Diary of an interim
After working in a permanent role in the pharmaceutical industry for eight years, Jane has decided to change her lifestyle - to become an interim manager undertaking specific assignments in a bid to achieve a better work/life balance.
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Episode Eleven - A new door opens but what's inside?
Go home on Friday evening mulling over the job offer. Very flattered to be asked of course but a nagging voice keeps telling me that this is not what I intended. I became an interim to get away from the hassle associated with a permanent role. What about the work/life balance? What balance?
Just when it seems that things can't get any more complex, David arrives home looking more stressed than I've ever seen him. 'One of the worst days ever', he mutters, as he comes into the kitchen. 'Didn't get the big Government contract we were tendering for'. I don't need to ask more. This has been his number one priority for around six months and everything looked good. The fallout is obvious. There may well be job losses…and David, as Sales Director, could be one of them.
All of this is set against the permanent job offer on the table. What happens if he loses his job? How will we manage? With just my salary from the promotion we could scrape by. Does this mean that I no longer have a choice?
After lots of discussion over the weekend I decide that I really have no option but to accept the permanent role. With David's job hanging in the balance, we need some security and if I say no, I can't be sure of a continuous steam of interim assignments landing in my lap.
With all this going on I haven't had a moment to think about the James issue which is just as well because I need all my wits about me at work. With a slightly heavy heart, I sign on the dotted line with HR. Is this really the end of my interim career? So much for choices and work/life balance! Glancing casually through the contract, I see I'm to be on a three month 'probationary period'. What a bloody cheek after all I've done already! I think ruefully 'welcome back to the impersonal embrace of corporate life'.
The day doesn't get any better when I hear that our trial is to be audited by our internal QA group. This is another cause for worry and immediately plunges me into lots of additional work. I find myself going in early, working late into the evening and taking files home too. It's very stressful and not just because there is a huge amount to prepare and to a tight deadline but I keep finding worrying omissions - as I dig deeper they appear to become serious with potential regulatory consequences.
I'm not sure what do to. I can't discuss this at home, David works in a different industry and is under enough stress as it is. Could I use James as a sounding board? He knows the business and right now I need an informed and supportive friend to talk to.
Hesitantly I dial his mobile and he answers straightaway. He is immediately sympathetic. Gives the right responses. He offers to help and in fact, he's over in the UK again in a couple of days.
I feel overcome with gratitude. 'Yes please', I murmur. After putting the phone down I wonder where this will lead. James is seeing the vulnerable side of me and I must be careful…but right now solid support is what I need.
The only bright note in all this is that I seem to have found a soul-mate among the other managers. Attending monthly team leader meetings is giving me a wider perspective of what's going on in Product Development and I'm impressed with the calibre of the other team leaders too... especially Veronica, a secondee from the US office into our Regulatory department with whom I strike up an instant rapport.
How is Jane going to get through all this? Is James taking advantage of her difficult situation? What is going to happen to David and will it bring a strain on their relationship? What will the audit reveal about the trial Jane has inherited? Is Veronica about to become a valuable new friend?
See Jane's next diary entry...
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Next entry - From bad to worse and an unforeseen scenario
Previous episodes
Episode Ten - Tony disappears and another problem looms
Episode Nine - A new role and a personal dilemma
Episode Eight - Corporate emergency and old flames reflicker
Episode Seven - Stressful situations and sleepless night
Episode Six - New experience and an old face
Episode Five - What's a work/life balance?
Episode Four - Making a real contribution and changing projects
Episode Three - The First Assignment
Episode One - Initial Euphoria