Rain Eriksoo has a background as an M.Sc. in chemical engineering and has been active in both large international groups and start-ups in B2B and high-tech companies with a focus on MedTech and healthcare IT. 15 years ago, he took an active choice to work as an Interim Manager in the roles of CEO, Business Area Manager, and Sales Manager.
Rain has just completed his second assignment through Nordic Interim as CCO at a Life Science company. The focus was on conducting a thorough analysis of the business strategy to give the company the right conditions to create growth. “It is crucial to ensure internal transparency between market needs, Product development, and sales. You need to have clarity in the offer, your message to the market, and defined target groups to optimize results and growth. The whole company must work towards the same goal to succeed”.
How do you prepare yourself for an interim assignment?
“I do my own research of the official information about the company and the market via the website, annual reports, stock analysis/forum, and the like. I meet key people inside and outside the company to understand the history, current situation, and goals as well as possible priorities in the assignment. I also make sure to get some time between assignments to recharge through both relaxation and a lot of exercises.”
Which 3 points are most important in your change leadership?
- To synchronise goals and actions with clients and management teams and then continuously report progress, deviations, and results.
- To be visible and regularly communicate the overall goals and status so that the organization gets the opportunity to take its own initiatives that support the direction. Creating participation and enthusiasm is very important.
- Having high speed in implementation is crucial! It is better to quickly do 80% right and then adjust than to wait for perfect information, but at the same time know in which situations you must stop, talk to key people and sleep on the matter.
How do you ensure that you have a good work/life balance?
“I plan for days when I work from home to get respite and for my own ‘helicopter reflections’ and to keep up with administrative tasks before they become stressful. Sport and exercise are very important for my recovery and provide time for reflection and new ‘out-of-the-box’ thoughts. Sometimes you have to take time off. As a leader, you should also signal internally that you do not have to be online 24/7.”