6 Tips to Succeed as an Interim Healthcare Executive
Interim leadership roles are unique in that they offer opportunities across numerous industries to make tremendous impact within a limited timeframe. Whether you’re stepping into an organization to fill a leadership gap, guide a transition or oversee a specialized initiative, being an interim leader comes with excitement, yes, but also challenges.
Here are six strategies to help you thrive in your interim role.
1. Focus on Relationship Building
One of the primary drivers of success as a new interim leader is the ability to build relationships. From your immediate colleagues to those in key positions across the organization, make it a priority to get to know the people you’ll be working with, and who will be impacted by your output.
Begin by scheduling one-on-one meetings with key stakeholders. Connecting with department heads can help you understand the unique challenges and expectations of different teams. Building lasting relationships will not only serve you well in your current assignment, but also throughout your career.
2. Be a Strong Communicator
When you come into an organization as an interim leader, the atmosphere may be a bit chaotic. Change can leave people feeling uneasy. It’s your job to bring back the status quo.
A critical way to restore stability and confidence is through your communication. A well-structured communication plan that informs stakeholders of what you’re working on, the timing and other details will provide peace of mind, foster trust and demonstrate your worth as a reliable team member.
3. Build a Robust Support Network
A unique element that comes with being an interim leader is just that: you are an interim solution, helping the organization in the relative short term.
The reality is that this can feel lonely at times. You may be moving from one organization to the next once or twice each year. Since you lack the familiarity of a true “home base,” building a support system of fellow interim leaders or like-minded industry professionals can offer you emotional support and lend you insight and advice when you need it.
4. Deliver Quick Wins
Quick wins are essential for establishing your effectiveness and credibility as a leader, and for gaining buy-in from the team. Look for opportunities to make immediate improvements, whether through enhancing processes or communication, increasing productivity or cutting unnecessary costs.
These “little victories” highlight your value and showcase your ability to take on larger challenges.
5. Plan for the Long-Term
While your tenure as an interim leader is temporary, your impact shouldn’t be. From day one, successful interims are planning out the long-term implications of the work they do. A focus on sustainability and on developing a clear ownership transition plan ensures your hard work doesn’t fall to the wayside once you aren’t there to maintain it.
6. Stay Open-Minded
Every assignment you begin as an interim leader will come with its own unique challenges and opportunities. Stay open to the possibilities. Make an effort to not to be too critical until you get to know each organization’s operations and people. Try to be nimble and adaptable to the needs of the organization while also being realistic about what’s actually feasible.
Finding Success as an Interim Leader
Serving as an interim leader can be both highly rewarding and challenging. It can be deeply gratifying to help an organization get back on its feet, and it can feel uncertain to always be the “new person” at the company.
By preparing yourself as much as you can leading up to your placement, being a communicative, open-minded team player, and finding ways to demonstrate your expertise and credibility, you’ll find long lasting success as an interim leader.