internally,
  
  
• to supplement insufficient capacity, in particular to enable change activities and
  
  
• to obtain an unbiased external view of the internal situation, possibly combined with the added value of positioning in the market compared to others

And then there are a number of not-so-honest, not-so-decent reasons to use external expertise to fuel clandestine underground activities in internal turf wars, to cover up one's own inaction in emergencies, to throw a competitor out of the race for the top ... There are more such cases that even a sick mind can imagine.

To be honest, I had no idea at first, but I had to learn quickly.

Then, when I entered the arena of interim management, I came across a similar dualism of perception and reality that I would like to share with you.

1 Unpleasant discoveries

Managing the programme to centralise 25 regional instances of an outdated core banking system and replace it with a new and modern system was a daunting but prestigious task. Good thing they hired some additional, qualified resources. It should be doable, I thought. 

Beneath the visible surface, however, the iceberg had an enormous base of invisible challenges that were waiting to be solved as a prerequisite for success.

• The 25 instances were in a widely different shape, of various versions, were used in a variety of different ways according to very distinct processes. As customers in den regions had diverse preference regarding the consumed banking products, different functionality was prevalent there too.
  
  
• Availability and security, while not great and often bemoaned, were tolerable due to distributed risk - but a significant boost was required with centralisation. Business continuity management, standard operating procedures, cyber security all required a substantial improvement.
  
  
• My assignment, I learnt, was not the first. A few predecessors had tried before me - and failed. Nurturing the hope of joint success in the now exhausted team turned out to be no easy task.

In short, it turned out that there would be a decent chance to have some fun.

2 Brilliant numbers – hidden debts

After a few years had passed, I had a second chance to shine - or fall into the trap ...

A manager of a professional services department with around 60 employees at a software provider for public transport suddenly threw in the towel and resigned. Very soon, a new, promising next-generation product was due to be launched on an impatiently waiting market. All the financial figures reported to the head office looked good to excellent, perhaps a little too good.

Only a few final tests needed to be carried out before the company's new pride and joy could be released into the wild.

This time I insisted on a 6 weeks analysis. Also, I demanded to add two more colleges, who were experienced seniors but have kept up with newest methodologies at the same time – a rare combination. A gut feeling at the beginning told me that, if there is more to it than meets the eye, I alone will not be able to cope with the challenges of all those hidden layers.

And, as it turned out, there indeed was more to it.

• Those “few final tests” were dramatically understaffed regarding team size and skills. This critical phase was squeezed into a ridiculously tight schedule,
  
  
• No one had any ideas about how many flaws were to expect nor how to estimate them, the application of error models was unknown,
  
  
• As development was usually behind schedule, necessary refactoring steps were postponed or skipped altogether, resulting in a now flawed architecture. As a result, a huge amount of technical debt had accumulated over the years.
  
  
• As if this were not enough, recriminations and mutual accusations within the team had led to distorted communication and, in some areas, a toxic culture of cooperation, 
  
  
• Almost superfluous to mention that outdated methods were used in development, maintenance and project management,
  
  
• Customers had also adjusted their sensitive antennae. They now felt increasingly uncomfortable, as on-site visits revealed.

The list could go on, but the top management had no idea: mistakes happen, no software is free of ‘bugs’. Why can customers never be satisfied?

3 Operations eats up your time

In my 3rd interim assignment, I was tasked with market research, evaluation, selection, purchasing and introduction until go-live of a major new infrastructure software. I was more experienced now, was well-equipped with my seven-steps procedure at hand and in a good mood.

And yet, as my predecessor in that role had left the company all in a sudden in a kind of panic mode, I found there a great confusion under the heavens. Of course, as a minor side-task, hardly worth mentioning, operational business had to be supervised meanwhile.

I turned out that a lousy data quality combined with non-existent process definitions and subterranean skills of the understaffed team the BAU (Business as usual) or business operations took up to 80% of my available time. Hasty implementation of some makeshift semi-automation through scripting and office software accounted for another 15%, leaving a mere 5% for the obligation I was contracted for.

Meanwhile however I had learned that an interim manager is internal, means he may act from inside, influencing decisions about budget, goals and resource allocation in general. In the end playing this card saved me by allowing me to contract a consultant to support me in the more generic and hence outsourceable tasks.

4 Those experiences left me wondering.

What had happened there? Was I deliberately lied to about the true nature of the job? Did my clients intend to lure you into a trap? Or did they themselves truly and sincerely believe what they were telling me about the current situation? Did they only see the tip of the iceberg and didn't even recognise the threats lurking beneath the surface? Or did they prefer not to look so closely? After all, everything has always gone well so far, as the figures ‘prove’.

When it comes to interim management, the prevailing narrative is ‘bridging a vacancy’. It is generally assumed that a manager of an important company function suddenly drops out for some reason. It may take some time for a new manager, the right one, to be appointed and for him/her to quickly familiarise with the new role. Meanwhile the gap needs to be filled. This capacity-related need is seen as the main reason by those who have less to do with these circumstances - and in some rare cases this general understanding even corresponds to reality.

The expertise argument like in the consulting business also applies here, but in conjunction with the expectation of execution. And finally, sometimes it even happens that the willingness to do the work differently this time, e.g. changing management practices to Lean or Agile, leaves no choice but to hire the right person for this difficult task to lead through a turbulent time - until the dust settles.  

More often than not, however, it quickly becomes apparent that there is more to it. 

The ignored debts, the hidden layers, which also need to be worked on, do indeed exist. Rarely is it the case that nobody has seen them. In most cases, colleagues have a good idea of the capabilities and possibilities of their own organisation. They may just underestimate the size and impact.

But the prophets are not well received in their own organisation. Every bearer of bad news is accused of being secretly self-serving. They deliver uncomfortable truths anyway, which would usually lead to significantly more effort, higher costs and later deadlines. Management would prefer not to hear any news at all, unless it is good news. So, a kind of ‘court reporting’ creeps in: The figures that are reported upwards look good. But underneath, the problems continue to smoulder - until at some point they can no longer be hidden.

The conclusion is: Nobody wants to lure you into a trap or is deliberately lying to you. Rather, self-deception, cosy illusions and distorted or even muted communication or traditional ignorance often lead to an unpleasant surprise. 

So you better be prepared for a surprise once you dig a little deeper.

7 questions about the job of an interim manager

 

A couple of years ago, my son came back from school with the homework assignment to describe his father's job in a short interview of about 7 questions. My challenge was to keep it short, emphasise the essentials and make it understandable for my son's classmates. My son got a good grade for it. And even today, after all these years, I think this concise but timeless document has retained its power. What do you think?

1 What is your profession?

My profession is that of an interim manager, that is a manager for a limited period of time, hence ‘interim’. An interim manager actually does what a ‘normal’, i.e. salaried, manager does. Frequently however he finds himself in a special situation. The interim manager usually is called in when a salaried manager suddenly is no longer available. Or it may be that there are tasks to be completed for which it is better to employ someone ‘from outside’.

2 Why did you choose this career

The tasks that an interim manager has to perform rarely resembles the usual operational routine. Due to the special situation in which he is deployed, his tasks are nearly always new and exciting. Creating something new in a constantly changing company has a special appeal for me. It never gets boring. And that's why I chose this job.  By the way, it's not badly paid either.

3 What training did you have to complete and how long did it take?

There is no proper training programme for interim managers. This job profile is relatively new. The requirements profile to be fulfilled is not (yet) formally defined. Nevertheless, an interim manager must have a range of skills. It is good if they were once managers in a senior position themselves. But the skills, knowledge and experience of a management consultant are also very helpful here. From the list above, it has certainly become clear that an interim manager should have gained several years of experience in a responsible position after completing his studies. This can easily add up to 5 to 10 years of professional experience before you take on such a role.

4 What activities do you carry out in your job?

On the one hand, I continue the operational business that I took over from my predecessor.  However, as this is generally not enough, I set up one or more change projects. These should revitalise the company or make it fit for certain important projects in the first place.  To do this, I need to have a good understanding of the business, i.e. the markets, customers, suppliers and service processes. As this is about change management, I also need to take the people involved ‘on the journey’.  After all, the plans will only succeed if everyone is on board.

5 What advantages and disadvantages do you experience in your job?

The advantages of this profession also entail its disadvantages. And what I see as an advantage, others may see as a disadvantage. I see the advantages: Always new tasks in new companies, but also in new locations and with new people. The tension that arises when it's not entirely clear at the beginning whether the big change will succeed. And in the end, the satisfaction of having succeeded, perhaps having saved an entire company.

That actually already lists the disadvantages: The uncertainty of the new situation, long and very stressful working days, travelling times, the pressure of expectations that weighs on me, sometimes even outright rejection. And there's not always anything that can be salvaged. Those are rather sad cases then.

6 Do you have to do regular training or is that not necessary in your job? 

Yes, of course I do. Maybe that's nothing special nowadays. Don't we have to keep on learning in every profession? However, an interim manager is often called in when a company has ’missed the train’ to an essential development. He himself must therefore always be up to date, both professionally and in terms of working and management methodology. There is no set training programme for this. A lot of personal initiative is hence required.

4.7 Do you know of any professions that are similar to yours? 

The job of a manager in a volatile environment, i.e. in markets that change quickly, probably faces similar challenges. Project managers of major projects or explicit change management projects, so-called change managers, can also grow into such a role.  And finally, management consultants who are not afraid to implement their own recommendations within the company may have a similar job profile.

7 Fragen zum Beruf eines Interim Managers

Vor einigen Jahren kam mein Sohn mit der Hausaufgabe aus der Schule zurück, den Beruf seines Vaters in Form eines kurzen Interviews von etwa 7 Fragen zu beschreiben. Meine Herausforderung bestand darin, mich kurz zu fassen, das Wesentliche hervorzuheben und für die Mitschüler meines Sohns verständlich zu formulieren. Mein Sohn bekam dafür eine gute Note. Und noch heute, so meine ich, nach all den Jahren hat dieses knappe aber zeitlose Dokument seine Aussagekraft behalten. Was meint Ihr?

1 Was ist Dein Beruf?

Mein Beruf ist der eines Interim Managers, also eines Mangers auf Zeit, daher „Interim“. Ein Interim Manager macht eigentlich das, was ein „normaler“, also angestellter, Manager auch macht. Eigentlich – denn häufig befindet es sich doch in einer Sondersituation. Die entsteht dadurch, dass ein angestellter Manager plötzlich nicht mehr zur Verfügung steht. Oder es kann sein, dass Aufgaben zu erledigen sind, für die man lieber jemand „von draußen“ nimmt.

2 Warum hast Du diesen Beruf gewählt

Die Aufgaben, die ein Interim Manager zu erledigen hat, entstammen selten der üblichen operativen Routine. Aufgrund der Sondersituation, in der er eingesetzt wird, sind auch seine Aufgaben immer wieder neu und spannend. In immer wieder neuen Unternehmen, Neues zu schaffen, das hat für mich seinen besonderen Reiz. Das wird nie langweilig. Und deshalb habe ich diesen Beruf gewählt.  Übrigens, schlecht bezahlt wird er auch nicht.

3 Welche Ausbildung musstest Du absolvieren, wie lange dauerte die Ausbildung?

Eine regelrechte Ausbildung zum Interim Manager gibt es nicht. Dieses Berufsbild ist vergleichsweise neu. Das zu erfüllende Anforderungsprofil ist (noch) nicht formal definiert. Dennoch muss ein Interim Manager eine Reihe von Fähigkeiten mitbringen.  Gut ist es, wenn er selber einmal ein Manager in einer leitenden Position war. Aber auch die Fähigkeiten, Kenntnisse und Erfahrungen eines Unternehmensberaters sind hier sehr hilfreich. Aus der Aufzählung ist sicher klar geworden, dass ein Interim Manager nach seinem Studium einige Jahre Erfahrung in verantwortlicher Position gesammelt haben sollte. Da kommen dann leicht 5 bis 10 Jahre Berufserfahrung zusammen, bevor man eine solche Aufgabe übernimmt.

4 Welche Tätigkeiten übst Du in Deinem Beruf aus?

Zum einen führe ich das operative Geschäft weiter, das ich von meinem Vorgänger übernommen habe.  Da es damit aber in aller Regel nicht getan ist, setze ich eines oder mehrere Veränderungsprojekte auf. Diese sollten dazu führen, das Unternehmen wieder zu revitalisieren oder überhaupt erst fit zu machen für bestimmte wichtige Vorhaben.  Dazu muss ich ein gutes Verständnis vom Geschäft haben, also von den Märkten, den Kunden, Lieferanten und den Leistungsprozessen. Da es um Change-Management geht, muss ich aber auch die beteiligten Menschen mit „auf die Reise“ nehmen.  Denn nur, wenn auch alle mitmachen, werden die Vorhaben gelingen.

5 Welche Vor- und Nachteile erlebst Du in Deinem Beruf?

Die Vorteile dieses Berufes bedingen auch gleichzeitig seine Nachteile. Und das, was ich als Vorteil sehe, mögen Andere vielleicht eher als Nachteil empfinden. Ich sehe als Vorteile: Immer wieder neue Aufgaben in neuen Unternehmen, aber auch an neuen Standorten und mit neuen Menschen. Die Spannung, die entsteht, wenn zu Beginn noch nicht ganz klar ist, ob die große Veränderung auch gelingen wird. Und hinterher die Befriedigung, es geschafft zu haben, vielleicht ein ganzes Unternehmen gerettet zu haben.

Damit sind eigentlich auch schon die Nachteile aufgezählt: Die Ungewissheit der neuen Situation, lange und sehr anstrengende Arbeitstage, Reisezeiten, der Erwartungsdruck, der auf mir lastet, manchmal auch offene Ablehnung. Und nicht immer ist noch etwas zu retten. Das ist dann eher traurig.

6 Musst Du Dich regelmäßig fortbilden oder ist das in Deinem Beruf nicht notwendig? 

Doch, das muss ich natürlich. Vielleicht ist das heute nichts Besonderes mehr. Müssen wir uns nicht in jedem Beruf fortwährend weiterbilden? Ein Interim Manager aber wird häufig gerufen, wenn ein Unternehmen eine Entwicklung „verschlafen“ hat. Er selber muss also sowohl fachlich, wie von den Arbeits- und Managementmethoden her immer auf der Höhe der Zeit sein. Dafür gibt es keinen festgelegten Ausbildungsgang. Da ist viel Eigeninitiative gefragt.

7 Kennst Du Berufe die Deinem ähnlich sind? 

Der Beruf eines Managers in einem volatilen Umfeld, also in Märkten, die sich schnell ändern, hat sich vermutlich ähnlichen Herausforderungen zu stellen. Projektleiter von Großprojekten oder expliziten Change-Management Projekten, sogenannte Change Manager, können auch in eine solche Rolle hineinwachsen.  Und schließlich können Unternehmensberater, die sich nicht scheuen, Ihre eigenen Empfehlungen im Unternehmen auch umzusetzen, ein durchaus ähnliches Berufsbild aufweisen.