All about benevolent management
Today, companies are faced with many stressful situations, whether it is competition, technological changes or economic issues. To stay competitive, they must constantly adapt and ensure that staff are productive and engaged. In this context, benevolent management is increasingly recognized as an effective entrepreneurial tool to improve employee productivity. However, to be a benevolent manager, he must learn to adopt a different approach from that used until now.
Definition of benevolent management
Benevolent management is a style of management that aims to value people , emphasizing empathy, trust, collaboration and mutual respect between parties. She wants to erase the place of the dominant “boss” who gives orders and puts pressure on getting a job done, to make way for a “boss” who is more up-to-date, benevolent and attentive.
Unlike authoritative and directive management styles , benevolent management does not rely on controlling or dominating employees. Instead, the leader creates a healthy work environment, based on understanding each other, the absence of prejudices and exchanges.
What is a benevolent person?
A benevolent person is characterized by an attitude of kindness, compassion and empathy towards others. Benevolence is the ability to be forgiving and to care about the needs and feelings of others, so that they feel supported and appreciated.
How to become a benevolent manager?
Becoming a benevolent manager means placing your employees at the heart of all your decisions, to develop your business. With this in mind, you must adopt new managerial practices. One of the most important is active listening. It facilitates communication and trust between employees. Learn to be positive in your words. Offer only constructive criticism and value the tasks they perform well.
A benevolent manager is also someone who knows his limits and the limits of his collaborators. Managing with benevolence also means knowing how to empower your team and promote its autonomy . Set goals and let them choose how to achieve them. Stay available and reliable, so you will more easily inspire respect for them, without resorting to authority.
Being a benevolent manager: why and how?
Being a caring manager has many benefits, including productivity, employee retention, motivation, and job satisfaction . Employees who feel supported and respected are more likely to engage in their work and contribute to the success of the company.
To be a benevolent management, it is important to establish a positive work culture and to develop a relationship of trust with each member of the team. This involves considering every need and preference, while setting clear goals and providing appropriate support.
The 10 qualities of a caring manager
The characteristics that a benevolent manager must have are numerous. Here are 10 that we think are essential, like:
- Loyalty , he must inspire security.
- Courage , he does not give up, he faces winds and tides.
- Insurance , he knows how to make decisions.
- Recognition , he knows how to thank and congratulate.
- Empathy , he can put himself in the place of his interlocutor.
- Understanding , he listens and shows indulgence towards his interlocutor.
- Communication , a benevolent manager finds the right words to speak and remains sincere.
- Respect , he remains polite and attentive.
- The calm , he does not raise his voice and does not get angry.
- The organization , he knows how to set the objectives and distribute the tasks, to avoid the overload of work.
Learn more about the qualities of a manager .
Why does benevolent management accelerate performance?
Benevolent management has a positive impact in terms of performance. It allows the company to lower its absenteeism rate. It has even been proven by several statistics that benevolent management promotes the well-being of employees and motivates them to get more involved at work. By being less pressured by the hierarchy, he gives his best and properly accomplishes the tasks entrusted to him.
Benevolent management also reduces the risk of resignation and gives a better image of the hierarchy. The time of untouchable authority is more than over. The success of a company today rests on its capacity to manage a team by adopting a true and friendly attitude.
“According to the work of the Harvard Business Review, 85% of the managerial skills of tomorrow are those of emotional intelligence. It is therefore urgent to invest in fair benevolence and more broadly in emotional intelligence!” – Alexandre Jost , founder of the cultural association La Fabrique Spinoza.
How to manage with kindness?
Benevolent management contributes to the success of your company and this is its primary objective. To guide you, here are some tips to show you how to manage with kindness :
- Compliment your employees and avoid criticism. Each employee must be valued.
- Be fair in the distribution of tasks. Make everyone win-win.
- Assign assignments with achievable goals.
- Adapt each support to each personality and accept that each employee has his or her specificity.
- Contribute to balancing their personal and professional life by being flexible in working hours.
- Explain each decision and communicate each change so that your employees remain reassured.
How to set up a benevolent management?
The establishment of benevolent management is based on the manager’s ability to prioritize the fulfillment of his employees at work . He can learn from books or by getting help from professionals in the field. Even if he knows his role, a manager does not necessarily master it. He must also have the will to change.
Personalized support can help you adopt a benevolent posture. You will learn to control your emotions, for example by following personal development sessions. You will work on your communication in order to develop a good atmosphere at work, the key to successful benevolent management .
What is kindness at work?
Benevolence is a revolution in the world of work . One might think that this is a utopian and naive method, because it ensures the application of a work organization based on the kindness advocated by Philippe Rodet, politeness, sincerity and authenticity. It reduces psychosocial risks and burnout .
It leads you to accept that you cannot be perfect in every way. So you focus less on mistakes and more on solutions. You take into account the needs of your employees and ensure their professional and personal comfort. It is not a question of mothering them, but of framing them to avoid the burnout syndrome .
Also read: When to return to work after a burnout?
How to improve management?
To improve management, it is necessary to promote individual and collective performance by creating a pleasant emotional environment, free from blame or harmful conflicts. To achieve this, it is advisable to encourage initiatives. It will also be necessary to organize regular individual interviews, which will keep you informed of their developments and their failures.
Obstacles are not limited to leaders. Some employees may show behavior that is harmful to the company. Do not hesitate to intervene to reframe them and put them back on the right track. Improving your management also means imposing clear rules and avoiding time-consuming situations, such as meetings or daunting updates.
How to promote mutual support at work?
Benevolent management is also based on mutual support at work and teamwork . To develop this spirit, it would be beneficial for employees to meet together outside the workplace for sports sessions or workshops that facilitate exchanges.
It is not enough to create this spirit of sharing and collaboration , you must also maintain it and make it understood that it is together that you will be able to move towards success. Pairing up can also be an effective method.
How to react to a toxic manager?
You may come across a toxic manager . The type of person who tyrannizes and shows negative behavior towards his collaborators. If you are confronted with them, we advise you to identify the type of toxic manager you are dealing with, to adapt your reactions.
Don’t give up, but react with tact. For your well-being at work, reframe them and show them your know-how. Unsettle him with unexpected responses. To save yourself too much trouble, don’t take his behavior to heart and learn to trust yourself.
Check out our full article on: How to Deal with a Toxic Manager
What are the limits of benevolent management?
Although benevolent management can bring many benefits, there are also limitations to this approach:
- Too much benevolence can lead to the absence of constructive criticism,
- Benevolent managers may be seen as weak, incompetent, or unable to make tough decisions or manage conflict effectively.
- Benevolent management requires a lot of time and energy, which can lead to an overload of work for the manager,
- Employees can become dependent on manager support.
Accordingly, benevolent management must be used with discernment and balance to avoid stagnation in the development of employee skills and performance.
Benevolent management in a few tips
Here are some practical tips for implementing benevolent management and overcoming common obstacles encountered when implementing it:
- Develop a culture of trust,
- Practice active listening
- Encourage constructive feedback,
- Offer development opportunities,
- Treat mistakes as learning opportunities.
Benevolent management is a key element for a company that wishes to be more competitive. However, benevolence is not the only criterion to consider in order to remain so. Discover the different qualities required to be a good manager .
