Interim Insights - Adele Taylor

Adele Taylor is an experienced interim leader who has spent the past 15 years working across finance, resources and transformation in local government. Currently Interim Director of Finance and Operations (S151) at Cheltenham Borough Council, Adele shares her perspective on navigating organisational change, building relationships quickly and making a positive impact through interim leadership.

What led you to a career as an interim?

I am probably unusual in the fact that I am slightly more agnostic about whether I work as an interim or a permanent member of staff, but that is probably because my roles over the last 15 years or so have all been focused on change and transformation in finance, albeit in Resource Director/S151 roles. For the last 2½ years as an interim, I have been travelling away from home across three different councils including two in the north-west of England. As someone who has mainly focused on London and the surrounding areas for the rest of their career this has given me an opportunity to spread my networks much wider than ever before, experience different local and regional challenges and meet other public sector partners I may not have had the chance to before. I am someone who likes a job that continues to challenge and learn new things so the chance to explore and be professionally curious in different places suits me well.

What do you enjoy most about being an interim?

It is about finding the right assignments that suit you. For me, a good assignment is somewhere where I can feel I can walk away having learnt something new, some ideas and best practice or ways of partnering differently that challenge you to think differently and you can take away for the future, even if it isn’t until an assignment in a couple of years’ time. I talk a lot about professional curiosity being something I really believe we need our teams to have, and this is the ultimate chance to do that at perhaps a larger scale. I also want to have had the chance to leave a place even just a few percent better than when you arrived although what that may look like may even be the organisation having a better understanding of the challenges they have going forwards.

What are the challenges you face as an interim, and how important is leadership style?

Some of the challenges you face as an interim are actually very personal ones and not necessarily about the work itself. They can be as simple as the logistics of work; so for me I have spent the last 2 and a half years staying away from home for anything between 2 and 4 days a week, every week, and that has a huge impact on your own health and wellbeing and you have to be prepared for what that might mean. Asking the right questions (where to stay, expectations on hours, thinking about what it is like to be in an Airbnb in the middle of nowhere on a rainy Tuesday night…) and what would that mean if your assignment is extended.

In terms of work, you also may, depending on people’s past experiences with interims, find this can have an impact on your perception in an organisation. Can you cope with suspicion, people commenting on how much you do or don’t earn, checking in whether you are really going to do the best for “their place”, which can happen. Equally you might have people desperate to have you there as they think you are going to be able to solve all their problems as you are an “outsider”.

As a Leader that means you have to balance the ability to win people over quickly, be clear about what you can and can’t fix and never forget your own personal beliefs and ethics. It does mean you have to sometimes be a bit more of a chameleon, but it does also bring a personal freedom and ability to make an impact, hopefully very positive, in a short space of time.

What difference have you made in the organisations you’ve worked for?

I would always hope that whatever role I do, I will leave the organisation at least a little bit better than I found it. It doesn’t need to be a dramatic change and sometimes leaving an organisation better might be a better understanding of the challenges that they face which may at first feel quite frustrating as that can from the outside seem like you haven’t “achieved” anything. In my most recent roles I would like to think that I have set the organisation off on a better trajectory, identified ways in which to transform and make improvements but also laying strong foundations for those coming in to take the role on permanently so they can then have as smooth a transition as I can possibly make happen.

I’m also a keen believer in coaching, mentoring and developing talent so even in an interim role I take the time to get to know my teams and look to find opportunities to lean into my network to make connections between people to develop our talent in the sector. If I am going to work in different areas in the country, this is an ideal opportunity to connect people with the right sounding boards that they may never have met purely through geography!

In your current role, if possible, to share, what were the drivers that led to an interim being recruited? And why do you think an interim is the best way of solving that problem in this scenario?

Where I am currently, there wasn’t really any other choice. Sadly, my predecessor Paul, an integral part of not just the Council but also the area itself, passed away. He left a huge hole in an organisation that he grew up in and was integral to so much good that has happened and is happening in Cheltenham. At the same time, this is an organisation that is part of the local government reorganisation within Gloucestershire and with other key personnel also not in place they needed someone who could come in very quickly and pick up the reins.

Paul was well known for championing other people’s careers so his influence spread beyond the council, with many people in Gloucestershire having grown within his teams and moved on to other councils in the area. He had a strong belief in training and developing future talent, much of the team at Cheltenham was very new, many having been in post for under a year. It’s also a place with significant ambition, including some complex financial arrangements, large–scale projects that have been building over a significant number of years, many with national importance, so a challenge not to be underestimated.

In these circumstances, having someone who could come in, keep everything moving forwards but also be able to contribute positively to the significant change coming was most important, but having to do so with no handover and having to feel your way in an organisation missing a vital heartbeat that had been there for so long. I am incredibly aware of the privilege I have to continue his legacy and don’t underestimate the responsibility of ensuring his ideas, teams and vision are nurtured.

What makes a good interim in your eyes?

As an interim, you need to understand why you are there and what the benefit of having you as an interim can be to the organisation. You have the opportunity to perhaps be the person that can be a bit bolder and braver than others, especially when going into more challenging situations, as you don’t need to think about longer-term relationships as much as others do. That has to be very carefully balanced with understanding the legacy you leave behind and not causing damage to the culture of an organisation that is working well.

A good interim is also someone who knows why they are there but also when it is appropriate to make a graceful exit, even if you love the place but your job is now done! Recognising how to help an organisation make the best use of you to get done what they need to, but without losing yourself in the process, is a skill in itself. Not losing yourself also means giving yourself space and time to learn and grow yourself!