No such thing as an Acting role

Some of you may remember when you were younger and had to be left unattended for a short time. In our household or even as a student in boarding school, there was usually a direct instruction that in the absence of the parent or teacher someone was “in charge”. Armed with this unplanned power the person in charge usually tried in vain to control the rowdy siblings or classmates until the real authority returned. The most ironic part of this temporary power transfer is that in the event of any incident the person “in charge” is the one who got punished, rather than the perpetrator(s). The person “in charge” had no real power, with their main disciplinary tool being the threat of reporting you to the applicable authority when they returned.

Contrast this with what happens to adults in the working world when temporary power and authority is transferred. The situation happens often where for some reason an employee is appointed in a temporary acting capacity where a vacancy or need does arise. If you are struggling to picture this scenario you can read up on the woes of the local South African power utility which has had 13 CEO’s and Acting CEOs in 15 years. The major difference between the “in charge” character from school days and an Acting role within your organisation is that once you are Acting you really are accountable and are doing the job. Imagine, getting poor care from a medical professional, with them replying to you that you must not complain because they are just Acting. Or a pilot on an airplane announcing that they will be flying you for a few hours, but they are just there in an acting capacity?

I have been involved in two schools in South Africa where Acting school principals have been appointed as an example. The SA government Department of Education can take over 24 months to fill a vacant school Principal position. Usually, a willing teacher or department head volunteers to play the role of Acting principal in the interim. The schools still must run, and parents still expect their children to receive quality education. Thinking of Eskom as an example again, we don’t really care that there is an Acting CEO appointed. We just want reliable power supply. Anyone who has acted in a corporate role will tell you, the boss does not give you a free pass because you are working in an acting capacity. The reality is that the title “Acting” does not absolve the person from any of the accountability. The people in the Acting roles have no choice but to behave and act as if they are permanently in the roles.

Sometimes we do get frustrated at a lack of growth opportunities in our careers. We wait for positions to open up so we can try and land bigger jobs. However, the best opportunity for growth may be to take on Acting responsibility temporarily, rather than waiting for a new permanent role to open. Someone who has delivered in the role of Acting CEO is likely to be able to claim experience as a CEO. The same should apply for all roles we play in our lives. If a temporary opportunity arises, treat it like it is a full-time opportunity. Behave like you are already in the role. Don’t get side-tracked by the term “Acting”. If you are in the job, regardless of title you are expected to do the job.