The face of management is rapidly evolving under the influence of profound economic, technological and social changes. By 2025, a manager will no longer be able to rely solely on traditional approaches to meet the needs of their teams and organisation. Faced with increasing digitalisation, remote working, and employees increasingly seeking meaning, management is becoming a true art imbued with humanity, agility and listening.
Why are expectations of managers changing?
Previously focused on performance management, the manager’s role now extends to human and relational dimensions that are essential for building and sustaining commitment. The transformations linked to the widespread adoption of remote working and the rise of hyper-connected generations require a complete rethinking of the entire managerial posture.
Recent upheavals have brought to the fore the importance of empathetic and human management. The ability to create trust and cohesion at a distance is no longer an option: it has become a necessity for retaining talent and encouraging their commitment. A leadership approach focused on listening and taking feedback into account is gradually replacing the traditional top-down approach.
What is the increased role of empathy and humanity in management?
Our training programmes are not slides in a room. The room is the starting point. The field is where change is proven. That’s why all our programmes combine collective training and individual coaching: a commercial can learn a new framework for questioning on Tuesday in the room, but it’s by using it with a real client on Thursday that they internalise it. Without follow-up coaching, 80% of what is covered in training is forgotten within six weeks. This has been proven, and that’s why we don’t just do classroom training.
How can trust and autonomy be strengthened?
Trust is perceived as the pillar of modern management. When employees feel supported and respected, they take more initiative and show greater commitment to their work. This climate of trust requires clear empowerment, where everyone knows their autonomy boundaries whilst knowing that the manager remains available when needed.
Enabling autonomy also fosters innovation, mutual support and a strong sense of belonging within the group. This translates into concrete delegation of tasks, recognition of achievements and the right to make mistakes accepted by the collective. To achieve this, it is crucial to develop certain fundamental skills in collective organisation and team spirit. In this regard, exploring the skills needed to organise team building can truly help establish a positive and collaborative dynamic among team members.
How does individualised management address these challenges?
Each employee comes with their own aspirations, ways of working and life paths. Individualised management therefore consists of adapting one’s communication, motivation tools and recognition mechanisms to each personality within the collective.
This tailored approach takes into account varied rhythms, expectations regarding work-life balance and specific needs for continuous training and skills development. It thus promotes the development of inclusive and caring leadership.
What are management priorities in the face of remote working and hybridisation?
How can team engagement and cohesion be maintained remotely?
With the advent of remote working and the hybridisation of working arrangements, fostering team engagement and cohesion is a priority. Managers must use their imagination to offer stimulating collective moments, including interactive meetings, virtual lunches or collaborative workshops. Furthermore, choosing the right partners to support the company’s strategic transformation also involves the judicious selection of external experts. Better understanding the criteria for recognising a good strategic recruitment firm is therefore crucial for strengthening the effectiveness of long-term human support.
Establishing regular meetings dedicated to non-professional exchange is particularly helpful for maintaining the strong human bonds necessary for solidarity and collective motivation.
What new tools should be adopted for effective management?
The widespread use of video conferencing, messaging channels or collaborative platforms is revolutionising the way teams are managed. Their optimal use requires carefully matching tools to situations, whilst remaining mindful of digital overload and the real quality of exchanges.
To make a difference, tools that encourage co-creation, free expression of feedback and information transparency should now be prioritised. This facilitates the flow of ideas and boosts everyone’s empowerment.
How does the manager act as a facilitator of change?
How are agility and adaptation becoming essential?
In a fast-changing environment, the ability to demonstrate agility and adaptation takes precedence over everything else. A good manager establishes flexible processes, adopts experimentation as a method and regularly shares lessons learned with their teams.
Being agile also means questioning habits to find creative responses to the unexpected and actively involving the team in transformation. This collective dynamic strengthens the manager’s legitimacy and cultivates commitment.
How can continuous training and skills development be ensured?
It is difficult to imagine tomorrow’s management without placing continuous training at the heart of the HR strategy. Supporting skills development means individually supporting the acquisition of new expertise and facilitating access to various learning formats (digital learning, internal mentors, practical workshops).
Initiatives that promote empowerment and the thirst for learning energise team spirit whilst preparing the organisation to meet new challenges. A visionary manager takes care to invest as much in technical skills as in soft skills.
What skills will be most sought after in managers in 2025?
Several key skills are emerging to differentiate high-performing managers. Among these, the ability to establish empathetic and human management ranks first, as does actively encouraging participation, speaking up and diversity of viewpoints.
- Mastery of interpersonal communication
- Crisis management and conflict resolution skills
- Skills in facilitation and hybrid team cohesion
- Facilitation of participatory and collaborative approaches
- Orientation towards continuous learning and personalised talent development
The intelligent balance between caring, rigour and adaptation ensures an environment conducive to professional fulfilment. From this perspective, becoming an inspiring leader is not innate but is built through daily practice of listening and feedback.
| Skill | Description | Impact on the team |
|---|---|---|
| Empathetic and human management | Emotional support and active listening | Reduced stress, increased commitment |
| Agility and adaptation | Ability to respond quickly to change | Constant innovation and increased resilience |
| Empowerment and commitment | Delegation, shared rights and responsibilities | Autonomous management, reinforced involvement |
Frequently asked questions about expectations of managers in 2025
What human qualities will managers need to develop by 2025?
By 2025, managers will need to develop strong listening skills, understanding of individual feelings and diversity management. Empathetic and human management will be highly sought after, enabling a climate of trust and caring welcome for each employee. Key qualities include:
- Empathy and patience
- Behavioural flexibility
- Transparent communication
- Orientation towards helping and supporting
How can a manager promote skills development among their team members?
To support skills development, managers provide personalised support through development plans tailored to individual needs. They encourage continuous training through:
- Access to varied training (workshops, digital, mentoring…)
- Regular sharing of constructive feedback
- Promotion of daily informal learning
A culture of continuous improvement is then established.
What role will trust and autonomy play in hybrid management?
Trust and autonomy will be the two major axes for ensuring sustainable performance in a hybrid work context. Clearly distributing responsibilities, allowing initiative-taking and limiting excessive control boosts everyone’s motivation. Here is a summary table illustrating the differences between the old hierarchical model and hybrid management:
| Old model | Hybrid management |
|---|---|
| Centralised control | Distributed autonomy |
| Little individual latitude | Expanded room for manoeuvre |
| Top-down feedback | Horizontal and upward feedback |
How does taking feedback into account contribute to managerial effectiveness?
Valuing feedback encourages commitment and promotes the constructive evolution of practices. An effective manager regularly organises exchanges to gather opinions, identify areas for improvement and establish a culture based on collective progress. Taking feedback into account improves:
- Mutual understanding of expectations
- Rapid adjustment of working methods
- Early identification of tensions and appropriate solutions
To find out more about Archetype training programmes.
