Interim Management: Not an emergency bandage, but a catalyst for change 

Interim Management often still evokes the wrong image: that of a temporary substitute who “keeps things running” until a permanent replacement is found. Someone who keeps a seat warm, guards processes, and above all, must not break anything. The reality is exactly the opposite. 

Robert van der Plas, Interim Manager and Management Consultant at Anderson MacGyver, shares his view on the profession: why is it such a powerful instrument for organizations that truly want to move forward? 

Beyond the point of no return: The power of Interim Management 

“Making a difference in complex, turbulent situations and bringing a change past the point of irreversibility is what drives me within Interim Management.” Interim Management is pre-eminently effective in places where change is needed. For example, in restless, complex situations. Think of stalled transformations, organizations caught between ambition and reality, or teams that have lost their direction. 

When asked about the difference between permanent roles and an interim manager, Robert responds: “In permanent positions, you build on continuity; as an interim manager, you are called upon when movement is needed, when patterns are stuck, and when someone needs the courage to push change past the point of no return.” 

As an interim manager, you carry no history and no political baggage. You arrive with one clear mission: to bring clarity and help teams move forward again. That clarity requires decisions. Because an interim manager stands further away from the organization, it is often easier to say: “We are going in this direction, and we are starting today.” 

Speed, structure, and humanity  

When starting a new assignment as an interim manager, Robert believes it is crucial to understand what is really going on. Not just the formal assignment, but also the “undercurrent.” 

“I always start by connecting with the people who have to make it happen; change only succeeds if you have gained trust. That is why I am clear from the start about my role, how I work, and what people can expect from me,” says Robert. 

An experienced interim manager brings immediate structure, creates calm, and helps teams move forward. Not by taking everything over, but by removing noise, setting priorities, and giving a team room to breathe again. This immediately creates new energy. 

What distinguishes Interim Management in this regard is the focus on sustainable change. Not a temporary solution, but a movement that lasts. The moment an organization no longer automatically falls back into old patterns because the change is actually anchored. 

Interim Management versus AI  

AI can do a lot: analyze data, recognize patterns, and calculate scenarios. But Interim Management remains human work. 

What an interim manager can do that AI cannot: 

• Gaining trust: People don’t open up to an algorithm, but to someone who listens and thinks along. 

• Reading the undercurrent: AI only sees data. An interim manager also sees looks, silences, and conversations at the coffee machine. 

• Conducting difficult conversations: When teams have been frustrated for months, AI cannot act as a mediator. 

• Applying timing and feeling: Knowing when to push and when not to. That is not a calculation; it is sensing what an organization needs: craftsmanship. 

• Anchoring change: Bringing it past the point of no return. This requires courage, empathy, and trust. 

Real interim work happens in the interaction, in the nuance, and in the trust you build. That is where the movement begins. 

Interim Management as an extension of consultancy 

“At Anderson MacGyver, we don’t see Interim Management as separate from consultancy, but as a logical extension of it,” Robert indicates. 

The greatest advantage lies in the bridge between advice and realization without loss of information during transfer. Because of the previous consultancy assignment, the context, the dynamics, and the people are already known. This allows you to make an impact from day one, without a long onboarding period or “noise.” 

The client gets someone who not only helped create the plan but also takes responsibility for realizing it. This ensures speed, clarity, and trust. Interim Management thus becomes the link between strategy and execution. 

“We always work from a position of substantive sharpness and humanity. This means that as an interim manager, you don’t just steer for results, but also for support, cooperation, and sustainable anchoring.” 

In short: the client doesn’t just get a new person, but an extension of the advisory work. Someone who understands the strategy, knows the people, and actually realizes the change. 

Interim Management is about lasting impact  

Interim Management is not a temporary solution for a temporary problem. It is a conscious choice for movement at a time when standing still is no longer an option. When organizations get stuck, when direction is lacking, and when change can no longer wait. 

A good interim manager does not bring peace by slowing down, but by sharpening the focus. By making decisions, providing structure, and taking people along in a change that lasts beyond the point of no return. 

Not by shouting louder, but by taking responsibility. Not from the sidelines, but from the heart of the organization. There, where strategy and execution meet, Interim Management proves its value. 

Not as an emergency bandage. But as a catalyst for lasting change.