Lessons From the Field

This article is the second of a three-part series on executive transitions—to help you better understand, prepare for, and navigate this important process.

Succession Planning: The Job of an Interim Director | Part Two of Three

By Bob Hazen

Executive transitions, though powerful learning opportunities, are almost always stressful. If your organization can move from one permanent director to another, without interim leadership, it should do so-there are lots of times when there is no need for an interim director. But going through what William Bridges calls "the messy middle" with someone who specializes in these transitions can bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to help you maximize such an opportunity.

What does an Interim Director Do?

A typical interim contract lasts four to six months, and comes when an Executive Director is departing with only a short notice. In addition to running the organization, the interim director provides an informal overall assessment of the organization, which usually occurs after about one month. The assessment provides an outside view of how things are going, points out areas for potential restructuring and focus, and helps clarify the skill set needed for a new permanent Director.

Research by the Annie E. Casey Foundation has shown that fifty percent of all leaders following long-term founding directors leave within two years. We've found that interim directors can serve a particularly useful role in that transitional period between Founder and new stable permanent leadership.

One of our first interim contracts supported a six month Sabbatical. When the permanent director returned, he discovered that several of his senior staff had taken on more responsibility in a way he had always dreamed of. The interim director had found ways to get senior leadership to step up, mostly by challenging them to fully use their experience and expertise.

We've gone into smaller organizations that didn't have the budget to hire a permanent director with the skills and experience to implement the systems needed to help them grow. Once things were in place, they could afford a person with the ability to maintain the new structures.

How Can I Find an Interim Director?

Recognizing that times of transition call for the highest level of expertise to get maximum benefit, TACS started Executive Transition Services in 2001. Our idea was to bring leaders with organizational development experience to help nonprofits make the most of a transitional opportunity. Over the past 8 years we've built a team that specializes in interim management.

Today, about 85 interims later, the program has expanded from 7 to 17 consultants who take on interim positions, one after another. We meet monthly to talk about and expand our knowledge of how to do interim leadership most effectively. Often, we are able to help Boards look at and take responsibility for longstanding issues. "Use us," we say, "to help work through difficult problems with an objective outsider who wants you to succeed." I've often found myself saying, "I'm not invested in what you do, because I'll be gone, but I'm going to push you to face these issues because they will continue to affect you until you do."

If your organization is interested in interim services, TACS can help. Learn more about the Executive Transition Team or contact Bob by email or by phone at 503.239.4001, ext. 108.

Bob Hazen is the director of TACS' Executive Transitions Services. Learn more about Bob.