Being a Manager or a Project Manager: How to Successfully Lead Change?

The world is constantly evolving, yet we all feel that changes are piling up, following one another, and even accelerating. Business leaders, managers, project managers, and directors, we all ask ourselves the same question: how will my job evolve? Like a captain navigating the ocean, we are the modern-day Magellans, sailing towards the uncertain. However, one thing is certain: we will experience several turbulences, fears, and changes. Therefore, it is our duty to know how to:

- Identify the opportunities that each change brings,

- Support our colleagues through these transformations.

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How to approach these changes in the business? On what tools should we rely?

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1. Reference Disciplines

Thinking organizationally: the macro approach, sociology

As an organizational leader, the first reflex is to look for solutions at the scale of one's entity. The macroscopic scale, which views human behaviors as physical phenomena, is the field of expression for sociology. Sociology provides numerous studies and tools for thinking about society (P. Bourdieu) but also about the company (M. Crozier, F. Dupuis). I remember two findings from these studies:

- In decision-making or implementing a change, it's not the leader's expertise that matters, but their empathy as perceived by colleagues (M. Crozier).

- In the perception of their daily lives and anxieties, an employee will always tend to minimize their difficulties. However, we often have an empathetic reflex for others, thus an extrasensory perception for the anxieties and working conditions of our colleagues (F. Dupuis).

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From these two examples, we see that two misconceptions can be corrected by an empirical approach: the development of empathetic leadership rather than expert leadership in the first case, and indirect questioning about work conditions and anxieties in the second case.

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Therefore, in both cases, macroscopic approaches are interesting and provide numerous tools, but they should not make us forget the individualized approaches. Because the examples above remind us that ultimately, the human aspect remains central. Sociological approaches only allow us to describe underlying trends, and only a personal approach can support changes.

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Thinking collaboratively: the micro approach, psychology

In addition to a phenomenological approach to the organization, psychology offers an individualized vision. Less quantitative, psychology remains standardized and is based on methodologies of interviews and tests. We can mention methodologies applied in business like DISC, MBTI, etc. Some companies even go as far as mapping the profile of all their employees to allow their managers to provide tailored support.

However, as interesting as this may be, it seems to me that a person's profile remains a "dynamic" element, as opposed to a "static" characteristic such as height or mother tongue. We are in perpetual evolution, and our state of mind remains fleeting, jumping from one emotion to another at any given moment.

So, how can we find reliable avenues for change management?

I propose two levers that can be actioned under all circumstances, to support your colleagues through the evolutions you may experience.

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2. Levers to Activate

Thinking organizationally: company values

The first lever to mobilize your colleagues in the face of changes, and to touch each of them individually, are the values. Values of the company culture, project objective, or motto: the key is to have a totem that gives meaning and sets the pace. And this first lever proves to be extremely effective. One of the first factors of uncertainty and immobility in a company is linked to the ability to formulate simply and clearly the directions to take. "There are no favorable winds for those who do not know where to go," Seneca would say. The questions you should ask yourself are: is my company project clear? Are my Project objectives defined? Are they shared? Do all my colleagues agree with them and with the values they convey? Give a perspective and meaning to the daily lives of your colleagues, and half the journey will be done.

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Thinking collaboratively: The human factor

The second half of this journey through change is the human factor. Your second lever is the relational lever. And how to have a sincere relationship with each of them? Multiply your relationships through proximity managers. Managerial relays are the main transmission belt of an organization. It is necessary to devote time and effort to ensure that your relays become effective witnesses. Because they are the ones who are close to each employee, who instill confidence and motivation. They are the helping hand in moments of doubt and who push to move forward in the storm.

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In summary, aside from any in-depth analysis, I propose two directly actionable levers:

- formalize and align the entire organization on your project,

- maximize your efforts on your managerial relays to multiply your enthusiasm.

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So, how can we project ourselves into a future that seems difficult to grasp?

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Let's quote General De Gaulle, "the true school of command is that of general culture." The only certainty about the future is that it will be shaped by women and men. Thus, the question of the future is that of human nature. And the best ways to understand human nature, besides life experience, are general culture and travel.

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And here's the good news: new digital tools and practices today offer abundant opportunities, both for learning and spreading culture, and for discovering new cultures!

Two concrete examples to explore:

- Knowledge Management tools, with the new functionalities of AI, such as those offered by ChatGPT, which enable an incredible leap in learning, synthesizing, and appropriating humanity's knowledge.

- Collaborative tools that allow instant travel, exchanging across the globe, or VoiceToText tools enabling dialogue in all languages of the world.

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So many positive changes, so many opportunities: the digital revolution hasn't finished taking us on journeys yet.

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References:

P. Bourdieu, complete works

M. Crozier, The Bureaucratic Phenomenon

F. Dupuis, Lost in Management