However nothing is further from the truth

Hypermobility of frameworks, ephemeral leadership teams, hierarchical structures exploded or reduced to their bare minimum... In this context, control, dedicated agents there is not if a long time to disappear, perform their great comeback in the business. Thanks to their pivotal role. "They are often figure of stability elements, view Jean-Pierre Testa, responsible of the Interplant training at Cegos. In an economic context shifting and degraded, top management is beginning to realize the vital role played by this intermediate management, both formidable relay of transmission of the strategy of the hierarchy and indispensable sensor to smell the social climate. "The logistics sector which covers transport , a highly competitive world plunged for fifteen years in a logic of frenzied concentration, is the perfect example. "To stay in the race to profitability while the margins are structurally modest, companies have realized the importance of investing in the development of the skills of their master". "Asked to set targets, motivate employees or whether conduct interviews of assessment", continues Jean-Pierre Testa. This is not everything. "We are seeing a strong professionalization of our professions linked the increasing complexity of our missions in recent years, said Jean-Louis Vincent, HRD of Geodis (15,000 employees), subsidiary of the SNCF in road transport. It is simply to manage flows of goods! It must also control information flows.

A true trade

Where concern for companies to accompany this (r) in the best technical development and managerial proposing their troops training the most adequate. Where the flowering of training with the management in destination of a population largely self-taught, having evolved in strong family component structures. In short, it invites bench coaching of proximity accustomed to a management "to the former" to adapt to the challenges of globalization. "Mentor people is a true trade." Common sense or the proximity of the field are not always sufficient. "Experience has shown that an excellent professional is not necessarily a good manager," said Pierre Antoine Sayol, Director division engineers and technicians at Michael Page. It is thus, in Gruel-Fayer, Rennes SME storage and distribution, to be followed to his mastery of the sessions on the topics: "Animate a team", "Handle daily conflict" or "develop synergies". "Often comes from the rank, for example of storekeepers or forklift drivers, our master has often struggling to position itself with its order." At the time, some have sometimes tended to be authoritarian, to "abuse" of their new power without knowing sufficiently highlight the performance of their troops. "It is true that the context of permanent emergency is little help to"ask"their management", note Florence Valleau, the HRD to the company.

"Our training, we explain to to the control, if the management is to fly an activity with authority and rigour, it is also and especially whether communicate and interact with each other.". "Not always obvious to admit", said Jean-Pierre Testa.

Accompanying modules...

Responsible for logistics platform of Geodis in Paris, Thierry Tisserand, forty-five years, holder of an electrician course, must manage each day 150 people in a context of stress and optimal pressure on the part of increasingly demanding customers. "I try to be flexible but firm in my management, he says." The training helped me. The communication is the basis of all things. But this, to choose the right moment. Not too early in the morning, nor too late day, when the guys are exhausted. "To change the status of technician to that of leader of men, regardless of natural, passage through the"training"box is therefore necessary. The 2004 version of the annual survey on employment and training needs by the AFT-Iftim, one of the reference of the transport-logistics sector training organizations, confirms that "the needs felt (by stakeholders in the sector) are priority for executives but for technicians-agents of control, management techniques and prevention-safety", says Daniel Grassetthe Director of development and training of the AFT-Iftim centres. In addition to training with specialized agencies, companies in the sector strive to "treat" their middle management internally. Among DHL (Deutsche Post Group), for example, the HRD has implemented a module for executives (including the conduct of change) accompanying comprising, among others, coaching and assessment center"(third professional situation) benefits where the strengths of the candidates and the axes of progression are listed.

... And detection of potential

To promote mobility internal mastery, HRD has also retained a system for the detection of the potential, in the form of a Committee of career. "Once a year, a number of executives meet to give their opinion on their direct subordinates." "Together we are debating and propose to the most deserving training or adequate professional development plans," says Marc Mossenta, in charge of the recruitment and development. Same concern of training all azimuths in Mory Team (6500 employees), auxiliary of transport. Last year, the HRD organized working groups for each of the 150 agencies in the group. Objective: improve their functioning in insisting on the need to improve the communication of the teams. "Each is started." Each agency should set objectives and areas for progress to improve the management and learn how to use tools of pilotage, explains Maryline Le Masle, HRD and pilot of the project. Once a week, a transverse reporting across trades is carried out and action plans are implemented. If so, we're coaching our collaborators.

Whatever the efforts made to develop the level of competence of their coaching, officials in the sector note, not without fear, that, despite poor economic conditions, pressure on recruitment is always also reveals glaring: 30 of the companies surveyed in the above study entrust and difficulties of recruitment (from 29 in 2002).

Deficit of image

"With my teams, we go the Salons and schools to introduce our company and our industry, which contains quantities of exciting trades." As a logistics provider, we face a deficit of image. "A us to roll up the sleeves", note Jean-Louis Vincent. Lack of image "Indeed, the general public perceives often the profession through the prism of the strikes and road accidents", regrets Daniel Grasset. The facts are stubborn: 116 (road) professionals are dead on the roads in 2003. In case of accident, show statistics, 1 heavy weight 2 reverses. A study of the Sofres published two years ago explained that 85 of French youth knew nothing of the trades in the sector. "We must tirelessly continue our work of information," said Daniel Grasset. Manager Opteaman, Office of recruitment and good knowledge of the sector, Guillaume Vital is optimistic however. "Logistics, who truly represents the lifeblood for many industrial companies, owns the unfavourable image the construction or the distribution of a few years ago." However, nothing is further from the truth. "So that the intermediate management, valuable strategies branch transmission belt, can assert itself and evolve, the image of the industry is not a negligible element. A problematic nearby the hotel and the restoration sector another sector which also forced and forced, tends to be professional. So nowhere the intermediate management remains stationed in a secondary role. To ensure that companies take advantage of this heart of hierarchy.