Business manager: what attitude should you adopt with your employees?

Closeness, camaraderie, fatherhood, or respectful distance? Many managers wonder what attitude to adopt with their employees. After all, is there an ideal attitude? Pierre-Franck Moley, director of a Parisian communication agency, and coach Valérie Rocoplan, founder and manager of Talentis shed light on the role of a business leader.

‍Hopscotch may be a communication agency, but the familiarity specific to the sector is not appropriate on the company's premises. “It is not the aim of a boss to be appreciated, but it is a necessary virtue, explains Pierre-Franck Moley, co-partner of the Parisian communications consulting agency Hopscotch. We don't like him because he's “cool,” but because he's the right person in the right place.”

‍The director of Hopscotch is not the type to pat himself on the shoulder. No more than the relationship or the use of the first names of its employees. This does not exclude proximity. Thus, although Pierre-Franck Moley cultivates a certain distance, he takes a breather from time to time with his colleagues and employees in the nightclub located not far from the Hopscotch premises. A way to break a form of routine and to reinforce the feeling of belonging to the company. But for Pierre-Franck Moley, the essential role of the boss remains to be recognized for his competence. “Failing to be loved as an individual, he points out, you can be appreciated as a professional. Clarity, kindness and support are the real values to be defended.”In order to identify the attitude that a business manager should adopt, Pierre-Franck Moley puts forward three essential elements.

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These tips, Valérie Rocoplan, founder and director of Talentis, leader in executive coaching, agreed to sift through them. As a preamble, she agrees with Pierre-Franck Moley: “It is better to avoid the trap of narcissistic bosses who want to be loved by their employees at all costs. The risk: falling into demagoguery.”

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‍#1 Give meaning to your business/Develop a sense of belongingThis is the main objective of the manager, according to Pierre-Franck Moley. “The expectations of employees are more to join a project than to sign a contract”, he continues. In this context, the manager must act as a transmission belt by giving direction to his employees. Clarity is the key word here: it gives meaning to the mission of employees and allows them to internalize the values carried by the company.

‍Valérie Rocoplan's opinion: The challenge is to engage your employees so that they believe in what the company does.

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‍#2 Be kind/Focus on kindnessThe old authoritarian and pyramidal management has lived on: companies have adopted more horizontal and participatory management; the policy of control has given way to benevolence. “It is not the chef's methodology that should prevail, underlines Pierre-Franck Moley. The higher you go up in the hierarchy, the less operational control you have. You have to recognize that your employees are working properly and that they are better professionals at their job than their top management.” Indeed, the boss has a great motivational tool in his arsenal: recognition. On the contrary, now leaving more freedom to his employees, he is entitled to set a higher level of requirement.

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‍Valérie Rocoplan's opinion: the leader must be a mentor and a challenger. It should let employees work independently and create a stimulating working atmosphere.

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‍#3 Act as a facilitator/Identify the obstaclesEncouraging and supporting employees is an integral part of the role of a boss. Indeed, managers must never forget that they are first and foremost at the service of their employees. “Being present in open space alongside my employees, I place myself at the same level and make myself available, Pierre-Franck Moley analysis. You should not act like an evaluator but be both a coordinator and a facilitator.”Through his actions and behavior, the boss must simplify the implementation of projects and help employees meet the objectives set. “It makes the connection between people and their work environment”, adds the Hopscotch boss. Its central position gives it responsibility: it must anticipate the answers to be given to problems by identifying obstacles and reorienting teams if necessary. Finally, the manager must also take into account the evolution of the know-how of his employees and their advancement. “We must be committed to making them grow”, concludes Pierre-Franck Moley.

‍Valérie Rocoplan's opinion: Giving regular feedback to employees is one of the most important criteria for recognizing and engaging employees under 35.