Years of experience across multiple organizations teach all successful interim managers what mistakes to avoid.

Mark Twain once said, “Good judgment is the result of experience and experiences the result of bad judgment.” Interim managers are only good at what they do because of lessons learned from mistakes they’ve made and seen.

1. Interim Managers don’t give poor feedback

Feedback is supposed to help an individual perform better but that doesn’t always happen. Inexperienced managers dive straight into what’s wrong with an employee’s work without appreciating their effort. That can make them feel undervalued and demotivate them. Interim managers instead make a point of acknowledging their strengths alongside giving constructive criticism to help improve their weaknesses.

2. Interim Managers don’t claim to be experts

While they may have years of experience working in the industry or with the product, that doesn’t mean an interim manager knows everything. Employees don’t like a “know-it-all” boss that doesn’t give them the opportunity to grow. A good interim manager will never assume they know more and will always leverage ideas and skills provided by their employees.

3. Interim Managers don’t disregard communication

An office in chaos is one in which the people working in it aren’t on the same page. Clear communication between team members and the manager is what keeps everybody moving in the same direction. Because sometimes there can be different interpretations of what’s been said by the manager or team leader. That leads to confusion in the office and prevents everybody from performing their best.

4. Interim Managers don’t avoid conflict

Organizational politics is an area many leaders try to stay away from. But not addressing issues that are bothering personnel in their work environment will only allow it to grow and create a divide among team members. A good interim manager confronts conflict before it gets out of control.

5. Interim Managers don’t treat their employees like a machine

Leaders that are only interested in getting immediate results from their employees no matter the late nights and time taken from their family will never get ahead. Those employees eventually resent their boss and will never show any interest in helping the organization grow. Many will leave at the first chance leading to high employee turnover and costing the company. Interim managers instead help empower their teams and mentor them to strengthen their abilities whilst making sure they are living a happy and fulfilled life.

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