As a manager, whether you planned it or not, it may happen that for one reason or another, you are either absent from your position: going on vacation, illness, force majeure, etc.

How does the company manage this absence? Will it be the flood?

The Management Committee, being in principle the right hand of the manager, should be in a position to easily take over. But that cannot be improvised. For the Codir to be in a position to lead properly in your absence, some preparation and supervision is required at the outset.

Share the vision

It is essential to share with your management committee the specific objectives, expected results and consequences for the company. When your employees are involved in this way, they feel responsible for the smooth running of the company and this develops intrinsic motivation in them. They will then be more likely to take initiatives that will contribute to the growth of the business.

Think with (not for) your executive committee

If while you are in a meeting one of the managers raises a problem, all eyes are on you, and you are proudly providing THE solution, this scenario should worry you. You should ask yourself what would have happened if you were away.

When a situation arises that requires some thought, demonstrate confidence in the members of your Management Committee. If they occupy these positions it is because they have a certain skill. So let her express herself.

Encourage them to think of solutions, to propose them, and even to implement them. Indeed, participation should not be advocated, while locking it down. As much as possible, you must implement the ideas put forward by your team, and value successes.

Your employees will gain confidence and will be even more encouraged to express their ideas, to increase the success of the company.

Supervisory and not overseeing

It is easy (and even a bit pleasant) for managers to believe that they are indispensable, to believe that they must always be there to monitor what their employees are doing.

However, the good manager is not the one who systematically monitors what his employees do, but the one who supervises. If you don't trust them, then they won't think they'll be able to work on their own. All initiative and motivation are muzzled.

Our key tips:

• Take the time to observe your employees. You should be able to identify one or two people who can replace you if needed.
• Do not consider delegation as a loss of power but as a collaboration, an opportunity to see talent emerge in others.
• Judge the results and not always the method. Your collaborator may not do what you would have done in their place, but if the result is what you expected, why not?
• Forget the famous proverb: “You are never better served than by yourself.” Expect to be surprised to find that your employees do better sometimes.
• Do not delegate due to lack of time or because you are overwhelmed. To be able to calmly assess the abilities of an employee to replace you, it is better to test him during quiet times.
• Accept the right to make mistakes. Recognize that your collaborator may be wrong. You should see this as an opportunity to help him improve and not as proof of his inability.

Instilling initiative in your employees is a process that is built over time.

As a leader you will need to be open and humble. By encouraging your close collaborators to adopt a proactive attitude, you promote the professionalism and involvement of everyone, in order to achieve the desired performance.

Your presence will no longer be a guarantee of absolute safety and your absence a sign of fatal danger. In either case, you will have laid the foundations necessary for the smooth running of the business.