What skills are expected of future managers?
Predicting what the ideal manager of the future will look like is difficult, if not impossible. Yet we must train them today. An innovative approach has been implemented at the University of Montpellier.
Marion Polge, University of Montpellier; Françoise Pierrot, University of Montpellier; Sarah Mussol, University of Montpellier; Sophie Casanova, University of Montpellier and Sylvie Sammut, University of Montpellier
“We can’t say which manager the young person we’re hiring today will become. They are neither in the ‘top-down’ hierarchy nor in the horizontal structure of the cross-functional organization. They are on the diagonal… and the slope of that diagonal has yet to be invented.” Françoise, an experienced SME executive, observes the shift underway among younger generations seeking new forms of relationships: as employees, as workers, and as managers.
While not exactly in opposition, the new generation of employees nonetheless disagrees and aspires to different decision-making and interpersonal systems. Which manager will drive these changes, and what skills will they be able to draw upon, caught between digital transformation, AI, remote work, hedonism, the need for a sense of belonging, and disengagement? To explore the challenges surrounding this question, the teams at Montpellier Management—the university’s business school—have created a THINK Lab, a sort of think tank where executives, managers, alumni, and Professors come together Professors exchange perspectives and envision what tomorrow’s manager will look like. What key ideas have emerged from these discussions?
The ambiguous search for meaning at work
First observation: the relationship to work is changing, influenced not only by the aspirations of younger generations but also by a broader societal shift. As Christophe, a certified public accountant, notes, “It’s a general shift in how we view work—young people too, perhaps even more so, but it applies to everyone. ” The digital transformation is upending our cognitive frameworks, our relationship to knowledge and time, while the demands of the environmental transition may lead us to refocus on personal or collective aspirations—but outside the company.
While the search for meaning is a hot topic of discussion, it is by no means universally accepted. Everyone agrees on its importance, but for some critics, it is not a new issue. Others consider it secondary at a time when employees and managers are increasingly focused on hedonistic behaviors. The excessive emphasis on individual desires even creates a paradox with the search for meaning within the company, which would require collective commitment.
In short, the search for meaning at work is a complex issue that intertwines personal purpose, societal impact, and professional development. Organizations must adapt to these changes to create an environment that fosters personal fulfillment and enables everyone to contribute. To this end, they are adopting models centered on collective intelligence, where leaders and employees seek to align their actions based on shared values. Personal expectations, well-being at work, and the need for personal fulfillment are prompting some to reevaluate their career paths, calling into question how skills are acquired and developed.
Whether you’re a manager looking for strategies or an employee wondering about your leadership’s decisions, sign up for our “Business” newsletter: key insights from research on professional life and advice from our experts.
Subscribe today
What skills?
In addition to “hard skills” (expertise) and “soft skills” (behavioral skills), we now have “mid skills” (intermediate skills) and “mad skills.” The latter now occupy a very special place because, unlike “hard skills, ” which are acquired through training and experience, “mad skills” essentially stem from an individual’s ability to elevate a group or stand out from the anonymous crowd. Hence the incongruous pairing of the terms “skill” and “crazy.” Heterodoxy as a benchmark in terms of creativity, hypersensitivity, career trajectory, etc.
The set of required skills has thus become significantly more complex, combining objective and individual factors with emotional and collective elements drawn from personal experience, as well as resilience and boldness. “To soften the blow of joining a company, we also talk about humility,” emphasizes Jean-Marie, an entrepreneur. Everyone feels integrated into a collective where they feel useful and valued, especially since the company allows them to broaden their range of knowledge. We are moving away from conformity to find “the” talent capable of shifting the collective’s boundaries and strengthening the “working together” dynamic. In an intensely competitive environment, the organization’s ability to adapt and amplify everyone’s skills highlights its uniqueness—and thereby its appeal.
Everyone’s expectations, but especially those of each individual
In light of these various changes, the expectations of new employees, managers, and the company are shifting. Aligning these expectations appears to be essential for the organization to function smoothly.
“My attitude toward work means that I perform my duties to find fulfillment, to learn, and to work in a pleasant environment. This shift in my attitude toward work has also changed my sense of belonging,” explains Maxence, a former student at Moma.
New employees seek inclusive work environments where they feel valued and supported. They expect clear career development opportunities, appropriate training from the moment they join, and a corporate culture that encourages continuous learning and taking on responsibility.
The high expectations of companies, combined with employees’ individual aspirations, create a paradoxical tension that can undermine a sense of belonging. The pressure—whether actual or perceived—to meet high organizational goals while pursuing personal ambitions can potentially lead to a loss of motivation and loyalty toward the company. As a result, employees adopt a nomadic mindset, showing a tendency to switch employers as opportunities arise.
Declining employee loyalty
Managers may feel overwhelmed by these new demands: in addition to environmental uncertainty, there is a growing talent mobility driven by paradoxical individual expectations. This creates a need for rapid skill development within the company, particularly in the social skills that foster employee engagement: communication, adaptability, collaboration, conflict management, inclusive leadership, mentoring, and strategic vision. To facilitate this work, managers also expect their future employees to have a greater ability to integrate and understand the expectations of various stakeholders.
“The accumulation of expertise and skills through employees is what makes a company’s offering unique—even rare—and thus determines its value,” writes Denis Dauchy. Ensuring that the skills companies expect align with those of their employees is essential to smooth operations. The collaborative work carried out within the THINK lab has particularly highlighted the aspirations of younger generations (and not only them), which are reflected in new needs and a new perspective on the company. The challenge facing managers and entrepreneurs lies in the need to take these societal changes into account, supporting employees in developing their skills while respecting their personal aspirations and ensuring performance objectives are met. The ability of individuals to adapt—and of individuals to adapt to one another—is the key to what initially appears to be a paradox.
Marion Polge, Associate Professor (HDR) in Management Sciences, University of Montpellier; Françoise Pierrot, Ph.D. in Management Sciences, University of Montpellier; Sarah Mussol, Associate Professor of Management Sciences, University of Montpellier; Sophie Casanova, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Montpellier and Sylvie Sammut, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management, University of Montpellier
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Readthe original article.