Interview with Vincent Martin, Talent Development Group Manager at SMCP. In 2024, the Group is rolling out two programs, Les Fondamentaux du Management and Advanced Leadership, to support new managers as they take up their positions, reinforce more experienced managers with new methods and practices, and thus align all employees in the 5 European Business Units on the same managerial practices and shared values.

What was NUMA's mission?

In 2024, we approached NUMA for two specific assignments: the first was to create a career path for our experienced managers, to continue enriching them with new practices and experiences, while enabling them to exchange ideas with their peers. The second mission was aimed at a different population: at SMCP, we favor and encourage internal promotion. So we asked NUMA to design a course for our new managers, focusing on the fundamentals of management, to support them in their new role as managers.

In what context did you deploy this training?

In addition to the challenges mentioned above - reinforcing the skills of our experienced managers and supporting our new managers as they take up their posts - we have a challenge specific to the SMCP group, which is to create links and cohesion between all our employees within a group that comprises 4 distinct brands: Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and Fursac. These training sessions are therefore an opportunity to mix teams from different brands. This enables employees who don't work together to share their experiences, get away from their daily routine and exchange views on their practices and problems. This approach enables us to disseminate common values and align managers and employees on the same practices, which is essential for us.

What criteria made the difference in choosing NUMA? 

When we selected NUMA, we were looking for a service provider capable of supporting us on a wide variety of managerial themes, covering both the fundamental needs of our new managers and those of our more experienced ones. The courses offered were particularly comprehensive, covering essential topics such as delegation, time management and managerial posture in a structured way. This pragmatic and concrete approach, in line with our culture at SMCP, convinced us.

What were the highlights of our collaboration? 

We appreciated the fact that the training courses enabled our managers to acquire concrete skills that they could apply quickly afterwards. This practical approach and the structuring of the content, covering a variety of themes, were decisive factors in our choice. Feedback from participants confirmed the quality of the courses, underlining the practical aspect, the case studies and the virtual classroom sessions, which were directly relevant to their day-to-day work.

On the human resources side, we also found that collaboration was very fluid. The teams were very responsive and flexible, making it easy to manage and monitor the training courses. This made group adaptation and content follow-up particularly easy for our team.

What actions have you put in place to engage your managers? 

First of all, we have provided them with a content base on an e-learning platform. This resource enables them to familiarize themselves with the themes before starting the training courses. Secondly, we have asked our HR teams and line managers to support and promote these training courses among participants. They play a key role in identifying priority work areas and emphasizing the importance of these programs for everyone's skills development. This approach often includes discussions during development interviews, during which specific needs may be expressed. We use this information to register managers for the relevant training courses, ensuring of course that the programs meet the expectations expressed.

And what did they enjoy most about the various workshops?

Participants particularly appreciated the sharing of experience and the peer-to-peer exchanges. The numerous case studies and concrete examples were also very much appreciated, as they made the training pragmatic and directly applicable.

The dynamic, interactive pace of the sessions kept participants engaged. They also stressed the importance of the best practices and methodological tools provided, which enriched their learning. Finally, feedback on the quality of the speakers was unanimous: their dynamism and ability to connect and engage participants contributed to the success of the training courses.

What's the next step to further develop their skills and align practices? 

The training program met our initial expectations and objectives, with participants very satisfied. In the future, we plan to continue offering these programs to support internal promotion and the integration of new managers. What's more, for those who have taken the Fundamentals of Management course, we plan to offer them a more in-depth course at a later date. This will enable them to revisit best practices and deepen their managerial skills, while building on the methods that worked well during the first training courses. 

It is also planned to encourage exchanges between those who have taken the Fundamentals of Management courses and those who have already participated in the Advanced courses. This sharing of experiences enriches the understanding and application of managerial practices. We are keen to maintain consistency in managerial practices throughout the SMCP Group. We want all our managers, whether they lead a large or small team, to be able to refer to common values and methods.