Interim Manager
- What are interim managers?
- What age and what professional experience do interim managers have?
- What professional skills and personal characteristics are necessary for professional interim managers?
- What are the most important prerequisites for starting in interim management?
- How do interim managers come by their jobs?
What are interim managers?
Interim managers are managers with a time-limited contract to act as general manager, crisis or project manager, to cover for vacancies or to compensate for resource bottlenecks or for missing skills.
What age and what professional experience do interim managers have?
Most interim managers are between 40 and 60 years old and have at least 10 years of management experience.
What professional skills and personal characteristics are necessary for professional interim managers?
Interim managers' capital is their experience and ability to bear responsibility and take decisions, consisting of technical knowledge, methodological expertise as well as personal and social skills. Persuasiveness, trustworthiness and above average social skills are the most important characteristics, followed by analytical thought, ability to get things done, creativity and strong communications skills. As interim managers work at a variety of locations and are constantly under time pressure, it is a precondition for this profession that you are able to work under stress, are flexible and well organised. Interim managers have to be extremely flexible and must constantly adjust to new companies with new tasks, structures and methods.
What are the most important prerequisites for starting in interim management?
Interim managers should have clearly defined core competencies and be able to demonstrate success via references. Preparations for freelance work include a robust business plan with expected income, realistic turnover targets, business contacts, a marketing strategy, contractual decisions and an in-depth analysis of the market. To achieve sustained success as an interim manager, you need sufficient practical management experience, a distinct ability to market yourself, professional partners and a strong network. As for all executive general managers, interim managers must have sufficient liability insurance.