It is finally profitable lance Eric Breux HRD

Until when will they be While the economic crisis intensifies, managers and other team officials accumulate the difficulties. Between the management of employees worried about their future, declining budgets, the pressure of the objectives and the inevitable internal tensions, the current crisis places in first line. "They must both meet the requirements of their direction, and maintain the cohesion of their team." "The balance is not easy", is Arnaud Le Gall, consultant in social strategies. Many experts and HRD are convinced: the management turmoil requires a specific know-how. "It handles by the men in the same way in normal situations and in times of crisis", insists Michel Morin, President of the Executive Board of Léon de Bruxelles. Architect of the recovery of the food chain it was bankrupt upon his arrival in 2002 , the man knows whereof he speaks.

"Give the Cape".

Given the economic uncertainty, managers must redouble their pedagogy with their troops.

"When the ship pitching, the master must be able to reassure giving Cape", note Muriel Jouas, Director of the network of Council Com2Crise. Indeed, some great bosses do not hesitate to intervene in person. "In difficult times, there is an almost tribal reflex: we look at the Chief, is facing his word", explains Cécile Canet-Teil, Director of the internal communication of Rhodia. While the Group of chemistry uses on some sites to partial unemployment, Jean-Pierre Clamadieu, its CEO, multiplies movements, participating in "informal lunches" in which it responds to queries of a decade of field managers. Even rant troops at Renault, who introduced this fall of the "open forums" where Carlos Ghosn dialogue with voluntary employees 1,000 an hour. A support for managers to relay the messages in the field.

Thus, Accenture has asked its managers receive individually each of their collaborators and "be especially listening." Similarly, STX Europe (Atlantic ex-Chantiers) distributed to its technical support personnel explaining the partial unemployment which will affect the company in March and April detailing its concrete impact on the staff. Some strive to anticipate, the image of Laurence Peiffer, Director of the store spring of Metz. If the activity of this institution jumped in January, with balances, this young officer was aware that the year 2009 will be "more difficult". Result: since early February, it organizes monthly meetings for its 160 employees. "I stress the positive actions, and then click the areas of improvement." "These moments are an opportunity to mobilize everyone to strengthen the collective spirit," said Laurence Peiffer.

New requirements

These initiatives announced a radical change in the managerial practices. "The crisis posed new demands on all categories of management, including in terms of discipline and rigour", noted Jacques Danton, Vice-President of the Celerant Consulting firm. Also the imperative master budgets, the holding of the indicators is watched more closely. Thus, the company advance 150 collaborators, specialist car wash systems, anticipates a decline in its activity in 2009. Since January, Philippe Dumas, the President, asked his teams a weekly rise of their rate of specifications and technical performance indicators, while it was formerly quarterly. "Everything can go very quickly, given the context." "Therefore search efficiency at all times", he commented. Same speech in Autoescape, rental of vehicles on the Internet. Faced with declining sales, Bruno Couly, its Director, has reviewed all of the system of remuneration of its 65 staff. Hitherto indexed on the annual turnover, the variable part is, since September, based on monthly sales objectives. "The pay is much more rooted in the economic reality," he says, satisfied.

Pushing the habits

Because, and it is a paradox, for many leaders, the crisis is also a unique opportunity to bully him rigid organizations. The watchword: "more responsiveness, flexibility, and agility", noted Jacques Danton. Example: STX Europe has created a "cell of redeployment". The structure allows to switch dozens of staff specialized in the manufacture of ship hulls in underload given the decline in orders on the activity weapons, less impacted. "This requires teams to discover other activities, to develop their versatility." "It is finally profitable", lance Eric Breux, HRD.

Nevertheless, on the ground, these reorganizations are damage. First at the level of the low-skilled workers, directly threatened their jobs. But also on the side of proximity managers, who are more exposed. Under its restructuring plan, LCL (ex-Crédit Lyonnais) and deleted several hierarchical levels between the Regional Director and Director of Agency functions. And since a few months, Kauffman & Broad gives more responsibility to regional directors, leaving them with the full autonomy as to their policy of marketing and communication. "They are closer to the ground, they better know the expectations of customers. "As much capitalize on these skills", justifies Guy Nafilyan, the CEO of the developer.

Stress grew up. Placed in the front line, some managers cycled through difficult decisions. Evidenced by the head of a workshop of 250 people on the Burgundian site of a major industrialist in difficulty. "I first asked my employees to take vacations and their RTT because we underload, which caused strong concerns and discontent." Then, I was brought to completely reorganize the workshop, mutant technicians lack of work on other positions. So my rating of love not climbed... ", explains this engineer, who says follow eleven hours days. Their mission is even more difficult to complete that, quite often, managers have no comprehensive information on the future of their society.

Aware of this pressure, some companies are seeking to better accompany them. STX Europe plans future courses on the "motivation of the collaborators in difficult times": "the idea is to teach managers to respond to the questions posed by their teams, but also to launch projects that will be useful in the long term, such as the improvement of the"supply chain"or"lean management"techniques," says Eric Breux. Another tool in vogue: the individual coaching, rather reserved to leaders or managers with strong potential. The image of Stéphane Corp., CEO of Scient'x, an American company of 150 employees, specialized in the manufacture of implants for surgery of the spine. While activity has declined since this summer patients tend to see their care , the leader receives the tracking of a coach of the Mercuri Urval Office: "This allows me to break the isolation in decision making." "When you are faced with the requirement of your shareholders and the lack of visibility of the market, the stress is multiplier", he says.

Resist the pressure

All are not capable of withstanding such pressure... In many companies, the moment of truth has sounded. "The crisis reveals men." "Some managers excellent before the face of adversity, others instead collapse," notes Philippe Robert, "partner" of the cabinet of leaders VMS France research. Potentials of each appear to light and sometimes jostling established hierarchies. Thus, in a few years, Michel Morin has propelled Hassen Kechi, Director of the restaurant Léon in Brussels of Montparnasse, to the position of Managing Director, Member of the Executive Committee. "It took very effective to plumb the establishment, by focusing on the quality of the service." "It is essential to rely on brave men," notes Michel Morin. The crisis, an opportunity to boost his career The opposite is also true...