Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• What is an executive transition and why should we care about it?

  An executive transition is the period between the announcement of an executive's departure and the arrival of a successor executive. Dealing with a leadership transition is critical to preparing the organization for the successful entry of the successor executive. If the transition is messy or incomplete, the next executive will spend much of his or her political capital or goodwill during the"honeymoon" period fixing problems that could have be prevented by a well planned and executed leadership transition process.
  
  During this transition period, staff and others in the organization often feel a sense of loss of leadership and direction that may be expressed as anxiety, anger, sadness, or confusion. Behaviors in the transition period often run counter to the business interests of the organization. Staff and even members may act out, burrow in, or spend their energy protecting and positioning themselves. Without effective transitional leadership, organizational performance may suffer and forward momentum may dissipate.

• What is a professional interim executive?

  A professional interim executive is a seasoned executive who is committed to working with organizations during times of transition. The role of an interim executive is different from that of a typical long-term executive in that s/he must address both operational issues and issues related specifically to the transition period. TMC's professional interim executives are excellent operational managers, skilled in managing change, and sensitive to the human dynamics during the transition period.
  
  TMC's professional interim executives are not executives who are seeking full-time employment. Our client contracts prohibit our interim executives from being candidates for the successor positions. This gives the interim executive more objectivity and enhances the interim executive's ability to share with the board his or her candid assessment about the organization's operations, governance, and relationships without concern for long-term employment consequences.

• How do professional interim executives help the board of directors?

  How will using a professional interim executive help the board of directors?

  Executive departures are difficult for the board. Board members already have busy professional and personal lives. It puts a lot of pressure on them to deal with the disruption, to backfill the executive position as well as staff positions left vacant as a result of the executive's departure, and get ready for an executive search. There is a lot to do. Engaging a professional interim executive gives the board a breather and helps them avoid making an important long-term decision on a new regular executive in a time of crisis. It gives the board some extra time to assess whether they want the organization to take a different direction and how the qualifications of a successor executive should differ from those of the departing executive. A professional interim executive can give them the time they need for their assessments and will model another kind of executive leadership in the process.

• How is TMC different from others who serve as interims?

  Why should we choose TMC? What does TMC do that is different from other individuals or firms that serve as interims? 

    We are professional interim executives who do this work as our professional calling, and not because we are"between jobs" or to supplement a fledgling consulting practice. TMC's interim executives have the goal of getting the organization ready for the successor executive. The interim process requires a high degree of skill in executive leadership, operations management, change management, as well as the"soft" skills of managing people and human dynamics during transitions.
  
  TMC is the national leader in providing professional interim leadership to associations and nonprofits providing more direct interim services than any other organization. We work in collaboration with voluntary boards to create and support sustainable nonprofits.
  
  Our contracts prohibit our interim executives from being a candidate for the successor executive position. This gives our professional interim executives more objectivity and enhances their ability to share their candid assessment about the organization's operations, governance, and relationships with the board without concerns about long-term employment consequences.
  
  Our executives have a tremendous amount of executive-level experience in a variety of organizations. Additionally, TMC conducts regular educational sessions for its professional interim executives as a way to enhance our collective learning about leadership transitions and to share resources that support their interim engagements. We learn from each other, and we provide our clients with an accumulation of this executive leadership learning.

• Why not just hire a permanent executive?

   Won't we be better off just moving quickly to hire a permanent executive?  

  Some organizations are so well managed and resourced that they can begin an executive search without delay. There is a danger, however, that moving into an executive search too quickly could result in selecting the wrong successor.
  
  For an organization, the departure of an executive creates a sense of crisis and a desire to fill the position quickly. A time of crisis is not a good time to make important decisions. It may be unwise to begin the executive search process before the organization and the people in it have had a chance to work through both operational and emotional issues, such as anger, sadness, grief, remorse, regret, disappointment, or abandonment. If these issues are unresolved, they may affect the executive search process and the length of next executive's tenure. A professional interim executive can help the organization deal with these issues as well as see a different type leadership and management style.
  The transition period between executives is a time ripe with possibilities for creativity and change. Every organization can improve its operations. A good interim executive skillfully assesses operations and working relationships and then resolves or prepares the issues for the next executive. A professional interim executive works with the staff and board to create a positive climate of expectation and readiness for the successor executive.

• How long does an interim executive engagement last?

   Each organization faces a unique collection of challenges and goals, which dictates the amount of time needed for the transition. Historically, our engagements have lasted from as few as 4 months and as long as 2 years. The average duration is 11 months.

• How long does it typically take to have an interim in place?

  We have placed professional interim executives in as few as 4 days, but the timing is dependent on the organization's approval process. We have an extensive national network of experienced professional interim executives who are ready to support your executive transition.

• Do we get to choose who our interim executive will be?

  Once you decide to engage a professional interim executive, TMC works with you to ascertain the competencies and characteristics the organization needs during the transition. Based on that information, TMC presents candidates for your consideration. While we recommend you meet the interim candidate in person,that isn't always possible. Many of our clients conduct these interviews by telephone, if they need to get an interim in place immediately or if travel is too costly or inconvenient to conduct an in-person interview.

• Is promoting a staff member as acting executive a good idea?

  We are considering promoting a staff person to act temporarily as the interim executive, is that a good idea?   Smaller organizations frequently lack the staff “bench strength" to make a temporary promotion of an existing staff member to the role of interim executive. For larger organizations with adequate staff “bench strength" temporarily promoting a staff person to an interim executive position might work. However, there are many things to consider before choosing this option, including:   

  • How will the staff member's current job be accomplished? What is at risk, if the work is not completed?
  • Is the person fully qualified and capable of being the executive? If a crisis occurs, will this person be able to handle it?
  • Can the organization weather the potential challenges to staff relationships that may result if the temporarily promoted staff executive makes difficult and potentially unpopular decisions? This can affect peer relationships and make working together down the road more challenging.
  • Will the temporarily promoted staff executive be content to return to his or her previous position once a new executive is hired? If not, can the organization afford to have this individual leave the organization?
  • Will the temporarily promoted staff executive be a candidate for the permanent position? Will potential candidates from outside the organization not apply because they see the search as a “lock" for the internal candidate acting in the interim position? What are the possible implications if the internal staff interim is not selected? Are there multiple staff members interested in applying for the position? Will this temporary promotion be seen as favoring one person over another?
  • What are the unintended consequences of the relationship between the temporarily promoted staff executive and the successor executive? Can the organization afford to have the staff member leave the organization, if the incoming executive feels threatened or the staff member has a difficult time relinquishing control?
  • Will the organization appropriately compensate the temporarily promoted staff executive during the interim period? Will the person expect higher compensation after the temporary period has ended because of the perception of their increased value to the organization? Can the organization afford the additional cost? Will it create disparities in compensation among other staff?

  Issues surrounding internal staff interims are addressed more fully in our article, Interim Management Supports Board of Directors.

• Is promoting a board member as acting executive a good idea?

  In 2014, TMC celebrates the delivery of our 85th interim engagement. We have learned a lot from those experiences and watching organizations that made other choices. While I believe that the use of a professional interim executive is the best course for most organizations, not all of them with choose that path for a variety of reasons.

  Certainly, having a board member serve as the "acting" executive presents its own unique opportunities and challenges.  

  • While a board member may have intimate knowledge of the organization, typically, s/he is not a nonprofit or association management professional. Further, a board member may not have experience working with organizations in transition – a critical role for someone working in a transitional executive position.
  • Boards of directors have a responsibility to provide oversight of executive management. Many boards find it difficult to navigate the challenging dynamics created by having one of their own at the helm. This may create an unintended situation in which the board micromanages the “acting” executive or, more likely, abdicates its oversight function entirely. This dynamic may be difficult to undo and may negatively affect the organization and its successor executive.
  • Board members serving in the executive role may be seen as having an inherent conflict of interest since they are also responsible for hiring and evaluating the performance of the chief executive.
  • Some stakeholders may see the appointing of a board member into a paid position as personal inurement.
  • Board members may bring "baggage" with them in the form of pre-existing relationships or positions in other organizations and industries that may limit their effectiveness as the acting executive. The individual also may be aligned or associated with one faction within the membership, which may alienate other factions.

  Regardless, some boards will still choose to place a board member as an acting executive and that is unlikely to ever change. On the face of it, it is the easy decision. Before they make their decision, however, I suggest they answer the following questions.

  • Is the person fully qualified and capable of being the executive of a nonprofit membership organization?
  • Does this person have the emotional intelligence and transition experience to address the needs of the organization and staff during the transition and help them prepare for the arrival of the successor executive?
  • Does this person have the skills and capacity to evaluate the organization objectively?
  • Can the organization weather the potential explicit or covert objections of its members, staff, or stakeholders?
  • Will the acting executive be able to step back into an appropriate board role (presuming the organization has not prohibited service)?
  • What impact will the detailed operational knowledge gained as acting executive have on the successor executive’s ability to lead the organization?
  • Will this person be a candidate for the permanent position? If so, what are the possible implications if s/he not selected? Are there other board members or staff interested in applying for the position? Will others see this temporary appointment of a board member as favoring “one of their own” and reduce the interest of viable long-term candidates?
  • What are the unintended consequences of the relationship between the acting executive and the board? How will the board provide guidance and oversight to a peer as opposed to an employee?
  • Will the organization appropriately compensate this person during the interim period? If so, is the board prepared to have this information made public on the IRS form 990?
  • Most board members already have a full-time job and busy life. Can this person truly commit the time needed to attend to the organization's transition and management needs?
  • If this person does not live in the same city as the organization's headquarters, can the person manage the challenges of living in two places and the disruption it causes on their family and professional relationships and personal life?

  When advising boards, I encourage them to be clear about their exit strategy from the relationship. Board members can find the task of disentangling board and staff leadership roles of a professional colleague challenging. The board should execute a contract with the acting executive for a defined term and a clear scope of work and authority. If a board member is appointed acting executive, s/he should recuse her or himself from the decision making process, immediately resign from the board and agree not to seek a leadership position within the organization for two years.

• How will the staff or members respond to an interim executive?

  TMC's professional interim executives are experienced senior organizational leaders. We pay close attention to the personal and organizational dynamics that occur in organizations in transition as well as our own impact on those systems. Our approach and sensitivity provides a calming effect and creates a needed balance for staff, members, and external stakeholders. For the staff being without competent leadership is like being on a ship without a captain – it is hard to know where they are going and how they are going to get there. Elected leaders who choose to hire an outside interim executive typically are applauded by all stakeholders for acting boldly and not letting the organization drift without effective professional leadership.

• How long does it take for an interim to be effective?

  TMC's professional interim executives are fast learners, in part, because we have been through this process many times in the past. We know the right questions to ask, the systems to assess, and the documents to review. We also know how to spot the potentially explosive"mines" that exist in every organization. It usually takes only a few weeks to learn enough about the organization, its members, and their business to be able to speak the lingo and operate effectively in the organization. Of course, knowledge gained quickly is not always very deep, but it grows with each passing day on the job. At the end of the first 4-6 weeks we work with the elected leadership to revise the original performance expectations and craft a transition plan outlining the work of the interim executive during her or his remaining tenure.