Sudden leadership vacancies can seemingly come out of nowhere. But it is how we handle these mini-upheavals that separates those who can keep a ship afloat in rough seas from those who become overwhelmed by the storm and eventually go down with the ship.
Local government has many chores that are routine in nature. Managers and their teams know that a particular month is when a certain report is due, or perhaps that a bid package should be prepared, or advertising needs to be sent out. The many activities and requirements that must be completed on a daily and monthly basis can indeed feel insurmountable, let alone the annual reporting and auditing tasks. It’s exactly because of these responsibilities that you hire a capable management staff.
Unfortunately, we all know things can happen, causing a sudden vacancy in your management staff and no one at the helm of the ship to keep things afloat. When this happens – for whatever reason, be it resignation, dismissal or some other unforeseen reason – your municipality will need a seasoned leader in a hurry. Supervisors and councilpersons need to act quickly to keep the municipal ship from sinking. One option to consider is the hiring of an interim manager to keep things afloat from the departure of your current manager until the hiring of a permanent replacement.
Interim managers can help you solve two simultaneous needs – short-term, experienced leadership to maintain municipal operations while you search for a new permanent manager, and a seasoned professional to assist you in finding the right person for the permanent job. Hiring an interim manager during a vacancy can often be one of the wisest moves a municipality can make, and it can save a lot of time and effort on your part.
Many municipalities often choose to place another employee in the vacant management position and just hope for the best. That employee may have a cursory understanding of the manager's role, but rarely do they have the ability to step in and maintain the operations while tending to their typical job requirements as the intensive search begins for a suitable replacement.
That’s why interim leadership staffing is often the better and more effective approach. And it can be done quickly and affordably. Keystone Municipal Solutions (KMS) can keep your municipality running smoothly while also helping you find the best candidate to ensure it stays running that way.
There’s a reason we call ourselves Keystone Municipal SOLUTIONS. Because that’s our sole purpose – to help municipalities like yours find solutions to difficult challenges you may face at any given time. When crises happen, your citizens are watching and expect you to take quick, confident, appropriate and responsible actions to meet the challenges head-on. Bringing seasoned and experienced leaders into the fold on an interim basis helps to reassure your constituents that you have the situation under control.
And with KMS you aren’t really hiring just one person to fill an interim role; you are actually hiring a team of experienced professionals with decades of knowledge of how to get the job done – from the routine requirements to the difficult, longer-term needs that all municipalities are faced with.
When your municipality faces tough seas because of an unexpected leadership vacancy, don’t try to navigate the storm alone. Contact KMS for an experienced hand at the wheel. We’ll keep you afloat and will get your municipality on-course for smoother sailing in the years to come.
So, let’s "fire this thing up" and get you the help you need!
About the Author
David L. Anthony is a member of the Keystone Municipal Solutions team of experts. He is a veteran of municipal government, having served more than 32 years in various positions of public service. Contact him at david@keystonemunicipalsolutions.com. To learn more about David and the Keystone Municipal Solutions team, click here.