Certain changes or strategic orientations can upset a company’s traditional way of operating. For change to take place under the best possible conditions, the notion of change management must be well understood.

Leading change involves implementing actions to help teams understand, accept and integrate change into their practices in the best possible way. Supporting change takes into account the impact of these changes on their work: they can be material, financial, relational or even psychological. In any change management process, the link must be made between one or more transformation projects and employees who are more or less ready for it. The aim is manifold: to achieve objectives on time and on budget without raising (too many) objections.

Companies embarking on a major change adopt a specific approach while :

• Facilitating acceptance and understanding of change;
• Anticipating and reducing potential factors of employee rejection;
• Reducing the time and cost of transition;
• Fostering a collaborative spirit within the company, etc.

Change management comes into play in many situations:

• Change management is required when new technologies are to be adopted, new legal frameworks are to be complied with (RGPD, for example) or when a merger between two entities is envisaged ;
• Change management is also needed to prepare for the marketing of new products and/or services, the dematerialization of documents or processes, the introduction of new management techniques or the outsourcing of certain activities.
• Reasons for changing or reorienting a strategy include adapting to the digital transition, catching up with a competitor or even improving sales or profitability.

Dealing with change, especially major change, requires special skills and expertise. Often, these resources are not available in-house: that’s where interim management comes in. The interim manager’s main mission is to bring the change to a successful conclusion within the given timeframe. His or her mission is to provide a rapid and appropriate response to the emergency situation your company finds itself in. Calling on an interim manager means calling on the services of an experienced person who steers the project, coordinates the teams in place and ensures that operations are properly monitored.