French workers need better managers. |
Case in point came from the November 18th issue of the Economist. In the weekly Schumpeter column, they pointed to the French Economy and how many people consider their workforce lazy and inept. It made me feel bad for the French office worker. Nothing is bigger demotivation than failure.
One could argue that France has been a case study in failure
since the formation of the Vichy government over seventy years ago. You do not hear discussion about French entrepreneurs
outside the fashion industry. Its politics are notoriously messy and riots throw into stark contrast the inability of the French economy to create jobs.
The nation which gave us de Gaulle, Descartes, Pasture, and Sartre
deserves a better reputation in the global economy. I also believe that the French worker has
been unfairly stereotyped. The grim reality pointed out by The Economist is
that much of the poor performance of the French can be blamed squarely on how
French businesses lead their organizations.
Unlike firms in America or Germany, who attempt to cultivate
leadership inside the firm, many French companies are led by people who get
most of their experience from civil service or academia. As explained in the article:
(snip)
“…too many big French companies rely on educational and governmental elites rather than promoting internally according to performance on the job. In the country’s many family firms, too, opportunity for promotion is limited for non-family members. This overall lack of upward mobility, argues Mr. Philippon, contributes largely to ordinary French cadres’ dissatisfaction with corporate life. A study of seven leading economies by TNS Sofres in 2007 showed that France is unique in that middle management as well as the lower-level workforce is largely disengaged from their companies.”
I am not going to wag my finger shamefully at the
French. American business can be equally
dysfunctional. Still, it is clear to me
that France offers a great example of what happens when credentials are given
more value than experience and leadership.
The French worker deserves better than the French executive.
Until next time.