As an interim manager at the Christmas party - yes or no?

MAWUncategorised

As the end of the year approaches, I ask myself the same question almost every year as an interim manager: Should or rather: may I take part in the internal Christmas dinner?

At first glance, this appears to be a minor matter. In reality, however, it is about something central: Integration, belonging and corporate culture.

Why Christmas dinner is so important

Christmas dinner is much more than just a cosy get-together with good food and a glass of wine. It is a Social fixed point in the annual calendar:

  • Colleagues engage in dialogue away from day-to-day business

  • Relationships are strengthened, trust is built

  • Successes are celebrated, difficult phases reflected upon

  • The Corporate culture can be experienced, not on slides, but in direct interaction

This event is an important signal, especially for teams that have had an intensive year:

„We belong together, we have mastered this year together.“

External employees are usually excluded

Traditionally External employees - such as service providers, consultancies or temporary staff - often not invited to such internal events.

The reasons are understandable:

  • Budget considerations

  • Clear demarcation between internal and external roles

  • Protection of confidential topics

In many cases, this is perfectly fine. An external specialist who provides selective support for a project does not necessarily have to be part of an internal Christmas dinner.

Why different rules should apply to interim managers

With Interim Managers however, the situation is fundamentally different.

Although an interim manager is formally „external“, in day-to-day reality they are often Fully integrated:

  • He or she Manages employees, assumes line responsibility

  • Meets business-critical decisions

  • Represents the company internally and partly externally

  • Is part of the organisation during the mandate Management team

So if an interim manager manages a department for months, is responsible for projects and leads the team through changes, then it is, to put it kindly, contradictory, to leave him or her out of the Christmas dinner.

A concrete example

Let's imagine the following situation:

A department with 20 employees has been managed by an interim manager for several months. The year was intense, perhaps even stressful: reorganisation, new processes, high expectations.

At the end of the year, the Departmental Christmas party takes place. The entire team is invited, except the interim manager.

What signals does that send?

  • To the interim manager: „You may be responsible, but you're not really part of us.“

  • To the team: „Our leader is interchangeable and doesn't really belong.“

From my point of view, this is not only difficult from a human point of view, but also Unwise in terms of corporate policy.

If I'm supposed to lead and motivate a team, then I also have to be present at the events where the We-feeling is created and maintained.

What an invitation does

If interim managers are deliberately invited to Christmas dinner, this has several positive effects:

  • Recognition: The company shows its appreciation for the work performed.

  • Integration: The interim manager is perceived as part of the whole, at least for the duration of the mandate.

  • Strengthening leadership: The manager is with the team when it comes to community and culture, not just at target agreements and status meetings.

  • Clarity: The message to the team is: „This person bears responsibility and is therefore naturally part of the team.“

Precisely because a mandate is limited in time, it is all the more important during this period to full to be integrated, both professionally and socially.

And from the interim manager's point of view?

We interim managers also have a need to belong, at least temporarily.

We invest a lot of energy, bring experience and often make uncomfortable decisions. This makes it all the more important that we also human moments with the team: Laughter, relaxed conversations, a joint review of the year.

This makes day-to-day collaboration easier and ultimately also increases the effectiveness of the mandate.