So what is the market like for interim management?

A question we are asked many, many hundreds of times a week collectively by phone and email...

In short, I do not think anyone knows, however we do believe that UK plc must pull its finger out now Easter is over, and believe that the redundancies, cost-reductions and drive for operational efficiencies must give way to due diligence of weaker competitors leading to M&A's so necessary for a recovery. It should also lead to a digging into the razed earth for those green shoots? Whilst corporate restructuring will continue for a very long time, the world has changed these past 12 months and all commercial organisations must reappraise their current product and service offerings and ensure they are in keeping with the times in which we now live.

The Public Sector remains a large user of interim management companies and day rates in this sector have now overtaken the commercial sector, despite threats on budgets. Whilst the current incumbent is at Number 10, we cannot see this demand abating.

But I am not and nor are my colleagues, Economists or Clairvoyants, but we have to raise ourselves above the doom and gloom. Interim managers have immense skill and experience to play a key role in the upturn. Corporate memory of the previous downturns is short with many of Generation X and Y er's not having any idea of what to do. So post April it is! All the bad news out, many of the redundancies made. New Financial years and and half way through the year...This could as we expect be the year of the Interim Manager!

But whatever ...do not be fearful of tomorrow, some of the happiest people in the world are those who have the least.

We have mentioned Monty Python previously in the podcasts on career management but "Always look on the bright side of life" has perhaps never been so poignant. Whilst it may be devastating not to have an interim assignment at present and to worry what the future holds, but maybe this is just the right time to reassess what we really value in life and what brings us joy.

Meher Baba, born in 1894 was an Indian mystic and spiritual master. From 1925 to the end of his life, he maintained silence and communicated only by means of a chalkboard. Baba spent long periods in fasting, but would intersperse these with works of charity, mostly caring for lepers and the poor. He was badly injured in two car accidents, yet with detoriating health, he continued to work selflessly until he died in 1969. And what was Baba's favourite mantra? "Don't worry, be happy", the phrase that Bobby McFerrin later took as the title for his number one hit single in 1988.

So we might be facing bleak times but when times are tough, we at Impact Executives know the tremendous talent that we have in our register of over 2,000 of the very best interim managers in Europe and beyond. You collectively bring a smile to our faces and whether you are more in tune with Monty Python, Meher Baba or Bobby McFerrin no matter what the recession throws at you the message is clear...keep smiling!

Thank you to P.Coote for introducing me to Meher Baba.