Throughout her career, Gunilla Dyrhage has gained extensive leadership experience and has been heavily involved in digital transformation and change management. Today, she is the interim Head of Customer Service at a public agency. We have talked to her about Interim Management, Change Leadership, and the best city to visit!
Gunilla has had the opportunity to work in four different industries: public sector, telecom, energy sector, and insurance. Among others, she spent five years at Arbetsförmedlingen as the Head of Digital Services & Customer Service, and at Försäkringskassan, she was Head of Digital Channels, driving the digitalization of customer interactions from both a strategic and operational perspective. Later, at Bliwa Livförsäkring, she established a new business area focused on Development & Offering, with a strong emphasis on digitalization.
What, in your opinion, is the most important aspect of change leadership?
“Nowadays, every organization undergoes some form of change, regardless of its scale. The key is to create an understanding of the need for change and raise awareness of the external environment, current situation, and business challenges. Involving and co-creating with employees is crucial as they play a vital role in shaping the goals, new organizational structures, working methods, and processes. Trust and engagement are also crucial, together with fostering engagement in that “we will succeed together”, are vital. Generating enthusiasm by visualizing and painting a picture of how the new state will be experienced by customers and employees creates a sense of urgency, making the organization more forward-thinking.
What conditions are necessary for successful change?
“Communication and responsiveness are essential in facilitating successful change. As a leader, it is important to create the right conditions, including adequate budget, suitable methods, and necessary competence, to enable the organization and employees to succeed together in the change process.”
What are the advantages for a company of engaging an Interim Manager?
“This can bring several advantages. Firstly, if a company is going through a significant change, an experienced interim manager can provide expertise in driving and leading the change. Secondly, an interim manager can bring in fresh perspectives and experiences from other industries, providing valuable insights and specific skills needed for a defined period. Finally, an interim manager can fill a vacant leadership role effectively and efficiently.”
As an Interim Manager yourself, what do you find most rewarding about your role?
“One of the most fulfilling aspects of being an Interim Manager is the opportunity to work intensively on new and exciting challenges. I can contribute new perspectives, skills, and experiences from previous companies and industries. Having tried interim assignments in the past, I found that the role suited me well. I always had the desire to become an interim again at some point. It’s a fun and rewarding experience to enter into something new, continuously develop, and maintain curiosity. It is both exciting and challenging to quickly understand the context of the organization, its challenges, personnel, and culture, and I like to be able to utilize my knowledge and contribute with fresh ideas and insights. As an Interim Manager, I have not only immersed myself in theories and methods, but I have also actively driven changes and leadership. I enjoy being highly engaged in my work and delivering with quality. Interim work is well-suited to my approach as assignments can be intense, especially when joining a change journey already in progress.”
Could you share your top 3 career tips?
- Nurture your network: Building and maintaining a strong professional network is crucial. It allows you to tap into a diverse range of knowledge, experiences, and opportunities.
- Never stop being curious: Curiosity fuels personal and professional growth. Embrace a lifelong learning mindset and continuously seek new knowledge and experiences.
- Dare to challenge yourself: Stepping outside your comfort zone and taking on new challenges is essential for personal and professional development. Don’t be afraid to push your boundaries and embrace new opportunities.
And finally, what is your top travel tip?
“I discovered Lisbon last year during two visits, and I must say it’s a very nice and beautiful city with a lot of history. I highly recommend visiting Lisbon for its vibrant culture, stunning architecture, and captivating atmosphere. I recently visited Artipelag and the Monet exhibition in Stockholm. The Monet exhibition is a digital immersive experience of his artwork accompanied by classical music; I believe many would enjoy this.”