In 10 points, here are the main advantages of interim managers, making them key resources for companies undergoing major transformation.

Whatever the sector in which an interim manager operates, managing complex problems is part of his or her daily routine. So he or she must be inspired to handle the difficulty with the necessary distance.

In a situation of transformation, crisis management or growth, one of the main tendencies of human beings is to lock themselves into what they know without leaving their comfort zone. The advantage of the interim manager is that he or she can go beyond his or her own knowledge to build solutions tailored to each type of situation. A creative manager evolves more quickly and constantly achieves new results.

The cornerstone of any decision, whether strategic or operational, is critical thinking. This posture is built by thoroughly examining the ins and outs of each decision. The idea is to maintain a high level of analysis, so as to evolve your thinking and keep abreast of the latest innovations in your industry.

Negotiation is a real skill for the interim manager, but it’s not an easy one. In the course of his or her assignments, the interim manager is confronted with sometimes conflicting points of view on the steps to be taken and the objectives to be achieved. One of the keys to successful negotiation is for all parties to emerge victorious, in a win-win situation.

The interim manager knows how to get a team to work together without the employees fighting each other. It’s important to have a common goal and to involve every employee equally, taking risks together and sharing in the success of the project.

Good team management involves planning, organizing, directing and supervising. But also about generating desire, supporting employees in their missions, and improving the ongoing communication process throughout the project.

One of the most common definitions of intelligence is the ability to adapt to one’s environment. Each person has their own way of seeing things, which is not a universal reality. The manager’s posture and expertise enable him or her to bring all these different ways of thinking together to achieve a common end goal.

Here again, the quest for excellence is paramount for an interim manager, who must provide a perfect service that meets the customer’s expectations in every respect. According to Rust and Oliver (2000), “service excellence must give rise to a positive emotion from the customer following a positive and unexpected transgression of his expectations.”

The interim manager knows how to recognize, understand and control his or her own emotions, so as to put them to better use. This means knowing your environment, but also dealing with the emotions of those around you to facilitate any cognitive process.

Deciding for a group of people is commonplace for an interim manager. Indeed, he or she must always keep in mind the major stakes of his or her mission in order to validate the decisions taken, while accepting the element of uncertainty.