Upgrading employees' skills, improving their well-being, optimizing performance and deploying the company's business strategy... Let's face it, being a manager is loaded with responsibilities. And if surveys and the number of work stoppages for psychological reasons among managers are to be believed (2 to 5 points above the average since 2018, according to the latest Malakoff Humanis barometer), the job no longer appeals.

And what's so surprising about that? Many organizations are pulling out all the stops to improve the employee experience and take care of their employees. But while these initiatives are welcome, who is taking care of managers?

Why is it important to take care of managers? And how do you go about it? We explain.

Taking care of managers is essential for taking care of employees

Isn't it said that to take care of others, you must first take care of yourself? So why should it be any different in the workplace? Let's not forget that the stakes for organizations are high. Talented people (and in particular 25-35 year-olds) are becoming increasingly demanding of companies and their managers, as a number of studies have shown:

• For 94% of employees, mental health is more important than work (LiveCareer study, 2022).

• In 50% of cases, employees leave a company because of their manager (Gallup 2019 study).

But how can you listen to your employees when your manager isn't listening to you? How can you manage a conflict between employees when the N+1 doesn't have the energy or the weapons to deal with his or her own emotions? How do you welcome a new recruit when you're underwater?

As you can see, a good employee experience cannot be achieved without a good manager experience! To take care of your N+1s, it's essential to provide them with support, tools and guidance. Only then will they fully succeed in their role as manager.

So, how do you go about it? Here are a few best practices.

Integrating new managers: a focus on corporate culture and the team

Have you just recruited a new manager? Has an employee just been promoted to team leader? Whether the recruitment is external or internal, the integration process must be carefully planned. Because even if the newly-promoted manager is familiar with your corporate culture, he or she will have to grasp and apply it not as an employee, but as N+1.

In your induction program, include a focus on corporate culture. In concrete terms, what is the business strategy? How do you deploy it and communicate it to your teams? A good understanding of corporate culture can lighten the manager's mental load. It's a way of avoiding unnecessary stress, questions and disappointments!

So, don't put the pressure of objectives on him from the very first days. Give him time to get to know his team. What is the group dynamic? How do people interact with each other? Are there any tensions? How do you fit in and get people to accept your new managerial role when the team members are your ex-colleagues? This time of taming is essential to the mental health of managers.

Helping managers develop their managerial soft skills

While management schools provide a theoretical view of the manager's job, once you've thrown yourself into the deep end, the reality is very different. The reason? Every company, every context and every personality is unique. For example, a manager who joins an organization undergoing restructuring will not face the same challenges as one who joins a department whose objective is to reach new international markets.

And yet, in the absence of adequate support and interpersonal skills, managers move forward by trial and error, afraid of failing and doing things badly. To reduce the pressure on managers and give them the weapons to succeed, there's no secret: you have to help them develop their managerial soft skills

What managerial soft skills must be developed?

Emotional intelligence. Knowing how to pay attention to your emotions and identify them to make better decisions and set limits when necessary (e.g. knowing how to say no).

Communication skills. Relationships are at the heart of the managerial function. As such, the manager must be able to adapt their communication to the person they are talking to, speak in public, and get a message across clearly. Because when communication flows smoothly, instructions are clearly understood.

Self-confidence. How can you be a good leader without self-confidence? Believing in one's ability to succeed as a manager relieves the mental burden and enables you to look to the future with serenity.

How to develop managerial soft skills?

Today, there are several ways to develop managerial soft skills.

Firstly, through soft skills training and management training. To make the right choice, find out about the trainers and their backgrounds, as well as the methodology proposed by the training organization. Ideally, you should choose a course that includes practical exercises and concrete case studies, so as to be as close as possible to managers' real-life situations.

Another option: manager coaching. This one-to-one support is personalized. In other words, the manager arrives with his or her situation, difficulties, emotions and current challenges. The professional coach helps them to identify and develop the soft skills they need to achieve their objectives.

Encourage peer-to-peer experience sharing

Have your managers undergone training or coaching to manage their emotions and develop their soft skills? To consolidate their learning, maintain their motivation and take care of themselves, why not invite them to share their experiences?

Getting together regularly with peers to exchange and share experiences is an excellent way to find moral support and help. These "meetings" are invaluable for relieving pressure and escaping loneliness.

In short, peer-to-peer exchanges enable managers to find kindness and realize that they're not the only ones going through moments of doubt. It would be a shame to deprive them of this, wouldn't it?

Working for a better work/life balance for managers

To prove their worth, some managers invest too much time and effort in their role. The right to disconnect? They don't apply it, and don't hesitate to check their work e-mail, stay in the office and work on days off. Until the day comes when exhaustion starts to set in!

What if you "legislated" to avoid these situations? For example, cut off access to company servers and work e-mail after a certain hour. A radical solution with the merit of being effective!

Also, set an example by raising managers' awareness of the health issues linked to work/life balance, by involving occupational physicians and psychologists. Another interesting approach is to finance or set up workshops in mindfulness meditation, yoga and sports to encourage managers to stay in good health.

In conclusion, managers are the link between management and staff, and as such have a heavy responsibility. Taking care of them is not an option, it's a necessity!