Tomorrow's Manager: A Profile
13 June 2014
Read by 3413 persons
The business world is constantly changing. New technological innovations, the rise of new consumers, and demographic changes mean that what is true today may not be true tomorrow.
Times change... and so do managers. Faced with a changing environment, managers must be incredibly adaptable. Technical skills, personal desires, and interpersonal qualities: discover what tomorrow's manager will be like.
1. They will manage their careers more individually
The days of long careers within the same company are over. Unlike their predecessors, tomorrow's managers will manage their careers more individually and will be much less attached to the company and its values.
If companies can more easily part ways with an employee today, the employee is also freer to move on and see if the grass is greener elsewhere…
2. They will be skilled psychologists
The introduction of the LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorat) curriculum in the 2000s is one of the direct causes of the increasingly high level of qualification of employees, who will expect more interesting tasks from their managers in their daily work.
The need for recognition and personal fulfillment will be stronger and will be added to the classic requirements of remuneration and benefits. Tomorrow's manager will therefore need to be a skilled psychologist and listen more attentively to the needs of their employees to maintain their motivation.
3. They will mediate between their hierarchy and their teams
Closeness and empathy will be the key words for tomorrow's manager. In a considerably degraded social climate, the manager will have to learn to channel the pressure from their hierarchy and convey it less directly to their teams.
They will increasingly be called upon to do "human resources" to reconcile the profitability requirements of their hierarchy and the well-being of their teams, to learn to put themselves in the place of others and to understand their concerns and expectations.
4. They will be socially and environmentally engaged
For several years now, social and environmental responsibility has been on the rise within companies, which are now paying more and more attention to progress that can be made in terms of business travel or the use of computer equipment.
Tomorrow's manager will have to learn to lead by example. This will mean sorting their waste, checking that the lights are turned off when leaving, or reducing their paper consumption. These are small ecological gestures that will demonstrate their awareness of environmental responsibility.
5. They will be project managers at heart
To be able to compete with the competition brought about by the globalization of markets, companies of all sizes will have to adopt the same strategies as large groups, including outsourcing of less profitable or poorly mastered activities.
As a true project manager, tomorrow's manager will have to deal increasingly with external providers, negotiate directly with clients, precisely define the scope of what can be outsourced and what cannot be for reasons of quality or strategy, and contribute to breaking down professional silos.
6. They will lead increasingly heterogeneous teams
With the lengthening of working hours and the rampant globalization of the labor market, the business world will become increasingly heterogeneous. The employees of the same manager will become increasingly dissimilar, and the manager will have to learn to make them collaborate.
While this diversity of age, gender, ethnic origin, or religion is an asset for a company, it also makes it complex. Tomorrow's manager will have to juggle the concerns of each individual and meet the needs of the majority.
7. They will be resolutely more internationally focused
With India, China, and Brazil representing more than 40% of the world's population, companies that are increasing trade with them will need internationally focused profiles to continue their export activities.
In addition to English, which is now essential, tomorrow's managers will need to master at least one "rare" language, including Chinese, Hindi, or Portuguese.
8. They will be essential on social networks
With the rise of professional social networks, business relationships are gradually becoming "virtualized" over the years. As a result, using all the tools to ensure professional monitoring and develop one's e-reputation will become essential for tomorrow's manager.
So much so that, very soon, not being present online will be almost inconceivable…
9. They will be stress-resistant
Because they will operate in an increasingly competitive environment, tomorrow's managers will need to have strong nerves and know how to manage their stress on a daily basis.
To ensure that it is not paralyzing but rather an important driving force, tomorrow's managers will have to learn to cope with it, to relativize a grueling professional daily life and to take it upon themselves.
10. They will seek a balance between private and professional life
While yesterday's manager prioritized their career, tomorrow's manager will increasingly want to find a balance between their personal and professional lives.
While they want to succeed in their careers, they are not prepared to make excessively costly sacrifices, and the rise of paternity leave in recent years reflects the desire of fathers to become more involved in the education of their children at the expense of their careers.
Philippe Montant
Chief Executive Officer of ReKrute
Times change... and so do managers. Faced with a changing environment, managers must be incredibly adaptable. Technical skills, personal desires, and interpersonal qualities: discover what tomorrow's manager will be like.
1. They will manage their careers more individually
The days of long careers within the same company are over. Unlike their predecessors, tomorrow's managers will manage their careers more individually and will be much less attached to the company and its values.
If companies can more easily part ways with an employee today, the employee is also freer to move on and see if the grass is greener elsewhere…
2. They will be skilled psychologists
The introduction of the LMD (Licence-Master-Doctorat) curriculum in the 2000s is one of the direct causes of the increasingly high level of qualification of employees, who will expect more interesting tasks from their managers in their daily work.
The need for recognition and personal fulfillment will be stronger and will be added to the classic requirements of remuneration and benefits. Tomorrow's manager will therefore need to be a skilled psychologist and listen more attentively to the needs of their employees to maintain their motivation.
3. They will mediate between their hierarchy and their teams
Closeness and empathy will be the key words for tomorrow's manager. In a considerably degraded social climate, the manager will have to learn to channel the pressure from their hierarchy and convey it less directly to their teams.
They will increasingly be called upon to do "human resources" to reconcile the profitability requirements of their hierarchy and the well-being of their teams, to learn to put themselves in the place of others and to understand their concerns and expectations.
4. They will be socially and environmentally engaged
For several years now, social and environmental responsibility has been on the rise within companies, which are now paying more and more attention to progress that can be made in terms of business travel or the use of computer equipment.
Tomorrow's manager will have to learn to lead by example. This will mean sorting their waste, checking that the lights are turned off when leaving, or reducing their paper consumption. These are small ecological gestures that will demonstrate their awareness of environmental responsibility.
5. They will be project managers at heart
To be able to compete with the competition brought about by the globalization of markets, companies of all sizes will have to adopt the same strategies as large groups, including outsourcing of less profitable or poorly mastered activities.
As a true project manager, tomorrow's manager will have to deal increasingly with external providers, negotiate directly with clients, precisely define the scope of what can be outsourced and what cannot be for reasons of quality or strategy, and contribute to breaking down professional silos.
6. They will lead increasingly heterogeneous teams
With the lengthening of working hours and the rampant globalization of the labor market, the business world will become increasingly heterogeneous. The employees of the same manager will become increasingly dissimilar, and the manager will have to learn to make them collaborate.
While this diversity of age, gender, ethnic origin, or religion is an asset for a company, it also makes it complex. Tomorrow's manager will have to juggle the concerns of each individual and meet the needs of the majority.
7. They will be resolutely more internationally focused
With India, China, and Brazil representing more than 40% of the world's population, companies that are increasing trade with them will need internationally focused profiles to continue their export activities.
In addition to English, which is now essential, tomorrow's managers will need to master at least one "rare" language, including Chinese, Hindi, or Portuguese.
8. They will be essential on social networks
With the rise of professional social networks, business relationships are gradually becoming "virtualized" over the years. As a result, using all the tools to ensure professional monitoring and develop one's e-reputation will become essential for tomorrow's manager.
So much so that, very soon, not being present online will be almost inconceivable…
9. They will be stress-resistant
Because they will operate in an increasingly competitive environment, tomorrow's managers will need to have strong nerves and know how to manage their stress on a daily basis.
To ensure that it is not paralyzing but rather an important driving force, tomorrow's managers will have to learn to cope with it, to relativize a grueling professional daily life and to take it upon themselves.
10. They will seek a balance between private and professional life
While yesterday's manager prioritized their career, tomorrow's manager will increasingly want to find a balance between their personal and professional lives.
While they want to succeed in their careers, they are not prepared to make excessively costly sacrifices, and the rise of paternity leave in recent years reflects the desire of fathers to become more involved in the education of their children at the expense of their careers.
Philippe Montant
Chief Executive Officer of ReKrute
