Why an Interim Manager?
Why hire a long-term specialised expert, when you ony need him for a short-term realisation?
While the goal of a new employee is to secure a stable and longterm employment… an interim manager’s fundamental goal is to quickly and efficiently deliver the necessary solution.
Interim Manager
Comparing the roles & situations
(click on the role to jump directly to the description)
1.) Consultant
2.) Project Manager
3.) IT Manager
4.) Chief Information Officer (CIO)
5.) Interim Manager
6.) Resume
7.) What is the next step?
1.) Consultant
Usually a consultant comes into a company, and by using generalised pre-set procedures and checklists, notes how things are working. Then, depending upon their pre-set generalised system of measuring, he creates his report.
When there are deviations from his generalised pre-set system, his report will display that tools of his company (or those of it’s partners) should be bought. The consultant then leaves the company to create it’s own solution and roadmap.
There is one exception to this description, and that is in the area of SAP/ERP development. In this area software developers are often called consultants, when their actual role is software development and project discussions.
2.) Project Manager
This role is usually an internal role, leading an internal company project or the delivery of a project to a customer (eg. a software company delivering its solution).
The role usually contains leading and controlling the time and budget measurements and creating discussion plattforms for the exchange of information between the internal customers and those delivering the solutions. The role may also contain personnel responsibility and usually reports to dept. heads or upper management.
3.) IT Manager
The IT-Manager is usually responsible for the leading and controlling of the IT Dept. and its stable delivery of systems and services. He/She is also usually responsible for the leading, budgeting and time planning of the IT and its suppliers, as well as the oversight of IT projects.
He/She often has hands-on responsibilities of Server, Network or Database Administration, and often performs some types of scripting or programming. On top of this, he/she often has project management responsibilities as well as daily and/or weekly reporting to upper management.
Often, upper management will expect an IT Manager to consult and advise them on future strategic ways forward concerning IT Infrastructure and Software System solutions. Especially these upper management expectations require many years of business, technology and project experience and a continual personal further development in business, methodologies and technologies.
Experience has shown, that an IT Manager either leaves a company within 2 years, or he/she will stay there for the next 10 to 15 years, doing the same work.
4.) Chief Information Officer (CIO)
A CIO is usually an IT Manager who has specialist internal company knowledge and experience by growing up through the ranks over many years, or comes from outside a company after gathering knowledge of different methods and technologies in 3 to 5 companies over a 5 to 10 year period.
He/she is usually responsible for the strategic future planning of the IT Organisation, its Infrastructures and Software Solutions, as well the strategic advising and decision making concerning such topics as internal teams or dependency upon external suppliers and software houses.
The CIO is usually also responsible for the communication between the IT Dept. and the business departments, as well as advising the other Dept. Leaders on new or future methodologies and technologies. He/She will also usually be the Senior Project Manager advising and controlling the other project managers, and may also be Lead on 1 or 2 strategic projects.
According to global recruitment companies in 2019, a CIO will on average leave a company after only 4 years.
5.) Interim Manager
Whether in the area of business or IT, an Interim Manager has so many years of experience in many companies, that he enters a company hitting the ground running.
After an initial goal interview with the MD/CEO, the interim manager interviews all Business & IT Managers while also performing an organisation & systems assessment on all aspects of the IT infrastructure and software systems, as well as organisation processes, methodologies, technologies and communications.
He also performs this assessment to determine how well the organisation and IT fulfill the needs of internal and external customers.
After just a few weeks, the interim manager delivers the analysis to the MD/CEO together with a roadmap for the strategic development of infrastructures and software solutions, as well as the necessary development of the organisation, IT, work methods, cultures, communication and training.
This report also shows his/her business experience and how the business processes can be modernized and automated.
While the interim manager is delivering the roadmap in the coming months, he is also setting up the necessary project structures, supporting the HR department with the necessary hirings and providing practical “on-the-job” leadership & project training for successful customer delivery.
Depending on the situation, the interim manager leaves the company within 3 to 6 months, after delivering the necessary roadmap & kickstart, and implementing the required leadership, expertise, culture and methods required to achieve the long-term roadmap.
After that, the interim manager remains available continuing to support managers and teams.
6). Resume: So, why an Interim Manager?
As you can see, the interim manager is like a fast response fire fighter with strategic management experience and broad organisation & IT skills, whose main objective is to analyse and deliver a roadmap solution, creating successful projects & teams, giving the company the necessary kickstart into the future.
7.) So, what is the next step?
Easy, just give me a call or write me a WhatsApp now, and I’ll get in touch for an initial consultancy, and we can take it from there… the sooner the better, it’s that easy.
