By Melinda Trotti
This is the first in a series of posts about Interim Directors and the Interim season. The concepts apply to all camps, conference, and retreat centers, whether they are not-for-profit, for profit, or religious sites owned by a judicatory body or are separately incorporated.
What is Interim Ministry?
Interim Ministry is a specialized ministry of leadership engaged during transition in an institution, in this case at a camp. The transition may be planned or unplanned. Engaging an Interim Director is recommended:
- after a long-term Director has retired, resigned, passed away, or been terminated;
- when larger structural questions need to be answered before the Settled* Director job description can be developed;
- when there has been disruption within a ministry and skills for addressing the result of that disruption are needed; or
- when a Director needs to step out of their role for a specific amount of time for family, health, or other commitments.
“One foot in and one foot out,” is a phrase often used to describe the reality as well as the strength inherent in an Interim season. The interim person can operate both as an Insider working for the organization and as an Outsider who can make decisions without their own livelihood being at stake. Operating with “one foot in and one foot out” can allow the Interim to assess and address structural strengths and dysfunctions. Typically, the Interim has had training in conflict awareness and management such that they can assess the level of conflict within the organization and how best to address it (or not). Each ministry situation is unique, and the Interim needs to be flexible in order to respond to the situation with its specific history, challenges, and strengths.
When Do You Need an Interim Director?
Typically, Interim seasons can be classified as one of three types, although there are no rigid definitions; and these often overlap.
- Placeholder – This describes a situation where a leader is needed to fill a gap, often until a Settled Director returns from a leave or until a new Settled Director can arrive. Even within this small period of time, the Interim can act as a consultant in assessing and reporting observations and suggested changes within the system. Usually, the scope of change expected or allowed during this short term is small.
- Consultant – This person acts as an Interim on-site and actively engaged in the day-to-day operation of the site while also creating conversations and offering recommendations to the Board, Executive Director, Denominational/ Area Head, or other supervisor or oversight group. The consulting can be either formal or informal. Expectations for how the consultation proceeds should be established before the interim begins. It can be as informal as regular conversations in which concerns or recommendations are given, as formal as a plan being developed before the arrival of the Interim for intentional feedback, or the Interim giving a final report to a previously specified group of stakeholders.
- Change Agent – This type of Interim is usually engaged due to an urgent need for crisis intervention or for change that is needed in a quicker timeframe than normal. A few situations where a Change Agent is needed are after there has been a trauma to the system because of a moral lapse or financial or other malfeasance or an unexpected death. Another time when this type of interim might be established would be when a Board or agency establishes a plan that needs leadership skills to implement their recommended changes – while also creating an organization that will need a skill set different for the Settled Director than is needed for the Interim Director. This Interim may be the one who is tasked with identifying and reporting the systemic changes needed or may also be given the authority to enact those changes.
For religious organizations not accustomed to engaging professionals as Interims, it can be helpful to think of the hiring of an Interim Director as a business arrangement as opposed to an appointment that happens within a structure with already established directives and processes for doing that. For situations where “hiring within” is the rule, this might be a time when hiring from outside can be of strong benefit to the organization.
*”Settled” is a term often used instead of “permanent” as Camp Directors are typically hired with an expectation of 5-15 years of service, not for a lifetime appointment or tenure.
The next blog post will explore the nuts and bolts of creating a successful interim season.