Working With a Team of Interim Leaders to Make Important Changes

Article by Rebecca Sherrick, Ph.D.

Earlier this spring, I completed a term as interim president of an Illinois university.  As I reflect upon the experience, I am convinced that the opportunity to serve concurrently with two Registry colleagues multiplied positive returns for the institution.  In the space of a few months, the institution enjoyed three positive accreditation processes, published its first magazine in years, completed substantial revisions to the Faculty Handbook, brought forth several new academic programs, refinanced debt, secured a balanced budget, recruited new trustees, navigated the FAFSA crisis and completed a successful presidential search.   

One Registry colleague arrived to work in advancement several months before my appointment began, while the second joined the university early in the fall as chief financial officer.  Both were accomplished interims.  As a “first timer,” I benefited from their expertise in significant ways.  My colleague in advancement, for instance, helped me understand the “changing seasons” of interim service as the year unfolded.  Moreover, my two colleagues proved adept at tackling problems and processes that might otherwise have required my attention.  This highly effective division of labor facilitated completion of an ambitious agenda of improvements. 

Teamwork among the three of us was crucial to tackling important new projects. Together, for example, we mounted an effort to petition a local private foundation to allow the university to repurpose a donated facility to accommodate the needs of a rapidly growing academic program with a strong community outreach mission.  A second initiative called for rethinking needs within the athletic program, developing renovation plans, and mounting the institution’s first fundraising campaign in many years.  After over a decade of expense reductions, internal conflict and negative publicity, the institution took its first steps into a brighter future. 

Collaboration among members of our team of interims was crucial to fulfillment of an ambitious agenda and to development of momentum.   These were significant achievements, but even more important was the positive impact our work had upon the campus culture. My initial priority as interim president was to address the hostility and disarray evident within the senior team. The animosity among key individuals even was present during Board of Trustees meetings.  I turned frequently to my Registry colleagues to help reframe our time together, often asking them to draw upon their experiences in other settings to provide positive examples. 

By the midpoint of my time on campus, cabinet members modeled more appropriate practice.  Long meandering reports, laced with personal opinions, were replaced with concise executive summaries that relied upon meaningful data.  Equally significant was the work accomplished within the campus community.  While the interim advancement leader worked directly with key personnel to fashion future-oriented fundraising and media initiatives, the interim chief financial officer co-chaired the faculty task force given unlimited access to fiscal data from the prior decade.  The group examined prior decisions, a process that culminated in a favorable presentation of findings at an employee meeting only days before the new president arrived. 

At first, I looked upon the presence of interim’s in key administrative positions as indicative of a larger problem.  It seemed to point, I thought, to the inability of the institution to recruit and retain talented personnel.  Now I have a completely different perspective.  Through its reliance upon Registry members, the university accomplished important priorities in a short period of time, reset its culture, and prepared to receive a new president with optimism.  The eight months that the three of us spent together culture marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. 

A team of leaders, intentionally working together, can indeed make a major difference. 

Working With a Team of Interim Leaders to Make Important Changes

Article by Rebecca Sherrick

Earlier this spring, I completed a term as interim president of an Illinois university.  As I reflect upon the experience, I am convinced that the opportunity to serve concurrently with two Registry colleagues multiplied positive returns for the institution.  In the space of a few months, the institution enjoyed three positive accreditation processes, published its first magazine in years, completed substantial revisions to the Faculty Handbook, brought forth several new academic programs, refinanced debt, secured a balanced budget, recruited new trustees, navigated the FAFSA crisis and completed a successful presidential search.   

One Registry colleague arrived to work in advancement several months before my appointment began, while the second joined the university early in the fall as chief financial officer.  Both were accomplished interims.  As a “first timer,” I benefited from their expertise in significant ways.  My colleague in advancement, for instance, helped me understand the “changing seasons” of interim service as the year unfolded.  Moreover, my two colleagues proved adept at tackling problems and processes that might otherwise have required my attention.  This highly effective division of labor facilitated completion of an ambitious agenda of improvements. 

Teamwork among the three of us was crucial to tackling important new projects. Together, for example, we mounted an effort to petition a local private foundation to allow the university to repurpose a donated facility to accommodate the needs of a rapidly growing academic program with a strong community outreach mission.  A second initiative called for rethinking needs within the athletic program, developing renovation plans, and mounting the institution’s first fundraising campaign in many years.  After over a decade of expense reductions, internal conflict and negative publicity, the institution took its first steps into a brighter future. 

Collaboration among members of our team of interims was crucial to fulfillment of an ambitious agenda and to development of momentum.   These were significant achievements, but even more important was the positive impact our work had upon the campus culture. My initial priority as interim president was to address the hostility and disarray evident within the senior team. The animosity among key individuals even was present during Board of Trustees meetings.  I turned frequently to my Registry colleagues to help reframe our time together, often asking them to draw upon their experiences in other settings to provide positive examples. 

By the midpoint of my time on campus, cabinet members modeled more appropriate practice.  Long meandering reports, laced with personal opinions, were replaced with concise executive summaries that relied upon meaningful data.  Equally significant was the work accomplished within the campus community.  While the interim advancement leader worked directly with key personnel to fashion future-oriented fundraising and media initiatives, the interim chief financial officer co-chaired the faculty task force given unlimited access to fiscal data from the prior decade.  The group examined prior decisions, a process that culminated in a favorable presentation of findings at an employee meeting only days before the new president arrived. 

At first, I looked upon the presence of interim’s in key administrative positions as indicative of a larger problem.  It seemed to point, I thought, to the inability of the institution to recruit and retain talented personnel.  Now I have a completely different perspective.  Through its reliance upon Registry members, the university accomplished important priorities in a short period of time, reset its culture, and prepared to receive a new president with optimism.  The eight months that the three of us spent together culture marked the end of one era and the beginning of another. 

A team of leaders, intentionally working together, can indeed make a major difference.