Nº 24 | APRIL 2017

OSI, the new AGORA P 2 TRENDS2017-2020: NEW STRATEGIC GUIDELINES FOR THE OSI

P 3 MANAGERIAL INNOVATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION

P 5 WORK BY THE DELEGATIONS

MOROCCO/COP 22 YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN: PIVOTAL ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTOSI - MOROCCO

P 10 OSI MEETINGSMANAGERS AND DIGITAL DISRUPTION

P 8 OSI MEETINGSAGILE AND COOPERATIVE METHODS

The Observatoire Social International (OSI) has established a presence in France, Europe, Morocco, South America and China over the course of over 15 years through mul-tiform partnerships. Our aim is to approach globalisation as an opportunity for initiatives and cooperation to transcend differences in economic development, culture, labour relations and management practices. We explore practical strategies to ensure that social and cultural progress goes hand-in-hand with economic development.

We are turning a new page in our his-tory. Following a strategic review, the OSI is repositioning its strategy, while retaining its unique international dimension.

Our aim is to become the new AGORA for companies, a meeting place, a central forum to debate ideas and joint initiatives to tackle the major challenges of the next 10 years, which will radically alter corporate governance, the nature and content of work, management methods, and the very shape of our economies. It is no accident that we chose the word AGORA, the central public space in ancient Greece, where people gathered to debate the most pressing issues in their city-state and make the important choices and decisions to enable citizens to live together.

Companies – and all stakeholders in the economy and civic life – need this type of forum for thought, reflection and debate around the most appropriate responses to the profound changes in our society.

The Agora can be a powerhouse of ideas to mobilise, engage and work towards a vision shared by all.

The need is pressing as our societies grapple with increasing complexity and diversity – in aspiration and situation. It is vital that we put our minds to work to devise the best cooperation strategies. The OSI’s repositioning is in response to the profound economic, technological, scientific, and cultural changes happening all around us. If we intend to “invent the future”, we must shift paradigms to meet the challenges of:• the need to provide meaning,• the need design new forms of inclusive

corporate and social governance that empower people not only to create their own future, but also our shared future,

• the transformation of work,• the need for new forms of solidarity.

Our new ambition sets the bar high: to be the new Agora for enterprise and ensure we are all better equipped to fulfil our responsibilities. Together we can do it.

P 6 THE OSI SETS UP IN BRUSSELSOSI - BELGIUM

P 7 WORK IN THE REGIONS

MEETING IN A CO-WORKING SPACE FOR A DISCUSSION ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICELYON

Muriel Morin, President

Jean Kaspar, Vice-President

Responding to the social imperatives of globalisation

TRENDS

NEW STRATEGIC GUIDELINES FOR THE OSI

2017-2020:

The OSI, an influential force in economic and social issue

Since its formation in 2000, globalisation has been a central focus of the Observatoire Social International. An ideas and initiatives lab, the OSI takes the view that globalisation is neither the answer to all ills nor a disaster. Instead, globalisation is a process in need of humanisation.

Although there is still a long way to go to create the conditions whereby globalisation will serve all our communities, the OSI’s debates and programs have thrown the spotlight on social issues – espe-cially lifelong learning, health and well-being at work – and the challenges of corporate social responsibility. The OSI has gained recognition as an influential force in economic and social issues.

15 years on, the economic and social impacts of globalisation, climate change and the exclusion of millions of men and women, combined with the digital revolution, automation and the new, increasingly independent forms of working sought by the new generation are turning the world of work upside down.

READY FOR TOMORROW'S WORLD

The work revolution is upon us. How can we best anticipate and prepare for the future? What is the social and environmental context of the transformation of the workplace?

To ensure it addresses these new challenges and retain a laser focus on the important issues of our time, the OSI is shifting the target of its research and fine-tuning its models to the needs of all stakeholders.

The focus of our work in 2017-2020 will be on the work and employment revolution giving priority to five key issues:

• artificial intelligence, robots and their consequences for work,

• the extended company and its flexibility to tackle strategic issues and the radical shifts in businesses and organisations,

• the new forms of collaborative working to meet customers' needs for innovation and to remain competitive,

• entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and HR innovation in a global context where innovation has become vital to ensure competitiveness,

• the pillar of international social protection: what are the challenges? How has the perception of risk changed?

Consistency and coordination are key

These topics will be addressed in an interna-tional context with the involvement of all the regions in which the OSI is represented. The Observatory intends to ensure consistency between the action program undertaken by the delegations, paying particularly close attention to new and emerging issues.

THE OSI BUREAU

Muriel MorinPresident

Jean KasparVice-President

Marc DeluzetSenior OSI Officer

Bernard ChambonBC Consulting

Anne-Sophie GodonMalakoff Médéric

François PouzeratteEurogroup Consulting

Brigitte DumontOrange

Valérie BardouAmundi

Amine HommanENGIE Morocco

Florence WienerLa Poste

2

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017

TRENDS

Stepping up the pace

The OSI will adjust its working methods and rhythm in line with the accelerated pace of transformation. Working jointly with stakeholders remains a core principle.

Remaining true to its original princi-ples, the OSI will open its doors to com-panies in the new economy and to small businesses.

As the importance of networking increases, the OSI aims to develop closer links with other think-tanks and multi-dis-ciplinary ideas labs.

OUR PROGRAMME IN 2017:• Breakfast meetings• Large-scale conferences• Learning expeditions• One-stop shop for all our publications• Research and surveys• Methodology tools

“Every member of the bureau is engaged in defining our new strategic guidelines. Each one of us is either an ambassador or a sponsor of a particular topic and tasked with defining the scope and implementation.”Muriel Morin

Challenges abound, and companies are adapting their business models. Managerial innovation is essential to bring teams on board, build employee engagement, and successfully complete transformation programs in a period of upheaval. The Observatoire Social International has studied the emerging practice of peer discussion groups for managers.

In 2016, the OSI studied the impact of the digital revolution on mana-gerial practices and found a divide between what could be termed the "revolutionary" discourse of senior

executives centring on the need to transform management models and the absence of vision on the part of front-line managers. This disconnect is deeply worrying when profound shifts – and the digital revolution – are radically altering business and work organisation models.

How can we energise and engage managers to lead their teams through a transformation process when they themselves struggle to get to grips with it? How can we help to develop emerging new managerial practices, keeping in mind that the old management models will not simply disappear?

MANAGERIAL INNOVATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION

3

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017

The crux of the matter is not merely to switch from one managerial model to another, but more to help managers to operate with several models simulta-neously in the long term. One positive approach seems to be peer discussion and co-development. By encouraging managers to work on their practices, they gradually build a shared enterprise culture.

This approach stood out as a clear trend in interviews conducted in more than a dozen companies (ENGIE, La Poste, Française des Jeux, RTE, FIDAL, SNCF, Generali France, amongst others). Found in many and diverse forms in the companies we looked at, the methods often centre on the problem of managing psychosocial risks and are part of a com-pany transformation project. Because of the often considerable costs involved, the majority took the form of training programs and pilot schemes (where the costs are justified because of their one-off nature). Unfortunately, the failure to consider the potential of the process to deliver performance improvements does nothing to improve their legitimacy.

A VERY DIVERSE SET OF PRACTICES

Pilots and peer discussion groups encompass a wide range of similar prac-tices from team leadership programs to specific methods, like co-development – which originated in Canada and is very specifically defined and codified. This said, several companies have introduced their own versions, based on a number of basic intuitions and principles: a dis-cussion group is formed ng discussion groups of six to eight managers from different departments and teams but at a similar management level. Each group meeting focuses on a topic suggested and introduced by one of the members (a concern or a difficulty). The members

give their opinions, ideas, or advice, providing learning and information to enable the proposer to devise an action plan. Meetings are held monthly and last around three hours. There are as many meeting as group members, who take turns to present a topic. In principle, the group is dissolved at the end of the cycle, but may continue on the members' initiative. The group is facilitated by an outside person, who is responsible for implementing methodology, making sure all information is kept confidential, supporting members, and maintaining the records.

Overall, managers were very satisfied and developed key skills for periods of transformation: more objectivity, lis-tening skills, humility, self-questioning, developing confidence, spaces for free expression to raise questions and let vulnerabilities show. The main difficulty was being available for meetings. The success factors for peer discussion groups include a clear definition of goals in line with the working method, and the support of senior management.

FROM RISK MANAGEMENT TO OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE...

Many of the novel approaches trialled did not include a metric of the impact on performance, which would have given an objective view of the benefits of the program. The expenditure incurred can also be obscured in the training budget or as part of ongoing operating costs. The link with company performance needs to be established, especially as the gains are relatively indirect and become apparent in the commitment of the managers concerned and buy-in from their teams. Some companies do however use conventional indicators such as turnover, absenteeism, and customer satisfaction. They assess the initiative as part of operating performance.

... AND MANAGERIAL INNOVATION

Many of the programs are essentially experimental. They are designed as an isolated response to specific issues, related to training and to the history of their proposers, and practically never as a change of management model. As a result, methods to sustain and extend them in the long term (training of in-house trainers, dedicated budget), or to digitise the content are in the very early stages. This aspect is developed in companies with a tried and tested focus on opera-tional excellence.

Yet, the global challenges facing com-panies today go far beyond the require-ment for operational excellence. The need for transformation is rooted in multiple causes: environmental requirements, an ageing population and changing con-sumer patterns. Digital is but one aspect among many.

To meet these demands, companies are developing new so-called agile methods of work organisation, and col-laborative working in particular. The per-formance gains delivered by these new processes in the main relate to adjustment improvements, faster responses to unex-pected events, and better customer satis-faction. The obstacles are primarily linked to managerial practices, which need to be more cooperative, more transparent, and increasingly multi-disciplinary.

Is this a new managerial model? We need to retain the aspects of current models related to the fundamentals of the business and enterprise culture, while promoting agility, autonomy and inclu-siveness. The issue then becomes one of developing hybrid models appropriate for the needs of transformation.

Managers' discussion groups are a resource to smooth transition and adjust-ment by homing in on developing engage-ment, empowering staff, and taking a long-term view to plan for changes to come.

TRENDS

MANAGERIAL INNOVATION: THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL TRANSFORMATION

"The global challenges facing companies today go far beyond the requirement for operational excellence."

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 4

WORK OF THE DELEGATIONS OSI-MOROCCO

MOROCCO/COP 22YOUNG PEOPLE AND WOMEN: PIVOTAL ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Held in Marrakech last November, COP 22 threw the spotlight on the challenges of sustainable development in Africa and the action programs needed to meet the commitments made in Paris last year. During COP 22, the OSI international seminar dealt with the subject of mobilisation through a focus on young people and women.

“COP 22 takes place at a critical juncture when the

international community must rise to the challenge of mobilising people to protect the environment. It is vital to engage the continent with the fastest growing economy and population with sustainable development”, said Gérard Mestrallet, Chairman of the Board of ENGIE, in his opening remarks to the seminar. Mr Mes-trallet, who is also Chairman of Europlace, stressed the fact that while technology and financing are vital for energy transi-tion, we also need to change individual behaviour patterns, social customs and work practices. He also pointed out that the challenge can also be an opportunity to create employment for young people, which is another major concern for the African continent.

This theme was also taken up by Amine Homman, Regional Manager, ENGIE North Africa. Training of young people in jobs related to energy transition and energy efficiency is essential for the future.

Jeannot Ahoussou, Minister and Pres-ident of the Association of the Regions of Côte d’Ivoire, which hosted the meeting, outlined the problems for his country. Solange Amichia, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Centre for the Promotion of Invest-ments in Côte d’Ivoire, who coordinated the OSI's environment and sustainable development work in Sub-Saharan Africa, gave a presentation on how the OSI sup-ports sustainable subsistence farming with innovative technologies helping to promote sustainable development while creating opportunities in farming for

young people. Underpinning these pro-grams in Côte d’Ivoire is the recognition of the essential role of African women, who are the main agents of change in Africa. African women make up two-thirds of labour input in African agriculture and produce most of the continent’s food. Women are central to everyday behaviour patterns and social practices.

Najat Maalla M’Jid, a member of the Moroccan National Human Rights Council and a United Nations expert on youth issues, gave a vivid description of the situation of African youth and the com-plexities of sustainable development in economic and human terms. 65% of the population of Africa are aged under 35 and 50% are under 191. Globally, African youth face many challenges, including lack of access to high-quality education, health services, and decent employment, on top of the problems of climate change, the exodus from rural areas and regional disparities. These obstacles prevent them from fulfilling their true potential and push growing numbers into emigration.

But, African youth also represents a wonderful opportunity to grow the conti-nent's human capital and make a significant contribution to the region's sustainable development. Young people have found alternative channels for self-expression.

1- FNUAP, ECOSOC, 2014.Speakers at the OSI round table in Marrakech.

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 5

WORK OF THE DELEGATIONS OSI-MOROCCO AND OSI-BELGIUM

A seminar chaired by Muriel Morin on 29 September 2016 focusing on the impact of the digital revolution on unemployment and employability, also marked the opening of a new OSI office in Brussels.

BELGIUMOSI SETS UP IN BRUSSELS

Headed up by Jacques Spelkens, CSR Manager, ENGIE Benelux, the new office brings ENGIE

together with other companies located in Belgium, such as BNP Paribas Fortis, Accenture, Thalys, Solvay, BPost, the BECI (Brussels Chamber of Commerce and Companies Union) and Inter-national Trade Union Configuration (ITUC) representatives.

Following this first meeting, the OSI Brussels continued its work on the impacts of digitisation. During a second meeting on 17 October, Alain Piret, Chief Digital Officer, ENGIE Benelux, spoke about how companies in the new economy, such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and LinkedIn could quickly take over support func-tions for large international companies that were previously handled in-house. Italian utility ENEL has just outsourced

management of all its data (technolog-ical, commercial, technical, and social) to Amazon Services, on the grounds that its data will be both more secure and better protected. LinkedIn already offers functions to filter employee data equivalent to most HR information systems. He also thinks that blockchain technology will soon make centralised contract systems obsolete.

The third OSI Brussels meeting was held on 27 January 2018 on the topic of internal communication and potential strategies for communicat-ing with employees in the digital age. The 40 or so attendees tried out the KNOL (Key News On Line) method presented and developed by Pierre Guilbert, company "toubib" and Spirit of Change partner.

A brand-new and very active office!

They seem to operate on the margins of institutionalised politics, but including and empowering young people are essential to successful democratic transition and sustainable development policies. Ibti-hal Benharoual, from the Prometheus organisation in Morocco, gave practical examples to illustrate Najat M’Jid's point and illustrate that the involvement of young people in implementing strategies to reach development goals is also essen-tial for democracy. She spoke about the development of entrepreneurship and its importance in bringing young people into the workforce, equipping them with professional skills and providing novel solutions to environmental challenges.

In conclusion, Dominique Héron, Chairman of the Environment and Energy Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce in France, underlined the similarities with the challenges faced in France, and stressed the importance of sustainable development goals in pro-moting youth employment.

PROGRAMSENGIE partners the “Techni Cité” Alfred program. The Techni Cité initiative involves the pupils in the Clichy-sous-Bois secondary school in the Greater Paris Region in a project to create a drinking water supply system using solar pumps for primary schools and poor families in villages in the Ouarzazate region in southern Morocco.

In the Tioumbogotan region in Niger, the OSI has actively supported the Aman Arahmat program since 2014 to create hydraulic wells and provide sustainable access to water, while respecting African women's traditional way of life (livestock and crops). A responsible programme to increase food security and reduce poverty.

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 6

WORK IN THE REGIONS

MEETING IN A CO-WORKING SPACE TO TALK ABOUT MANAGEMENT PRACTICESFollowing a description of the workspaces, a government representative from the Department of the Interior spoke about professional mobility in the police force.

The Caisse d’Épargne Rhône-Alpes, GRDF and Orange reported on their managers' meeting during

the Workplace Quality of Life Week last June. The presentation focused on how the meeting was organised.

In addition to dialogue between managers throughout the day, a lot of care and atten-tion went into defining the methodology.

A dedicated space was created, with clearly defined rules for expressing opin-ions and mutual respect and courtesy. Preparation at the start of the day con-sisted of exercises designed to promote inclusion and ensure high-quality dialogue.

This organisation led to in-depth dis-cussions, sharing of best practices and fruitful debate on potential solutions. It also demonstrated that it is possible to

LYON

empower people to think about and put "Workplace Quality of Life" into practice themselves, without waiting for "magic bullet" solutions handed down from Health and Workplace Quality departments.

For managers, it also provided the oppor-tunity to meet their counterparts in other companies, to discuss common problems and devise original responses as a group.

The meeting also highlighted that it is more important for quality of life at work to provide basic support for employees than specific expertise, and that most people, including management, have sufficient resources to meet their needs, provided they receive the right support.

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 7

FOR ORANGE, THE AGILE APPROACH IS BOTH ROOTED IN LIFE EXPERIENCE AND A CUSTOMER PRODUCT POLICY

Orange created its Digital Lab concept to drive rapid change, improve product quality and enable innovation.

Stéphane Eymard spoke about inno-vations such as the MVP, or minimum viable product: a high-quality, pared-down version of the product is released, based on an agile development cycle to produce immediately usable and viable products. Feedback from customers shapes future development. Using this model, Orange is quicker to the market and has the capability to adapt the products based on customer needs.

Products are tested by users: customer care centres are set up to gauge their opinions in order to define the minimum viable product. The method engages both customers and employees. It is more cost effective and ensures that design and development are guided by users at a very early stage. This “test and learn” technique is a vital component of agile methods, shown for example in an application for customers to check their contracts, which was developed on the basis of feedback from customers.

The OSI described agile and co-operative working methods in a number of companies during the debate on "efficiency and quality of life in the workplace". The changes of our time call for complex and far-reaching transformations in companies. These new methods should be seen in this context.

The Digital Lab is all about joint devel-opment and co-location.

We have around 30 projects in devel-opment, a number set to increase to over 100 in time. The projects are run by special multidisciplinary teams, each with the capability to deliver a pre-defined prod-uct. The first step in every project is the creative phase. During a full team meeting the project goal is set out. Several days are then spent brainstorming and formulating the project plan. The initial product design is developed during this stage. Generally speaking, Orange organises a briefing on the most important market and customer information.

Co-location is a definite plus: it is easier to understand the challenges and problems of other business lines when you work together. Orange pays particular attention to the layout of the space to optimize inter-action and break down barriers that can be created when space is segmented – an open office design is greatly appreciated by staff.

The agile method is also a working method: every morning the 10 members of the team meet to distribute tasks and discuss sticking points. We hold sprint reviews every three weeks when progress reports on the “sprint” are presented to the

OSI MEETINGS

SPEAKERS

Laurent Boissy, JLO-Conseil, Consultant

Stéphane Eymard, Orange, Head of mobile terminal customer relations

Yves-Marie Rouillé, CFDT delegate, Generali France

AGILE AND COOPERATIVE METHODS

“Customer test centres were set up to gauge their opinions in order to define the minimum viable product.” Stéphane Eymard

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 8

OSI MEETINGS

project sponsor, covering what has been achieved and the action plan for the next three-week sprint.

We intend to take this method to inten-sify this method and reduce team sizes to five or six people for easier and better communication.

AT GENERALI, AN AGREEMENT ON AGILE METHODS

An agreement was negotiated early in 2016 at Generali. Yves-Marie Rouillé, CFDT delegate, gives us an outline.

The principle of the agreement closely resembles that of agile working methods. Prior to 2015, preliminary negotiations on working hours took place to introduce extended opening hours. The proposal was poorly understood by employees, and the negotiations failed. Staff felt that they provided a good enough service to customers based on the hours set in the 2004 agreement. At the same time, we were also negotiating an agreement on teleworking.

We had expected to wait around 10 years to be in a position to negotiate teleworking, but in 2015 management proposed a new social contract, including teleworking, working hours, and changes in working models.

During a number of informal meetings, the CFDT was clear in its conviction that a positive outcome was possible only if managers were centrally positioned with their teams. The idea of individualised working hours emerged during the nego-tiations and is reflected in article 2 of the agreement on working hours. I see this as a practical example of the agile method.

The agreement also provides for regular reviews. It was approved by a consensus of more than 90% in the 216 teams concerned. There are no changes to the working methods in the departments governed by specific agreements. 194 entities agreed on hours. However, the agreement failed to achieve consensus in 10 entities, representing 97 permanent positions.

In practical terms, 210 telephone messages were amended, and customers were informed about the new hours. Each team reshaped their working hours. For the most part, hours were extended by 15 minutes in the morning, 53 minutes in the afternoon, and 23 minutes in the evening, giving a total of 90 minutes per day. In the CRCs, hours were extended by eight minutes in the morning and 58 minutes in the evening. Overall, we gained an average of 86 minutes per day.

The change meant overall agreement and additional hours for some employees.

JLO: IMPLEMENTING AGILE METHODS

“An iterative method is better than proposing solutions. The teams make a con-tribution and managers play a crucial role.”

JLO-Conseil worked on space planning issues with companies, explained Laurent Boissy.

Organisation and space planning projects increasingly involve teleworking, home offices, co-working spaces, shared offices, multi-site teams, and working in project mode. Companies have to juggle limited timeframes and specifications that change as the project progresses.

Open-space solutions – which tend to get negative press – meet the need to reduce rental costs. They also reduce the amount of space needed and separate allocation of space to different functions.

A space planning project is about more than actual space. It also concerns organ-isation and management. It is essential to adopt a holistic approach encompassing all aspects of work (content, working rela-tionships, workstations, organisation, and the environment). The four pillars set out in the national inter-sector agreement provide a good framework: better interpersonal relations, better planning, better working, and better personal fulfilment.

“Agile and cooperative methods talk” conference.From left to right: Yves-Marie Rouillé/Generali France - Marc Deluzet/OSI

Stéphane Eymard/Orange - Laurent Boissy/JLO-Conseil.

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 9

Léa Sy and Louis Mangin talk to us about the survey, conducted in a partnership between the OSI and Eiffel School of Management.

We have the concept of positive modernity: while most people consider digital as a tool, it is also beginning to be perceived as a driver of cultural and behavioural change.

In which fields has the impact of digitisation been greatest? Intelligence/monitoring: managers see this as the main change in their role. It has become central to their job, especially for senior managers. There has also been a very significant impact on recruitment and training. Finally, managers also mention the need to “manage differently”. For middle and/or first-line managers, the greatest impact of digital technology is on team management.

The importance of lifelong learning encourages managers to constantly learn. However, team leadership is the aspect of their role that has changed the most. Dig-ital has intensified relationships. Managers are constantly in contact through internal and external social networks.

End of the manager's monopoly over information and empowerment of employees. Managers have become coaches and team leaders. It is clear that their role is to manage change.

Information is central to the far-reaching changes in organisations. Information is now accessible, volatile, and available in ever larger quantities. The boss is more a coordinator. To restrict the incessant flow of information (infobesity), managers filter and control access.

Retaining the human dimension is the main challenge for the managers of the future. They are in charge of the new organisation, and must know how to explain change to employees in an envi-ronment where the constant is change.

Trend towards deteriorating work-life balance brought about by 24/7 contact between managers, senior management and their teams. Some are concerned by this imbalance, while others see it as a source of flexibility.

“This was a qualitative survey 1, said Michel Barabel, which is rare. But digital is not the only change factor. It is one

OSI MEETINGS

MANAGERS AND DIGITAL DISRUPTION

One year on from its first conference during which the OSI presented its study on the impact of digitisation and managerial practices, students at Eiffel School of Management (IAE Gustave Eiffel) conducted more than 60 new interviews with managers, under the supervision of Michel Barabel, professor at Eiffel School of Management, Université Paris-Est Créteil.

SURVEY PRESENTATION

Léa Sy and Louis Mangin, students at Eiffel School of Management

ROUNDTABLE CHAIRED BY

Marc DeluzetSenior OSI Officer

SPEAKERS

Michel Barabel, Director, Master 2 “HR management in multinationals”, Eiffel School of Management, Université Paris-Est CréteilBernard Pinson, HRD, Chemistry and Biochemistry Industrial Affairs, SanofiBénédicte Ravache, General Secretary, ANDRHGentiane Weil, Consultant, GINKGO WAY

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 10

amongst many others, including climate change, the greying of the population, and the weakness of international organisations.

At a time when we are witnessing exponential growth in data and knowl-edge, the gulf between knowing and not knowing between manager and employee has no place whatsoever. It is important to bring all employees on board to enhance competitiveness. New working methods are collaborative in nature.”

“I think that we underestimate the risks associated with digital technologies, the loss of meaning, the illusion of freedom, inequality, and complexity, added Michel Barber. Paradoxically, digital pushes man-agers to show a more human side but to be superhuman. It is as though they are called on to be ambidextrous: in other words, they have to be comfortable in the digital world, they have to be efficient, and at the same time be able to work collaboratively with their team and build stimulating relationships.”

Gentiane Weil told us about the inter-view with Catherine Rumillat, Orange Busi-ness Services2 Director for Latin America.

Catherine works with the managers in Paris, Europe, and North America, and is accustomed to speaking to groups of more than 300 people. Her role? Manage five country directors and a cross-sector organisation. 500 people – 350 of them engineers – report to her. She works both on-site and remotely. She encourages her staff to work from home, if possible using video, as she feels that this technology allows her to be present at all times. Face-to-face, eye-to-eye relations are extremely important for Catherine, as she feels that they build trust. Therefore, remote work-ing relationships are usually visual also. Sometimes, people need to be physically present and certain strategic meetings are organised in person.

In her view of the manager' role, she explains that she always prepares carefully for meetings to make sure they

are structured and have a clear agenda. Managers from Northern countries tend to be less emotional than their Latin American counterparts. Leadership style must adapt to these cultural differences.

“I am responsible for Sanofi plants in Europe and Asia, said Bernard Pinson. I think that lean management principles have created an increasingly competi-tive environment. We have turned the pyramid on its head, and shifted from a very top-down organisation to improve performance. The most important people when it comes to performance are those with the most knowledge of the business.

For the past few years, lean manage-ment projects have been focused more on team members and altered relations with managers.

OSI MEETINGS

“It is important to bring all employees on board to enhance competitiveness. New working methods are collaborative in nature.” Michel Barabel

1- 50 managers from different companies, most of them French multinationals, were interviewed. Micro-businesses, small and medium companies made up 54% of the sample, with the majority in the services sector. The sample was evenly balanced between senior, middle and first-line managers. Most of them were aged between 35 and 50. Interviews lasted one to two hours.

2- Orange Business Services sells video-conferencing and communication services for company networks in the international market, especially in Latin America.

“Managers and Digital Disruption” conference. From left to right: Michel Barabel/Eiffel School of Management, Université de Créteil – Bénédicte Ravache/ANDRH

Marc Deluzet/OSI – Gentiane Weil/Ginkgo Way – Bernard Pinson/SANOFI – Muriel Morin/OSI

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 11

The OSI in Q1 2017

• Peer discussion groups for managers (co-coaching and co-development) study prepared with Eurogroup Consulting, BlueSierra, Orange and La Poste*.

• OSI Health and Quality of Life at Work Directors' Club Meeting focuses on workspaces and new practices*.

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / April 2017

Responsible editor: Muriel MORINChief editor: Marc DELUZETDesign & creation: Éditions StratégiquesPhoto credits: OSI, Shutterstock

Observatoire Social International1, place Samuel de ChamplainFaubourg de l’Arche92930 Paris la Défense cedex FranceTel.: 33 (0)1 44 22 66 00

www.observatoire- social-international.com

Learning expedition to the Innorobo trade fair 16 may 2017, Paris

Report on the study on peer discussion groups for managers (co-coaching and co-development) June 2017

Economic and social dialogue between the social partners to promote development in Tunisia seminar, June-September 2017, in Paris and Tunis

NEWS

• Managers and digital disruption. Study by Michel Barabel's students at Eiffel School of Management: report and interview with Catherine Rumillat, Orange Business Services Director for Latin America, on the OSI website*.

The manager's role is to give meaning, stimulate creativity, and facilitate imple-mentation of ideas from the ground. This new role means that managers have to find other sources of legitimacy.”

“I see a number of contradictions with the growth of digital, said Bernard Pinson. I work in a large international company in a fast changing world characterised by increasing uncertainty. But the managerial relationship tends to focus primarily on control, putting methods in place that create rigidity rather than fluidity and autonomy. We must resolve these con-tradictions between information systems that create freedom and management systems that tend to be rigid. The other contradiction I see is between the man-agement of short-term goals and all the tools available to deliver performance in the medium term.

One good example in human resources is the introduction of tools to save time by giving responsibility for some tasks to managers. But their impact on the company's financial situation as a whole is not measured. I think it is impor-tant to point out that we are not victims of technology. We need to appropriate

technology and manage how it is made available and used to achieve business and individual goals.”

Commenting on previous presenta-tions and the ANDRH's work or contri-butions, Bernard Ravache, Secretary General of the ANDRH concluded the breakfast meeting:

“The issue of digital fragmentation is important, because it calls for profound changes and requires training in new skills. The issue of how to reward these new skills is a complex question in itself (new skills that do not lead to promotion at work). Buy-in is vital, so that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

Studying the role of managers also means considering the concept of “executive”. To mark its 50th anniver-sary, APEC (the executive employment association in France) produced a study on the perception of executives and managers. The contours of the role are changing (degrees of supervision, management, autonomy). It emerged from the study that HR officers think that managers need training in management, whereas managers see a need for more personal de-velopment training. It is clear that development for managers is a concern, but there is no consensus on the model. ANDRH is also studying the issue of managerial innovation with the management training and development

network, GERME, which conducted a study on “Management of the future by the managers of the future”.

“Always on” is a core issue for man-agement in the digital era. The right to disconnect is also an issue (beyond the recent regulatory change) for HR departments. As we point out at every opportunity, the right to disconnect is not a “digital” problem, but a management problem.

To conclude, let's remember that there is no such thing as a standard labour force. Rather than the “augmented man” that gets so much attention in the media, what we have is men and women that are “diminished” by long-term problems, poor literacy, and isolation. Digital can be an opportunity for inclusion, but it can also be a factor in reinforcing exclusion.

The nub of the issue is the acquisition of core skills for the digital era. As part of core personal and occupational skills, training body COPANEF has listed skills such as learning how to learn as essen-tial – not as the prerogative of those with multiple degrees and diplomas, but a necessity for protecting employability.

In our annual digital HR Management awards, we give priority to ensuring that the tide of digitisation lifts all boats. These are ongoing and fascinating areas of research.”

*Available on www.observatoire-social-international.com

OSI MEETINGS

MANAGERS AND DIGITAL DISRUPTION

CALENDAR

LA LETTRE Nº 24 / APRIL 2017 12