Transformational Transitions
Interim Marketing and Programs Leadership
Navigating leadership transitions requires both experience to maintain momentum and a fresh perspective to envision a more impactful future. As your interim Chief Marketing Officer and/or Chief Program Officer, I'll conduct a comprehensive assessment of your current capabilities, strengths, challenges, and opportunities. While ensuring the seamless continuation of essential work with your team, we'll also craft a detailed plan for team enhancement or refinement, working with your team to build capacity and capabilities. Together, we'll identify the ideal skills and qualities for a permanent leader to carry the work forward and integrate with your team. With a focus on strategy, impact, and creativity, I'll turn your leadership “transition” into a powerful “transformation.”
Why hire a transitional leader?
The gift of time. Who you hire matters. A lot. If you are forced to rush the decision or settle from among the candidates available at that moment, you will likely not be positioned for long-term success.
Fresh eyes and no baggage. Transitional leaders come in with a perspective that your existing team may not be able to access. When you combine their fresh eyes and experience with your team’s experience and institutional knowledge, that is the sweet spot where innovation and growth happen.
Unbiased support. Since a transitional leader, by definition, isn’t trying to earn the job beyond the transition period, they have the luxury of being able to be completely honest with you about your business operations and the quality of the existing work. They do this to help you grow and become the best you can be.
Inspire your staff. An infusion of creativity and innovation boosts employee engagement, leading to staff retention, increases in productivity, creative problem solving, better collaboration, and so much more. This breath of life into an organization benefits everyone, regardless of department or job description.
How does it work?
Every organization is different, with varying needs, priorities, and timelines. In turn, every transitional leadership engagement must be customized to the specific challenges and needs of each client. To provide flexible support, the interim role's time commitment is structured as part-time to near full-time, typically lasting a few months. In that time, there are three main objectives:
Analyze & Assess. I’ll do a thorough review of your department and resources, analyzing existing materials, meeting with the team, other department leaders, and key stakeholders, and review data and metrics from past and current initiatives. This will help us understand what to continue, what to improve, and what to eliminate or replace. We want to work better and smarter, and most importantly, with more impact in support of the mission. This analysis is vital to future success.
Maintain Momentum. The work didn’t stop when your last leader left, so neither can we. As we review and plan, it is vital that we don’t miss a beat. I’ll ensure your work and your team keeps moving forward.
Create Transformation Plan. Now that we’ve reviewed and analyzed the work, we’re in a position to plan for the future. This includes how to staff the department, what resources are needed, identifying goals, strategies, and tactics, and how we’ll measure success. We’ll also work together to decide what type of leader is required to carry the work forward, craft a job description, and (as appropriate) proceed with recruiting and hiring your next leader.
During times of transition, the right leadership can make all the difference. If you're seeking an innovative transitional executive to confidently steer your organization forward, let's connect to explore how my experience and fresh perspective can position you and your organization for success.