How Interim Managers Can Help Increase a Company’s Efficiency
www.posiv.cz ǀ 55
BUSINESS
First, it is important to define some terms.
Company efficiency is a measure of how
effectively and productively a company
can utilise its resources, including human,
financial, and material assets to achieve its
goals and generate profit. A higher level of
efficiency would mean that a company is
achieving a larger output from a lower input,
or in a shorter time frame.
Interim management involves the temporary
assumption of control over a company or
a specific aspect of its operations, such
as finance, logistics or production. This
transfer of control is typically prompted
by extraordinary circumstances that
the company is unable to address
independently. Especially if the changes that
need to occur to rectify the situation cannot
be made by the company due to lack of
capacity, experience, know-how, or fortitude.
Setting a Clear Goal is Key
In order to enhance efficiency with
the assistance of an interim manager, it
is crucial to begin by establishing a well-
defined goal. This not only provides a clear
point where we would like to reach, but
also offers context regarding the current
state and desired endpoint. Reaching
an agreement in the current situation is often
one of the largest issues. Unfortunately, these
company goals are usually not as clear cut. It
would be ideal if they were, but we are rarely
ever told “we are at point X and we would like
to get to point Y, here is the data we used to
determine this.” We are often unsure exactly
where we stand and if the data we use is
actually accurate or even relevant. More
often we are met with: “I don’t really like how
the company is running, please take a look
at it,” or “The company changed things and
now they are not how they used to be, I think
we have a marketing issue.”
The Thorny Path Towards the Goal
Generally, there are two paths that lead to
setting and achieving a goal. The first path,
which is called “the tourist trek”, involves
an incredibly detailed analysis. This analysis is
followed by recommended future steps that
are approved as the goal and then pursued.
If the relevance of data is in question or
if the company is already in a declining
state, it might be more suitable to employ
the second method, which I call “walking
through a minefield.” This approach involves
setting a direct path towards the goal and
then identifying and addressing obstacles
(mines) along the way. These obstacles may
need to be disarmed or bypassed, even if
it requires a zigzagging approach to reach
the goal. In this scenario, goals are defined
as they become necessary, making it more
challenging to unify data points and quantify
changes in efficiency.
On time, Quickly, With Numbers
to Back it Up
Setting a time scale at the beginning is very
important in order to establish realistic
expectations. From our experience,
companies often bring in an interim manager
only after depleting internal resources,
hoping that they will magically fix their issues
with a snap of their fingers. However, this is
not how it works. While interim managers
bring strengths such as experience, flexibility
and speed, it’s realistic to expect the first
year for problem analysis, the second for
stabilisation, and the third year to finally
yield results. These are deep rooted changes
I am referring to here. That’s why discussing
efficiency after just one year, doesn’t reflect
the reality of the situation.
We measure efficiency through numbers,
which represent the business’s economics.
Regardless of the change within a company,
be it purchasing, HR, production, etc., we
must find a way to quantify that change.
Communication Comes First
Increasing company efficiency necessitates
change, which can be met with mixed
reactions among employees. Some
may welcome it, while others may find
it disagreeable, leading to employee
uncertainty and even gossip. This response
can temporarily decrease efficiency.
Communication is key in such situations,
and it is crucial to maintain contact with
all of the employees. This step must not be
forgotten. Interim managers can provide
a vital role in facilitating this process.
Ján Dolejš, Chairman of the Czech
Association of Interim Management
How Interim Managers Can Help
Increase a Company’s Eciency
Nowadays, at a me where expenses are increasing across the board, it is doubly important to
pay aenon to company eciency. It is quite possible that certain old processes, that worked
in the past, were forgoen about and no longer bear any fruit. Improved eciency is a goal that
company owners and management sta desire and somemes it is not only desirable, but also
necessary to prevent a company from stagnang or declining.
Včas, rychle a s čísly
Časové hledisko je důležité od začátku už
při nastavení očekávání. Naše zkušenosti
ukazují, že firma pozve interim manažera,
až když vyčerpala interní možnosti a často si
myslí, že přijde pánbůh, který lusknutím prs-
tu zajistí změnu. Nezajistí. I když předností
interim manažera jsou zkušenosti, flexibilita
a rychlost, je lepší počítat s tím, že první rok
se to „rozvrtá”, druhý rok stabilizuje a až tře-
tí začne přinášet výsledky. Mluvím o hlubo-
kých změnách. Proto, pokud někdo začne
vykládat o efektivitě na konci prvního roku,
tak vůbec neví, o čem mluví.
Efektivitu měříme přes čísla a čísla zob-
razují ekonomiku podniku. Když cokoli
ve firmě měníme – nákup, personalistiku,
výrobu aj. – je potřeba najít způsob, jak se
tyto změny promítnou do čísel.
Komunikace na prvním místě
Vyšší efektivita firmy znamená, že se firma
musí v něčem změnit. Tato změna je pro část
firmy nepříjemná a část firmy ji naopak uvítá.
Způsobí to nejistotu v hlavách zaměstnanců,
„chodbové řeči” i fámy. Tím se efektivita pře-
chodně snižuje. Je potřeba neustále komuni-
kovat, mít kontakt s každým zaměstnancem
společnosti. Na to se nesmí zapomenout.
I v tomto případě interim manažer pomůže.
Ján Dolejš, předseda České asociace
interim managementu