L'entreprise libérée par la confiance (par Jean-Francois Zobrist)

Summary

The speaker shares the unique management philosophy of FAVI, a company where workers have direct control over decisions such as salaries, leave, and production. The emphasis is on the 'for whom' aspect of work, fostering a sense of purpose among employees. The company operates on principles like trust, customer focus, and the belief that 'people are good,' with minimal control and a focus on employee happiness to drive performance. The narrative highlights the importance of trust, delegation, and the collective dream in creating a successful and motivated workforce.

Takeaways

• 🏭 The speaker emphasizes the empowerment of workers at FAVI, where they have control over decisions such as their salaries, leave, machine placement, and investments.
• 🤝 The concept of 'pour qui' (for whom) is prioritized over 'pourquoi' (why), suggesting that knowing for whom they work is more important for employees than the reasons behind their work.
• 🛠️ Workers at FAVI are trusted to know 'how' to do their tasks best, as encapsulated by the first rule of Kaizen: 'he who does, knows'.
• 💡 The company structure is designed to be simple and self-regulating, with the belief that complex procedures arise from fragmented responsibilities.
• 👥 Each salesperson at FAVI is associated with a 'mini-factory', and their role is to integrate external knowledge and engage workers in project development from the outset.
• 😊 The speaker believes that happiness leads to performance, and by creating a peaceful work environment, workers are happier and more productive.
• 🔧 The idea of improving existing systems is discouraged; instead, the speaker advocates for creating new systems to avoid unnecessary complexity and tension.
• 👑 The speaker learned the importance of letting things happen naturally through experience, a lesson derived from military service and managing people with more expertise.
• 💖 Two core principles are 'man is good' and 'love for the customer', which underpin the company's approach to trust and client relationships.
• 🚫 The speaker recounts an incident where an employee's refusal to be at the workers' disposal led to his dismissal, highlighting the importance of trust and the role of the client.
• 🔑 The speaker's role is described as an 'animator', aiming to create a context for self-motivation rather than directly motivating the team.

Q & A

What was the labor inspector's comment about the speaker's enterprise?

The labor inspector referred to the speaker's enterprise as 'marxiste', suggesting that it was a worker-centric company, with power given to the direct producers, the workers.

How does the speaker describe the decision-making process at FAVI?

The speaker describes FAVI as a company where workers decide on everything freely, without control, including their salaries, vacations, machine placement, work schedules, RTT (Reduced Working Time), and investments.

What does the speaker believe about the importance of 'for whom' over 'why' in the context of marriage and business?

The speaker intuitively understood that 'for whom' is more important than 'why', using the analogy of marriage to explain that knowing 'for whom' one is working for is crucial, as it is in the case of the mini-factories at FAVI that work for specific clients.

How does the speaker view the traditional business model?

The speaker views the traditional business model as a power knot based on the 'how', where those dictating the 'how' are incapable of doing what they dictate, leading to a system of command and control.

What is the speaker's approach to empowering workers at FAVI?

The speaker's approach is to delegate the 'how' to the workers, trusting that those who do the work know best, which is the first rule of Kaizen.

What is the role of salespeople at FAVI according to the speaker?

Salespeople at FAVI are involved in all aspects of the business, from prospecting to project management, and they are located amidst the machines to integrate external inputs and involve workers in project initiatives from the outset.

What principle did the speaker learn from an operator that influenced FAVI's approach?

The speaker learned that there is no performance without happiness, and by creating a peaceful environment for the workers, they become happy and there is no tension.

How does the speaker handle conflicts or dissatisfaction among workers?

The speaker allows workers to self-regulate by changing mini-factories or shifts if they do not get along with others, thus avoiding tensions.

What did the speaker learn from his military service that influenced his management style?

The speaker learned to let things happen by themselves, as he realized the importance of not giving orders to those who knew the material better than him, which is a key aspect of his management style.

What are the two limits or principles that guide the speaker's management approach?

The two limits or principles are 'Man is good', meaning no control is needed, and 'love for the customer', meaning every action should have a customer behind it.

How does the speaker describe the concept of 'inverse delegation' in the context of his business?

The speaker describes 'inverse delegation' as the idea of putting oneself at the disposal of the workers to help them in their mission, rather than the traditional top-down approach where workers are expected to do what they are told by the boss.

What does the speaker believe is his role as an entrepreneur?

The speaker believes his role as an entrepreneur is to animate and inspire his team, creating a context for self-motivation, rather than dictating what needs to be done.

How does the speaker feel about the shared dream or vision in his company?

The speaker feels strongly about the shared dream or vision as it brings people together to work towards a common goal, not just for money but also for a sense of purpose and belonging.

What does the speaker value about his team's autonomy and initiative?

The speaker values his team's autonomy and initiative because it demonstrates their commitment to the shared vision and their ability to take ownership of their work and the company's success.