Flintlock Marketing Directors Tasha Gladman and Graham Appleyard believe passionately in the value of interim management as a commercial game changer. Tasha explains: “When we take up an interim role we come without an agenda. We don’t want a job there. Our job is to help the people and team look good. We want to help them grow and deliver better. We can get on and make improvements and make things better, bringing a fresh perspective.”
The objectivity and distance is what makes ‘interim’ so vital. It makes everything less personal. Because our interim team is not trying to get up the career ladder in the organisations, they are more resilient, which is liberating – as well as great value for the client. The passion for the success of the organisation is still but it is channelled in a more productive way because they are not wrapped up in the internal agenda.
“We get inside and spend time within the business. This isn’t wasting time having a look round the offices. It is going and talking to people, hearing what they have to say, feeling the business. This isn’t something that can be done this sitting behind a computer in an office. Hearing it, seeing it, living it – they’re fundamental,” says Graham.
Stakeholder interviews are key to this discovery process for Flintlock. By speaking inquisitively to stakeholders directly, it enables them to feel heard, and to unpick real answers to ‘why’. “This is is why it important to do them first”, explains Tasha. “We first get to know the business and understand it. Meeting people and interviewing them is crucial, it underpins everything. This allows us to be really clear on what the issue is that we’re trying to solve. This level of simplicity is critical in getting to the right solution.”
Ultimately, what establishes us as leaders in contemporary interim management is the deep strategic and tactical experience they bring. This is much more than filling a gap, or a having a consultancy role. Our team do not come from an agency background, without having really lived inside a brand or a business. Rather, we have an insider perspective of FMCG and Retail because we have done both, and we know what it is like. This allows our Flintlock team to stand in the shoes of an organisation we go into, and really know where they are coming from.
As our interim team bring proven, tangible experience, we can get to the heart of the problem whilst also speaking the language that people within an organisation understand, and maintaining an approachable style. Our customers therefore see us as part of their team, every bit as committed to achieving goals, as opposed to some consultants that can be seen as separate or distant. “For interim management to be a game changer, it has to be integrated in this way,” concludes Graham.
