Fit and Flexibility

Article by: Galen Hench

If there were just one word to best articulate The Registry’s approach to interim leadership it would be fit. Make no mistake, fit is perhaps the biggest “little word” in our office. As Registry Chancellor George Matthews describes it, “fit is everything—it’s the basis of everything that we do here.”

The importance of fit is a theme that resonates strongly in the articles and interviews compiled for this edition of the newsletter. Beyond fit however, there is another consistent theme that emerges: flexibility. In his interview, Chris Mosher commented that “I would emphasize that being flexible and being receptive to the opportunity to make a difference is important.” In her interim spotlight, Yvonne Berry describes her assignment as being “a near-perfect fit”, but she also reveals that this opportunity arrived during a very difficult time in her life. Clearly, when evaluating an interim opportunity, fit isn’t the only primary consideration.

This was further evidenced in Dr. Boyce Williams’ interview, where she states that “I think it’s important that someone considering an interim assignment…simply be open to the experience that The Registry offers.” Boyce goes further to suggest that, “If I had allowed myself to be held hostage to my thoughts and beliefs then I wouldn’t be here. I could have just as easily passed on this opportunity, but I didn’t…In hindsight, it would have been a loss for me if I had passed on this opportunity”

I found this sentiment to be extremely powerful and very moving, and I believe Williams’ commentary reinforces the complexity of assessing whether or not to participate in a given interim opportunity. If you’d like to offer your own thoughts on this subject or on others,  then please e-mail me. Likewise, if you have ideas for content to feature in the next newsletter then please contact us through the form on our blog. 

Happy reading!

Galen

Read more about Editor Galen Hench