Know how to convey a taste for risk to your team.
3 January 2012
Read by 1961 persons
It is in times of crisis, when challenges are more difficult to overcome, that you need employees who are able to step outside their comfort zone.
"Are you aware that you risked your career on this one?" These were the words used by Olivier Gélis's boss, CEO for France of Robert Half (international recruitment firm), to comment on the reorganization that the latter had just carried out at breakneck speed. "To improve our results, I thought it was necessary to move from a model where managers were responsible for a geographical area to one where they would be in charge of a product (permanent recruitment, interim recruitment, etc.)," says Olivier Gélis. The CEO took six months to convince his American management of the relevance of his idea and just as long to persuade his employees. But his audacity paid off: not only did turnover increase, but so did customer satisfaction.
In times of crisis, knowing how to take risks is essential. "When the market is flat, it's the only way to innovate and continue to grow," confirms Nicolas Dugay, associate director of CAA (consulting and training). Without challenges to overcome, routine sets in, performance drops, and your best employees may become demotivated, or even consider leaving the ship. They won't be the only ones to experience this. "This slackening will be felt at all levels of the company," observes Jean-Louis Fel, head of Vakom (HR and management consulting). "Including in functions where challenges are less significant: an accountant, for example, will tend to let unpaid invoices drag on." Contrary to popular belief, a taste for risk is not innate, even if some individuals are naturally more daring than others. It is a skill that can be acquired, and as a manager, it is up to you to develop it in your employees. Without, of course, turning them into daredevils ready to sink the company.
Give everyone a scope of action
To take risks intelligently, it is necessary to clearly define the scope of intervention. There is no question of losing a budget on a bluff or letting an employee jeopardize your department or your company, as Jérôme Kerviel did with Société Générale. The job description of your team members is not enough to specify what they are or are not allowed to do. Determine precise, tailor-made rules with each individual, clearly indicating where the limit not to be exceeded lies. At Robert Half, for example, the instruction is to forgo closing a deal rather than risk discrediting the firm. "If it is difficult to meet the request of a client looking for a rare profile, we prefer to explain that the objective is not achievable for the moment rather than risk recruiting a bad candidate," explains Olivier Gélis.
Teach them to assess the danger
Once this framework is set, your employees must be able to assess the risks they can take themselves. The more they master the stakes, the easier it will be for them to get started. "For any project, they must be able to quantify the potential gains and losses," specifies Nicolas Dugay of CAA. "And to know how to position themselves so as not to find themselves in a critical situation in case of failure." Teach them to have an exit strategy: if Plan A fails, they must have a Plan B, or even a Plan C. Another basic rule is never to put all your eggs in one basket, even if you are sure of success.
One of your employees is launching a new product that, in their opinion, will be a hit? They can increase the advertising budget, even if it means penalizing their less strategic products, provided they keep a contingency fund in case of a setback. If the campaign does not have the expected impact, it will allow them to quickly promote another item. Does a project proposed by an employee seem risky to you? Don't discourage them outright. Help them realize the danger of their idea themselves by asking specific questions: what budget would be needed to develop it? What need does this offer meet?
Create a climate of trust
It is difficult for your employees to put themselves at risk if they do not feel that you trust them. To do this, focus on exchanges and dialogue. "If one of them has fears, take them into account," recommends Frédéric Rey-Millet, of EthiKonsulting. "Denying their stress is the best way to paralyze them and dissuade them from taking risks." They are working on a major call for tenders and have doubts? First, let them take the initiative. They will thus understand that, in your eyes, they have the strong enough shoulders to carry out the mission. Then, follow up so that they feel supported.
This subtle balance between autonomy and regular follow-up is the recipe applied at Pixmania to stimulate the "intrapreneurial" fiber of employees and recruits. This is evidenced by the way the online commerce site proceeded with a bedding specialist who had just joined its ranks. "He had to establish a business plan for this new activity himself and define its timing," says the executive director, Ulric Jérôme. "But we discuss it together once a week."
Teamwork, because it dilutes risk-taking and therefore stress, can also have a reassuring effect. "For certain sensitive projects, I have my employees work in pairs," confirms Laurent Courtin, sales and marketing director of SPB, which develops insurance contracts for groups such as Carrefour, Orange or BNP Paribas. "This way, everyone is more daring than if they were alone. At the same time, the presence of the other acts as a safety net."
Encourage your teams to take action
Now that they can count on your trust, the goal is to combat the inertia of your employees. "An employee's work can be classified into four zones: the routine zone; the comfort zone; the challenge zone - which is ideal; and finally, the zone where they feel in danger and which, in the long run, risks leading to burnout," explains Nicolas Dugay of CAA. Caution: routine can also have devastating effects. "As part of a reorganization at La Poste, it was planned that mail employees would become telephone advisors," says Cyril Baqué, head of PAP Conseil. "From the outset, they were involved in the project. They put forward ideas about their future role, but once in position, they discovered that they had no room for maneuver. They had to follow a very precise specification, without taking the slightest initiative. This monotony caused more than a few to crack."
To guide your teams towards the challenge zone, the one that will encourage them to take risks without placing them under permanent tension, it is up to you to put the right strategies in place. Olga Dworzecka Castellani, marketing director of LooknBe.com (social network for fashion fans), has several at her disposal: "On Mondays, each employee sets objectives, which I validate. From the beginning of the week, this positively stimulates them by obliging them to be ready to meet the challenge." She adds another pressure, this time collective: "Our site being present in seven countries, I organize internal challenges between the managers of the different geographical areas."
Another tip: gradually evolve your employees' objectives so that they do not have the opportunity to slack off. "But make sure that this permanent mobilization does not become excessive," warns Cyril Baqué. "If you constantly change their missions, they may be destabilized." It's up to you to find the right balance. Laurent Courtin, of SPB, relies on the value of example: "I am a relaxed person who takes work as a game. I try to convey this playful state of mind to my teams to encourage them to be more daring."
Adapt to each temperament
The relationship to risk is not the same from one employee to another. This therefore requires some adaptation on your part. You will, for example, have to channel the enthusiasm of some young employees, who feel invulnerable and want to rush headlong into everything. Without stifling them, set them reasonable objectives that will calm their ardor. Conversely, you can give more autonomy to an experienced employee who has repeatedly proven that they are not a hothead.
Another is excessively cautious? Help them overcome their nature by deliberately assigning them a fairly high objective, such as a contract to negotiate for which they will be obliged to go the extra mile. If necessary, take the time to rehearse the scene with them. "However, be cautious if this only causes paralyzing stress," warns Jean-Louis Muller, associate director at Cegos. "You must accept that some of your employees only flourish in routine tasks. A manager is not required to change everyone's character!"
Grant everyone the right to make mistakes
"Out of 100 ideas that seem good at the start, only 20 hold up," admits Jean-Marie Guian, president of SPB. "That's why granting the right to make mistakes is essential. In case of failure, we conduct a debriefing with the employee and we draw conclusions together." To have the freedom to act, your teams must be certain that failure, if it occurs within a defined framework, will not be sanctioned. Of course, they will have to rectify the situation, but you will support them in the face of management or a client.
One of them complains about a member of your team who, in their opinion, mishandled a negotiation? Analyze the mistake made with your employee, ask yourself how they should have acted and how to remedy the situation. Then call the unhappy client and explain that you want to find a solution. "When I make this type of call, my employee is by my side," specifies Jean-Louis Fel of Vakom. "This prevents them from feeling disavowed."
Finally, know how to recognize your own fears, as Jean-Baptiste Rénié, president of Envoimoinscher (online provider of delivery services), did: "A young employee had the idea of creating a Facebook page. I found the tone too offbeat, but in the end, this page proved to be a success. I later recognized that my fears were unfounded." A confession capable of reassuring those who are afraid to take the plunge.
Gaëlle Renouvel
Capital.fr
Posted online on January 3, 2012.
"Are you aware that you risked your career on this one?" These were the words used by Olivier Gélis's boss, CEO for France of Robert Half (international recruitment firm), to comment on the reorganization that the latter had just carried out at breakneck speed. "To improve our results, I thought it was necessary to move from a model where managers were responsible for a geographical area to one where they would be in charge of a product (permanent recruitment, interim recruitment, etc.)," says Olivier Gélis. The CEO took six months to convince his American management of the relevance of his idea and just as long to persuade his employees. But his audacity paid off: not only did turnover increase, but so did customer satisfaction.
In times of crisis, knowing how to take risks is essential. "When the market is flat, it's the only way to innovate and continue to grow," confirms Nicolas Dugay, associate director of CAA (consulting and training). Without challenges to overcome, routine sets in, performance drops, and your best employees may become demotivated, or even consider leaving the ship. They won't be the only ones to experience this. "This slackening will be felt at all levels of the company," observes Jean-Louis Fel, head of Vakom (HR and management consulting). "Including in functions where challenges are less significant: an accountant, for example, will tend to let unpaid invoices drag on." Contrary to popular belief, a taste for risk is not innate, even if some individuals are naturally more daring than others. It is a skill that can be acquired, and as a manager, it is up to you to develop it in your employees. Without, of course, turning them into daredevils ready to sink the company.
Give everyone a scope of action
To take risks intelligently, it is necessary to clearly define the scope of intervention. There is no question of losing a budget on a bluff or letting an employee jeopardize your department or your company, as Jérôme Kerviel did with Société Générale. The job description of your team members is not enough to specify what they are or are not allowed to do. Determine precise, tailor-made rules with each individual, clearly indicating where the limit not to be exceeded lies. At Robert Half, for example, the instruction is to forgo closing a deal rather than risk discrediting the firm. "If it is difficult to meet the request of a client looking for a rare profile, we prefer to explain that the objective is not achievable for the moment rather than risk recruiting a bad candidate," explains Olivier Gélis.
Teach them to assess the danger
Once this framework is set, your employees must be able to assess the risks they can take themselves. The more they master the stakes, the easier it will be for them to get started. "For any project, they must be able to quantify the potential gains and losses," specifies Nicolas Dugay of CAA. "And to know how to position themselves so as not to find themselves in a critical situation in case of failure." Teach them to have an exit strategy: if Plan A fails, they must have a Plan B, or even a Plan C. Another basic rule is never to put all your eggs in one basket, even if you are sure of success.
One of your employees is launching a new product that, in their opinion, will be a hit? They can increase the advertising budget, even if it means penalizing their less strategic products, provided they keep a contingency fund in case of a setback. If the campaign does not have the expected impact, it will allow them to quickly promote another item. Does a project proposed by an employee seem risky to you? Don't discourage them outright. Help them realize the danger of their idea themselves by asking specific questions: what budget would be needed to develop it? What need does this offer meet?
Create a climate of trust
It is difficult for your employees to put themselves at risk if they do not feel that you trust them. To do this, focus on exchanges and dialogue. "If one of them has fears, take them into account," recommends Frédéric Rey-Millet, of EthiKonsulting. "Denying their stress is the best way to paralyze them and dissuade them from taking risks." They are working on a major call for tenders and have doubts? First, let them take the initiative. They will thus understand that, in your eyes, they have the strong enough shoulders to carry out the mission. Then, follow up so that they feel supported.
This subtle balance between autonomy and regular follow-up is the recipe applied at Pixmania to stimulate the "intrapreneurial" fiber of employees and recruits. This is evidenced by the way the online commerce site proceeded with a bedding specialist who had just joined its ranks. "He had to establish a business plan for this new activity himself and define its timing," says the executive director, Ulric Jérôme. "But we discuss it together once a week."
Teamwork, because it dilutes risk-taking and therefore stress, can also have a reassuring effect. "For certain sensitive projects, I have my employees work in pairs," confirms Laurent Courtin, sales and marketing director of SPB, which develops insurance contracts for groups such as Carrefour, Orange or BNP Paribas. "This way, everyone is more daring than if they were alone. At the same time, the presence of the other acts as a safety net."
Encourage your teams to take action
Now that they can count on your trust, the goal is to combat the inertia of your employees. "An employee's work can be classified into four zones: the routine zone; the comfort zone; the challenge zone - which is ideal; and finally, the zone where they feel in danger and which, in the long run, risks leading to burnout," explains Nicolas Dugay of CAA. Caution: routine can also have devastating effects. "As part of a reorganization at La Poste, it was planned that mail employees would become telephone advisors," says Cyril Baqué, head of PAP Conseil. "From the outset, they were involved in the project. They put forward ideas about their future role, but once in position, they discovered that they had no room for maneuver. They had to follow a very precise specification, without taking the slightest initiative. This monotony caused more than a few to crack."
To guide your teams towards the challenge zone, the one that will encourage them to take risks without placing them under permanent tension, it is up to you to put the right strategies in place. Olga Dworzecka Castellani, marketing director of LooknBe.com (social network for fashion fans), has several at her disposal: "On Mondays, each employee sets objectives, which I validate. From the beginning of the week, this positively stimulates them by obliging them to be ready to meet the challenge." She adds another pressure, this time collective: "Our site being present in seven countries, I organize internal challenges between the managers of the different geographical areas."
Another tip: gradually evolve your employees' objectives so that they do not have the opportunity to slack off. "But make sure that this permanent mobilization does not become excessive," warns Cyril Baqué. "If you constantly change their missions, they may be destabilized." It's up to you to find the right balance. Laurent Courtin, of SPB, relies on the value of example: "I am a relaxed person who takes work as a game. I try to convey this playful state of mind to my teams to encourage them to be more daring."
Adapt to each temperament
The relationship to risk is not the same from one employee to another. This therefore requires some adaptation on your part. You will, for example, have to channel the enthusiasm of some young employees, who feel invulnerable and want to rush headlong into everything. Without stifling them, set them reasonable objectives that will calm their ardor. Conversely, you can give more autonomy to an experienced employee who has repeatedly proven that they are not a hothead.
Another is excessively cautious? Help them overcome their nature by deliberately assigning them a fairly high objective, such as a contract to negotiate for which they will be obliged to go the extra mile. If necessary, take the time to rehearse the scene with them. "However, be cautious if this only causes paralyzing stress," warns Jean-Louis Muller, associate director at Cegos. "You must accept that some of your employees only flourish in routine tasks. A manager is not required to change everyone's character!"
Grant everyone the right to make mistakes
"Out of 100 ideas that seem good at the start, only 20 hold up," admits Jean-Marie Guian, president of SPB. "That's why granting the right to make mistakes is essential. In case of failure, we conduct a debriefing with the employee and we draw conclusions together." To have the freedom to act, your teams must be certain that failure, if it occurs within a defined framework, will not be sanctioned. Of course, they will have to rectify the situation, but you will support them in the face of management or a client.
One of them complains about a member of your team who, in their opinion, mishandled a negotiation? Analyze the mistake made with your employee, ask yourself how they should have acted and how to remedy the situation. Then call the unhappy client and explain that you want to find a solution. "When I make this type of call, my employee is by my side," specifies Jean-Louis Fel of Vakom. "This prevents them from feeling disavowed."
Finally, know how to recognize your own fears, as Jean-Baptiste Rénié, president of Envoimoinscher (online provider of delivery services), did: "A young employee had the idea of creating a Facebook page. I found the tone too offbeat, but in the end, this page proved to be a success. I later recognized that my fears were unfounded." A confession capable of reassuring those who are afraid to take the plunge.
Gaëlle Renouvel
Capital.fr
Posted online on January 3, 2012.
