Interim Executive - Turnaround Executive

4000 books !!!!

2006-06-29T10:42:00.001+02:00

So I did it again. I wanted to have some 3500 people to read my ebook (downloadable at http://39confessions.ifrance.com) in the first year and I have reached now the 4000 downloads in 5 months time.

I have been busy to work for 2 companies that are in trouble but they can not take the decission to get out of trouble. They are in deep problems and they have a high risk to be closed at the end of the year but they got used to be in that situation so they don't see the danger. So they hesitate to continue and of course... I don't work without a contract.

I have also written 4 articles (in French) for the Journal du Management on company revival. It tells 4 different stories on how to rescue a company.
Case 1: revival through the implementation of a new internal organisation
Case 2: revival through a repositining of the company on the market (migration from a B2C to B2B)
Case 3: revival through international expansion
Case 4: revival by solving a major shareholder conflict

Don't hesitate to contact me and visit my website (http://vanrompay.online.fr) for more information.

Erik

4000 books !!!!

2006-06-29T10:42:00.000+02:00

820 books downloaded during month ONE !!!

2006-02-11T10:31:00.000+01:00

I have published my book on my TURNAROUND EXECUTIVE experiences in France handling

CRISIS MANAGEMENT
PROJECT RESCUE
INTERIM MANAGEMENT
CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING
BEST PRACTICES

one month ago and my book has been downloaded 821 times in one month time.

My objectif was to have 350 books in the first month so I am largely above.

If you want to download this free eBook,... the address is

http://39confessions.ifrance.com

Erik Van Rompay

The world has gone upside down

2005-12-09T11:43:00.000+01:00

I spoke to 6 journals and magazines this week to see if we could cooperate on an article as I have some interesting things to tell.
They are very interested in my story... but they want me to pay to get it published. I told them I was selling them a story, a testimony of executive management.... while they just see it as an advertisement. Horrible.

Real turnaround executive stories are uncommen and tell real stories - not stories from heros or people that want to sell their skills. Do I have to include in the near future some brandnames inside my text so it will get self sponsored ?

When I speak of layoffs - do I have to show asperine ? When I speak of company renewal and motivating people - do I have to show publicity for viagra ?

If things continue like this, every executive has to wear a flat LCD screen on his back showing some interactive advertisements.

Is this going to be the future ?
I hope not, so please close your web browser and do something in the real world like hugging your dog.

2005-12-02T19:15:00.000+01:00

I've published a small comment on the CIO blog on Worse IT Practices.
So please read ....

http://www.cio.com/blog_view.html?CID=15025

Otherwise, I got exactly 1004 page views in November and 81 first time visitors (against only 30 in October) so my web site is riding the right wave so please connect to

http://vanrompay.online.fr

Executive War Games (Lash 7)

2005-11-25T22:00:00.000+01:00

BONUS - A FIRST CHAPTER OF MY eBOOK TO BE PUBLISHED IN JANUARY.
Title of the book "THE 39 LASHES OF A FRENCH TURNAROUND EXECUTIVE"

LASH number 7 - War Games
----------------------------------
One of the key issues of controlling a company is to control and master the different power fields in a company. It is complex to do it continuously but it is key to master it at key turnaround moments like the moments when you announce a big change or when you introduce a new IT system.

Powerplayers are not the people that are visible or can be heard in every meeting – they are people that control…..

Reading sociodynamic studies or THE ART OF WAR of Sun Tzu can give you some insights but you have to master each detail of it.
You have to detect the people that will help you with the different actions in your mission and those that will not act. There are the ones that will help you but are negative towards you and those that will not help you but are positive towards you. A very complex situation that does not makes things easier.
The most important group you need to control is the “wait and see” group. They are waiting to take a decision and it is important that they hear and see things moving. Once they take the decision to move, you have won your turnaround mission.

But constantly watch out for foxes, disguised wolves and spies.

Field experience one: who’s spying who?
=============================
Information technology makes it complicated to track all discussions and underlying communication channels. Do you know what happens with instant messaging inside your company ? Did people create their own mailing lists so they can send mass mailings around against your initiatives?
So I got my spy. A person that forwarded me all mails that were against me so I was aware of a lot of issues and could act accordingly.
But everyone knows you can not trust a spy so I took a second person as a spy and indeed, he transmitted me mails of my first spy who was also sending messages around against my initiatives.
Roughly said, everyone was against me – but at least I knew what was going on and their discussion items.
To disable these rumours, I intensified all informal discussions by spending more time at the coffee machine to announce and explain them in detail my action plans. I also spend more time at the photocopy machine to pass some messages to the assistants.
People were nicely surprised to see me handle basic issues that were important for them and that I was open to discuss simple issues.

Field experience two: bombarding resistance
================================
In one of my missions, I had to deploy an important project and I needed a maximum of resources available. As one of the business units was also using our IT services and their manager was against my deployment, I could not ask this unit or its boss to lower down their business activity. I also knew the female boss of this unit would take the time to criticize me intensively during this deployment.
So I created a devilish action plan with the implementation of new quality procedures and forms to fill in. As everyone saw immediately the benefits of this initiative, it also slowed them down for some weeks giving me the availability to use some of my resources for my project. I also launched a new business initiative on group level and asked the CEO to have the head of this business unit (the enemy of my deployment project) to head that team as she was a good resource for the project and I would join her afterwards once my deployment finished. The second advantage of this project was that it would create intensive discussions between a lot of my opponents. The CEO accepted and it worked out fine as she was more than 100% occupied with this project. During the next 4 weeks, she didn’t had the time to call our services so we could execute our job with a smashing success as the whole team got a congratulation bonus for our excellent deployment.
Two weeks later, I joined the group initiative and became project leader some weeks later.

Field experience three: Annual Salary Review
=================================
Annual salary reviews are hell as you have to negotiate with everybody and especially as you are working under a very difficult situation. As turnaround executive, you are handling several cost-cutting initiatives and suddenly, you have to dedicate the so-hard gained cash to salary increases.
Because I knew the opposition was strong and rumours were starting, I decided to act. In a first wave, I got the results of a very recent market survey on the salary levels and after verification; I knew 95% of the staff was slightly above the market value. So I arrived extremely early in the morning in the office and I putted copies on all desks so everyone had the information.
The second wave came the next day with a pamphlet that I put on some bulletin board indicating the average salary increase in our industry was 2% - while people were expecting 5 to 6%.
One week later, I got the financial report of the accounting office confirming on one side the major performance improvements we made but it also included a phrase we needed some urgent extra cost-cuttings to make the company secure. Of course, I gave a copy of his report to the unions with the message I was going to present a consistent plan for the company. I also forgot (that’s how we call it) some copies of his conclusion at the copy machine so some bypassing people could distribute the rumour around. My final proposition to the unions was to keep their social advantages and not to create a layoff plan as cost-cutting initiative.
My game allowed me to finish the annual salary review with a limited increase of 1%, completely focused to align some underpaid people.

dirigeant de transition

2005-11-18T14:44:00.000+01:00

For those who ask how to translate turnaround executive in French, the translation is rather poor as it is translated as transition manager which is not the same as a turnaround manager is a company rescue person.
It like the difference between a guy who can repair a car and the one that can drive it. I am know for repairing companies - so I am the cost killer, the layoff guy, the garbish collector...

So the french translation is : Dirigeant de transition

Hope to finish one day the translation of my website http://turnaroundexec.ifrance.com

Please feel free to comment....

Interim Executive: November 2005

2005-11-17T17:33:00.000+01:00

Interim Executive: November 2005

Just a test to use google analytics inside a blog

2005-11-17T17:27:00.000+01:00

17 novembre - Google started its Google Analytics package so I am spending my whole day in answering customers on why this package is good and how they should use it besides the existing tools they have already like eStat, CybereStat, Xiti, Hitbox or others.

Hoping the Google communication Tsunami stops quickly.

Please visit my web site for latest information: http://vanrompay.online.fr

point début novembre / status november

2005-11-03T18:00:00.000+01:00

Difficult month of october - working almost 18 hours a day. There is first my job, then the work I am preparing to do in 2006 and the updating of my web site. The address is http://vanrompay.online.fr so tell me what you think of it as I would like to get some feedback.

I also spend some time in research and development as I have to find out how is going to work the television on mobile phones (DVB-H) in the near future.

Roughly said, I managed to spend about 10 hours to my book so I have to get some speed this month otherwise my book will never get published in January 2006.

------------------------
Et maintenant un peu en francais. Un mois d'octobre d'enfer avec une moyenne de 18 heures de charge par jour. Il y a déjà le travail (sinon je ne mange pas), ensuite ma recherche de projets pour 2006 et la mise à jour de mon site web. L'adresse est http://vanrompay.online.fr. Dites-moi ce que vous en pensez ?

Pour le reste, j'ai surtout découvert ce mois-ci la télévision sur téléphone mobile (j'avais déjà la video, mais la télé est plus cool - surtout pour le journal du soir).

A bientot - et n'hesitez pas de m'ecrire un message !!!

Starting to write a book

2005-09-05T15:33:00.000+02:00

September 5, 2005
It is raining today so I have to keep myself busy. I decided this morning to write a book about my experiences as turnaround executive and I wrote already 15 pages. OK, I know, the text needs reworking but 15 pages in less than 3 hours indicates clearly I have enough content for the book.

For the rest, have a visit to my web site as I just updated it. The adress is http://vanrompay.online.fr

Interim Executive

2005-07-20T14:52:00.000+02:00

I am an executive specialized in the rescuing of High-Tech companies by turning the power of the Internet into a highly competitive advantage.

The result is a drastic change of an "almost closed-down company" into a viable e-Company and market leader.

In all my missions, I worked in small business units or Start-ups but reported to Fortune 250 companies who wanted not only to secure their investments but mainly gain market leadership.

I adore the complex mixture of creating innovation, taking quick decisions without numbers or sufficient data.... and on the other side, f industrialise work methods, creating consistent management reportings for the Fortune 250 shareholders...

It is extremely difficult and complex to turnaround an Internet company as they are operate in a very competitive environment where everyone innovates. My strength is to realise a succesful turnaround.

I my most recent position, I am also selling services to my Fortune 500 customer base to turnaround their internet presence into a leading marketplace.

Interested in learning more about me and my services, just consult my website http://vanrompay.online.fr
or email me at theonlineceo@yahoo.com