In a professional relay race the crucial part of the whole event is the “Taking up of and the Passing on of the Baton”. If you run well but are unable to “Take up the Baton” or “Pass it On” successfully, you Lose the Race. This is a great analogy of the crucial role of professional Interim Managers who work for Non-profit Organisations such as https://iim.org.uk/ actually do. These well-educated, experienced and highly-motivated Business professionals step into a company, take up the “Baton” of Leadership and ensure the business runs smoothly while it’s in a period of transition. Once that change has been completed, they hand over the leadership role, “the Baton” to a more permanent Manager. An interim manager might be hired during a company merger or acquisition, when a key manager leaves unexpectedly or In a crisis situation that requires immediate leadership. They will help to stabilise crucial operations and manage any essential day-to-day activities, while evaluating current processes and identifying areas for improvement. Whilst holding the Baton they will help to facilitate communication between different levels of the organisation and lead team members while providing guidance during the transition period. These are seen as temporary roles that usually have a clearly defined end date. Like the term “Stepping into the Breach” they do someone else’s work when that individual is unable to do it, they take up the Baton of leadership until a more permanent solution is found.
