Empathy is THE skill to develop for a manager. It's not just me saying it! This is the observation of the American consulting firm Development Dimensions International (DDI), which has surveyed more than 15,000 leaders in 300 companies across 18 countries for more than a decade. A report it published in 2016 indicated that the leadership skill that stood out above the rest in determining a leader's success was empathy. That's music to my ears! According to this research, managers who listen and respond with empathy perform more than 40% higher than others in terms of overall performance, coaching, engagement rates and planning,

organization and decision-making. Is that so surprising? How does empathy translate in a management context? And how can it be developed?

How does empathy translate in a management context?

Empathy in management is not synonymous with being hypersensitive or emotional. Rather, it is the ability to put ourselves in the shoes of our employees,...

Most of the HR professionals that I work with are very busy, they have busy days with long lists of tasks to accomplish, to which are added daily renewed emergencies. Does that sound familiar? In this context, we address the first file that lands on our desk without question and we dive into operations. But is it in this operational whirlwind that we fully bring our added value? Reflecting on our real contribution as a strategic HR professional will allow us to prioritize our activities, our files and give meaning to our actions.

What is a Unique Strategic Contribution (USC)?

USC is the contribution that only you can make and that is at your highest strategic level. It is a contribution that you make in order to stand out, thanks to your talent. It's what makes a project turn to you rather than another member of your team. 

How do you identify your USC as a strategic HR professional?

Even though we are high performers in operational files, our contribution...

What leadership style do you think makes you a better manager? I hear some people say it's the coach leadership style, others say it's the visionary or the democratic. In fact, you're all somewhat right, but you don't have the right answer! It is by using several leadership styles, alternately according to the context, that you become a better manager. I have often seen managers identify and confine themselves to a rather restrictive vision of themselves by fully assuming their predominant leadership style. They are not always aware that each situation, each person and each organizational context has very different needs and realities.

I have in mind the example of Anthony, who had to manage a change requiring the implementation of new processes within his team. He once told to me, "You know, I let my team go, I'm a democratic manager, people are capable on their own, I delegate a lot, that's the way I am". He had retained that his predominant leadership style was "democratic" and...