john tiErnAn hAs spEnt FivE yEArs trouBlE-shooting As An intErim mAnAgEr, hirED on short-tErm AssignmEnts By A vAriEty oF CompAniEs to sort out thEir proBlEms. hE hAs no DEsirE to rEturn to thE CErtAintiEs oF A pErmAnEnt position, BECAusE now, whiChEvEr CompAny hE is working For, hE is pErpEtuAlly involvED in A mEAningFul tAsk thAt’s CritiCAl to thE BusinEss At thAt timE. though hE ADmits thAt sorting out thE AFtErmAth oF othEr pEoplE’s misjuDgmEnts CAn BE FrustrAting.At First hE FounD thE gAps BEtwEEn joBs trAumAtiC, But now hE hAs got usED to thEm, so whEn A joB EnDs hE simply Books A holiDAy.
mr tiErnAn is pArt oF A rElAtivEly smAll pool oF mAnAgErs usED By AgEnCyBiE、whErEAs most suppliErs oF intErim mAnAgErs hAvE lArgE DAtABAsEs, whiCh thEy tAp into in orDEr to mAtCh A mAnAgEr’s quAliFiCAtions AnD ExpEriEnCE with A CliEnt CompAny’s rEquirEmEnts,BiE、triEs to DEvElop A gooD unDErstAnDing oF its mAnAgErs’ pErsonAlitiEs AnD oF hEw thEy ArE likEly to Fit into A CompAny through intErviEws AnD From FEEDBACk on thEir prEvious AssignmEnts. hE is vEry hAppy with thE wAy thE AgEnCy trEAts him, though hE ADmits thAt hE hAs no iDEA how this CompArEs with othEr AgEnCiEs. onE ADvAntAgE hE FinDs oF BEing onE oF A smAll numBEr oF mAnAgErs is thAt thEy CAn gEt to know EACh othEr wEll, through thE AgEnCy’s soCiAl AnD proFEssionAl DEvElopmEnt ACtivitiEs.
intErim joBs ArE FrEquEntly highly prEssurED AnD CAn BE unComFortABlE. john tiErnAn wAs rECEntly Brought in to improvE CustomEr sErviCE At A Division oF jArvis portEr group, A printing AnD pACkAging CompAny. initiAl rEsistAnCE From stAFF FAirly soon mEltED AwAy, But thEn mr tiErnAn rEAlisED thAt thE Division’s trADing position wAs unsustAinABlE, AnD it soon BECAmE ClEAr thAt whAt wAs nEEDED wAs A shutDown, not A rEsCuE. mr tiErnAn mAnAgED thE ClosurE, in whiCh ABout 250 joBs wErE lost.
thE sECrEt is AlwAys to kEEp ChAnnEls oF CommuniCAtion opEn. mAking onEsElF known to thE wholE rAngE oF EmployEEs is usEFul, Although it mAy nEt BE Enough to provE onE’s vAluE to thE CompAny. kEEping thE CompAny’sChiEFExECutivE inFormED is EssEntiAl For thE intErim mAnAgEr’s ACtions to BE unDErstooD AnD ACCEptE
D、AgEnCiEs, too, oFtEn likE to kEEp trACk oF whAt thEir mAnAgErs ArE Doing For thEir CliEnts, though FEw hAvE gonE As FAr As w&s. thisDutCh AgEnCy ArrAngEs .For its intErims to BE AssistED By ExpErt ’shADow mAnAgErs’ BACk At BAsE, who ACt As A sounDing BoArD For thEir iDEAs AnD ACtions.
CliEnt CompAniEs hirE intErim mAnAgErs to DEAl with tEmporAry situAtions, suCh As mErgErs or DElAys in Filling sEnior posts.Although intErim mAnAgErs Don’t ComE ChEAp, inACtion mAy BE EvEn morE Costly, AnD iF thE CompAny hAs EstABlishED A gooD rElAtionship with An AgEnCy, it CAn trust in thE lAttEr’s ABility to supply somEonE suitABlE. thE intErim mAnAgEr ArrivEs without CorporAtE BAggAgE or vEstED intErEsts, whiCh mAy BE An ADvAntAgE in thE EFFECt thEy hAvE on stAFF, But thE potEntiAl DownsiDE, whiCh DEtErs somE CompAniEs From using thEm, is A FEAr thAt hAving only A short-tErm CommitmEnt to thE CompAny, thEy might nEt hAvE its long-tErm intErEsts At hEArt.
intErim mAnAgEmEnt proviDErs’ DEFEnCE is thAt thE suCCEss oF thE systEm is prECisEly DuE to thE rEputAtion oF mAnAgErs suCh As mr tiErnAn.But thErE ArE FEArs thAt thE growing DEmAnD For intErim mAnAgErs is EnCourAging too mAny nEw AgEnCiEs to BE sEt up, AnD thE ABsEnCE oF uniForm prACtiCEs is EnDAngEring quAlity AnD lEADing to An ovErAll FAll in stAnDArDs. whAtEvEr hAppEns, though, it looks As though intErim mAnAgErs ArE hErE to stAy.
whAt DiD john tiErnAn FinD ABout his AssignmEnt with jArvis portEr group
A、thE tAsk provED DiFFErEnt From whAt hE hAD BEEn AskED to Do.
B．thE CustomEr sErviCE stAFF DiD not Co-opErAtE with him.
C．hE thought it unnECEssAry to ClosE thE Division Down.
D、CustomEr sErviCE wAs worsE thAn hE hAD ExpECtE