Leadership & Management

Changing management

Over the past decade, management has undergone significant change. Fast transformation, new forms of organization and changing workplace needs have led to a major shake-up in managerial practices. The growing freedom given to individuals to react to the changes in their environment repositions the manager in different roles (coach, facilitator, coordinator, etc.) in new organizations (matrix, agile, liberated, etc.). At the same time, the pace of change and the resulting loss of meaning requires more coordination between managers and teams than ever before. This dual complexity is the crux of today’s management, a transformed role that remains essential to transformation.

New practices and different relations

The needs of new generation workers and the autonomy required to be responsive have undermined management styles based on expertise or control. Today’s managers need to offer an empowering environment with regular feedback, openness, discussion, flat hierarchies, co-building, influence, customer meaning and more. These new styles and practices imply different working relations that require managers to develop skills outside the traditional scope (carrying out interviews, setting objectives, organizing action, etc.), drawing on more personal resources.

Diversified management roles

In addition to the transformations common to all organizations, we are seeing a diversification in management roles: coach, coordinator, visionary, and so on. Whether traditional, agile or lean, management is no longer a question of maturity but instead involves a wide range of approaches, depending on specific needs. This diversity is a breeding ground of innovative practices. It adds complexity, with traditional, emerging and innovative management practices cohabiting in the same organizations.

Supporting managerial transformation

In this context, providing the most effective support for managerial transformation means understanding each organization’s specific culture, journey and needs. Individual and group support for managers is changing, becoming more operational and involving interaction with teams. Combining consulting, training, facilitation and coaching, management support draws on a wide range of skills and approaches. To be successful, it uses group intelligence, skills development, behavioral change and the full range of available digital tools.