In an environment where companies need to combine efficiency, responsiveness and teamwork, operational management becomes an essential asset in overcoming day-to-day challenges. Managers must rely on certain skills, such as knowing how to give clear directives, delegate with precision and communicate effectively to mobilize their teams around common objectives. Here is a non-exhaustive list of key skills to develop in order to maximize the impact of operations managers and boost employee performance and commitment.

Developing authentic, inspiring leadership

Collaborative leadership relies on managers' ability to integrate their team's ideas, doubts and contributions. Managers who adopt this approach create a climate of trust and commitment. This encourages each team member to participate actively, to invest in the team's common objectives and to implement collective solutions.

Adopting collaborative leadership

Collaborative leadership relies on the ability to create an environment where everyone feels listened to and valued.

• Encourage employees to express their ideas and questions: managers need to create a climate of trust to make it easier for people to speak up. For example, during meetings, invite everyone to share a specific opinion by asking targeted questions such as: "What do you think?" or "Which approach would you prefer?" This avoids superficial answers such as "Yes, that's clear," and encourages more in-depth, constructive exchanges.
• Systematically organize round-table discussions to encourage the participation of all team members: this gives everyone a chance to express themselves, including those who are more reserved or less comfortable speaking up spontaneously. Rather than asking "Who wants to share?", go around the table asking open-ended questions like, "What's the main risk you identify in this project?" or "What other solution might work?" These practices help capture diverse perspectives.
• Value every contribution, even modest initiatives, to strengthen your team's commitment and motivation: take the time to highlight ideas, whether simple or ambitious. For example, during a meeting, you might say: "The approach proposed by X has really boosted our visibility with customers." This kind of recognition motivates team members to get more involved. It creates a positive circle of collaboration, involvement and creativity.

To develop your collaborative leadership skills, discover the NUMA Collaborative Leadership training and explore concrete practices for strengthening team dynamics.

Develop your influence

To convince and mobilize effectively, managers need to know how to adapt their approach to their audience and context.

• Identify stakeholders and their role in the decision: set up a map of influential people: promoters, neutrals and detractors. For example, if a detractor expresses doubts about a project, work with a promoter to strengthen your arguments and counterbalance objections.
• Tailor your presentation to the specific needs of your audience: when giving a presentation, use figures for an analytical decision-maker, or concrete examples for a manager in the field. For example: "This solution enabled a similar team to reduce its costs by 15% in three months."
• Use key moments to reinforce your influence: prepare your interventions in critical situations by focusing on precise, hard-hitting arguments. For example, evoke the immediate benefits and long-term gains during a strategy meeting to win over the participants.

To strengthen your ability to convince and inspire, discover NUMA's training course on developing influence and concrete techniques for mobilizing your contacts.

Encouraging autonomy and empowerment

Effective delegation involves much more than simply allocating tasks. It involves setting a clear framework, and precisely defining objectives and responsibilities. Regular follow-up is also essential to maintain an optimal performance dynamic.

• Set a clear framework with precise objectives: explain the "why" (the meaning of the mission), the "what" (the expected result), and the "how" (the operating rules). For example, for an assignment to reduce unnecessary requests, set a target of a 20% reduction in requests within three months. Let the employee choose his or her own methods for achieving this goal.
• Adapt delegation to each employee's level of autonomy: for a junior employee, give clear, precise instructions, such as organizing weekly progress reviews on a marketing project. For an experienced employee, define only the final objective and leave him/her free to choose his/her approach.

Prioritize and arbitrate

Knowing how to prioritize and arbitrate is essential to enable managers to focus on high-impact tasks, even in a context where everything seems urgent. Effective organization helps prevent work overload and maintain optimum productivity. Here are a few keys to help them structure their workload strategically.

Prioritize strategic tasks

When everything seems important, it becomes necessary to differentiate between what needs to be given priority and what can wait. Managers need to structure their priorities to focus on the tasks that have the greatest impact on them and their team.

• Identify tasks with the greatest impact: help employees distinguish between what is strategic and what is incidental. For example, using the Eisenhower matrix, encourage them to classify their tasks as urgent/important and non-urgent/non-important. Prioritizing an essential presentation for a strategic committee rather than dealing with e-mails is a concrete example of effective arbitration.
• Set aside time for essential tasks: encourage teams to set aside time in their diaries for high value-added tasks. For example, suggest devoting an hour each day to activities such as strategic analysis or preparation for an important project. This reduces interruptions and improves concentration.

Deciding under uncertainty

Making decisions in an uncertain environment requires going beyond intuition and structuring thinking to avoid certain biases. In the context of project management, here are two essential methods to help managers make more informed choices, even in complex situations:

• Use a matrix to identify the right moment: help your managers to differentiate between the information available now and that which they may obtain in the future. For example, before deciding to stop a project in difficulty, they can ask themselves, "What will we know in three months' time, and will this information be sufficient to act now?" This approach helps to avoid hasty decisions and avoid getting stuck in uncertainty.
• Stimulate reflection: encourage your teams to adopt another point of view in order to get around their biases. For example, ask: "If we had to recruit this person today, would we do it?" or "What happens if we do nothing?". These questions allow you to explore new perspectives and evaluate available options more effectively.

Managing time and energy

Optimal time and energy management enables managers to focus on their priorities, while maintaining their balance. This approach helps them to avoid burnout and maximize their day-to-day impact.

• Organize the week with fixed, dedicated slots: encourage managers to block off dedicated slots for background work, team meetings and administrative tasks. For example, setting aside Monday mornings to plan weekly priorities helps clarify objectives and anticipate unforeseen events.
• Making strategic choices to conserve energy: managers need to know how to say no and delegate in order to focus on high-impact tasks. For example, instead of responding immediately to a non-urgent request, they can set a more suitable time or support the employee in managing the situation themselves.

NUMA also offers a specific course dedicated to focus, specially designed to help managers structure their workload, make strategic decisions and optimize their time and energy management.

Master the art of pitching and speaking

In today's business environment, a clear and engaging presentation is essential to capture attention and convince your audience. An effective pitch does more than simply convey information: it arouses interest and prompts action.

Mastering the art of the pitch

An effective pitch immediately grabs attention and highlights a solution in a powerful way. Here are two steps to mastering this art:

• Start with a powerful catchphrase: use a striking statistic, an anecdote or an intriguing question to engage your audience right from the start. For example, "Did you know that companies lose up to 30% of their productivity due to poor communication tools?" This attracts attention and directly introduces the problem to be solved.
• Structure your arguments to maximize their impact: explain the problem, showing why it's important, then present your solution with clear benefits. For example, "Our software reduces administrative processing time by 25%." End with a clear call to action, such as a request for collaboration or a demonstration.

Conveying high-impact messages

To deliver a powerful message, a clear structure, an assertive stance and simple wording are essential.

• Clarify the main objective of your message: managers need to define what they want their audience to remember or do after their presentation. For example, in a presentation on a new project, the objective is to convince the teams. You explain the benefits and answer questions.
• Use short, punchy sentences to capture attention: avoid complex wording and unnecessary detail. For example, instead of saying, "We're relatively close to achieving our objectives, but there's still some work to be done," say, "We've achieved 90% of our objectives, with 10% still to go." This makes the message clearer and more impactful.

To perfect these skills, discover the NUMA pitch training course and learn how to captivate your audience with clear, convincing messages.

Adopt a collective approach with the "One Team" dynamic

Creating a real collective dynamic requires clear alignment of each team member with the common objectives. It's also important to recognize and value each person's differences, so as to capitalize on their strengths.

Adapting to individual working styles

Recognizing the different ways of working within a team helps to strengthen collaboration and avoid misunderstandings. Here are two ways of adapting to individual needs:

• Identify your colleagues' work preferences: observe how each team member operates. Some like clear instructions and precise steps. Others prefer to work with more freedom and creativity. For example, for someone who prefers structure, it's essential to clarify objectives and provide a precise plan to follow. This approach makes it possible to adapt to individual needs and optimize collective performance.
• Adapt your communication to be better understood: adjust your style according to the person you're talking to. For someone who prefers direct exchanges, propose concise, results-oriented messages. On the other hand, for someone more focused on human relations, take the time to listen attentively and establish a constructive dialogue. This flexibility in communication not only optimizes mutual understanding, but also problem-solving.

If you'd like to go further, NUMA offers a "Adapting to different styles" training course, designed to help managers identify their own and others' working styles, and adapt their communication accordingly to improve team collaboration.

Creating rituals to strengthen cohesion

Introducing team rituals helps to improve collaboration and ensure clear alignment with objectives.

• Organize weekly meetings: encourage managers to schedule a meeting at the beginning of each week to define priorities and anticipate obstacles. For example, a 30-minute meeting where each member shares a recent success and a priority for the week ahead.
• Suggest monthly rituals: encourage managers to organize a monthly meeting to take stock of the team, discuss challenges encountered and lessons learned. For example, a collaborative table can be used to note what has gone well and what needs to be improved, to encourage collective reflection and adjust future actions.

By integrating these skills into your training programs, you give your managers the keys to steering operations with efficiency and strategic alignment, while strengthening their commitment and that of their teams. This will enable them to make more informed decisions and strengthen collaboration within their teams. This helps improve overall performance. It also keeps employees engaged and motivated. To find out more, discover NUMA's training courses to help your teams develop these key skills.

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