Put an end date on the interim role

Integrity · Little Light original

A vacancy appears, and the reliable person agrees to cover it for a few weeks. They attend the extra meetings, carry the difficult decisions and keep their original work moving. Months later, the arrangement is still called temporary, even though everyone has begun to depend on it. Interim responsibility needs more than gratitude. Name the authority that comes with it, the work that will pause, any change in pay, and the date when the arrangement will be reviewed or end. Without those terms, flexibility can quietly become a way of receiving senior work without making a senior commitment. Stepping forward should create evidence of capability, not an indefinite audition. The person may want the permanent role, or they may simply be helping through a transition. Either choice deserves clarity. Temporary arrangements are sometimes necessary; temporary recognition should not stretch forever. Put a boundary around the favour before reliability becomes permission to leave the question unresolved.

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