Interim Management: How to Get Work

 By: Jim Crocker, CEO of Boardroom Metrics

Being busy as an interim manager is the goal of many post-corporate and in-transition executives in North America.

Recently I published this post about obtaining interim management work on the Expert Business Resources website. Here are some of the key points:

Background on Interim Management

• Working as an interim manager can be interesting – and it can be a good way to lever expertise and experience.

• Finding interim management work it isn’t necessarily any simpler than finding a full-time one or a consulting assignment.

• In North America, the term ‘interim’ barely exists for most companies – it’s not like Europe. Instead, companies tend to think of ‘contract’ ‘consultant’ or ‘replacement’, as in ‘maternity replacement’.

• Landing work as an interim manager means thinking differently

How to think differently if you’re looking for interim management work:

1. Don’t expect to walk into a client as an interim anything. Do work hard at defining your expertise and getting through the client front door as a coach, consultant, trainer, whatever.
2. Do learn how to spot opportunities when working with clients. Most consultants, coaches, etc. who we meet aren’t very good at seeing past their own specialty. 9 times out of 10, what’s holding the client back isn’t what you’re getting paid for – That’s an opportunity!
3. Learn how to market your expertise. You need to differentiate yourself. There’s a million ways to do that: background, geography, particular skill, philosophy, proprietary process or approach, education, passion, recent failure. Everyone is unique. Burying that to look like the person next door is a mistake.

How Boardroom Metrics Helps

Frustrated trying to find an interim management gig?

Boardroom Metrics can help by repositioning you, then promoting you. We’ll help you stand out for something unique, then we’ll put it on a bunch of targeted radar screens.

How Expert Business Resources Helps

Expert Business Resources is a highly optimized directory for consultants, coaches, trainers – and yes – interim managers. It augments whatever other social media you’re doing with additional audience and links. If you’re not doing social media or even have your own web site, Expert Business Resources is a simple, low-cost place to start.