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Knowing how to use a tool or apply a process is no longer enough to navigate in a hybrid, constantly evolving environment.
What keeps a team aligned, reactive and committed are invisible skills : the ability to listen, cooperate, manage tensions or adapt. In other words: behavioral skills are becoming the new foundation of performance.
If behavioral skills are described as "invisible", it's because they fall outside the traditional evaluation grids.
Unlike technical skills, which are based on methods, tools or protocols, behavioral skills are revealed in action, often in the informal: a well-managed disagreement in a meeting, tension defused, silence respected at the right moment.
These are human skills, which cut across roles and functions. That's why managers must be able to master them at every level.
They can be worked on, refined and passed on , thus becoming a real lever for collective performance.
The rules of the game have changed. Automation, the rise of AI, hybrid working....In this context, technical skills, however solid, are no longer enough to make the difference.
What counts today is the ability to collaborate effectively, to deal with the unexpected, to make decisions without having all the answers, or to maintain a clear framework when the going gets tough.
These are all situations where behavioral skills become decisive: they enable teams to remain aligned, agile and committed, even in the face of uncertainty.
Unlike technical skills, which can be learned via an online module or tool-based demonstration,behavioral skills are developed over time.
They are refined through experience, real-life situations and feedback. And above all, they require a real effort in terms of posture: learning to put yourself in the other person's shoes, to regulate yourself emotionally, to adapt your mode of communication... Nothing mechanical, nothing instantaneous.
Example
Faced with a sudden organizational change, a purely technical manager may find himself powerless to deal with the unexpected.
Conversely, a manager with good adaptability will be able to listen to weak signals, set a clear framework and guide teams through the transition, without losing sight of either performance or cohesion.
Behavioral competencies encompass a wide range of skills, each with its own importance depending on the context or the people involved. Here are the 8 most sought-after key competencies:
In times of uncertainty, the manager's role is to create clarity where none yet exists. This means moving forward in small steps, with clear intentions, and adapting quickly when necessary. This skill is all the more essential in today's changing business environment.
Development must take place on a regular basis, whether through a development conversation with your employee, a performance review with your teams, or individually by focusing on the strengths to be developed. Continuous development enables you to improve both behavioral and technical skills.
Learning how to preserve your teams' energy and optimize everyone's time is your main lever for impacting performance: set deep work slots, structure the agenda efficiently and communicate priorities clearly.
Inclusion is played out in the details of everyday life: reactions, silences, recognition of contributions. An inclusive manager knows how to identify and address exclusionary behavior, however subtle. They take action, creating a space for dialogue, where everyone has their place.
It means knowing how to express oneself without rushing, using non-violent communication, and asserting a refusal without it being perceived in the wrong way. It relies on empathy to create a healthy, positive working relationship.
Good feedback is precise, useful and given at the right time. Whether spontaneous or methodical, managers structure their feedback so that it helps people grow, rather than making them feel guilty. He anchors feedback in daily life.
Active listening means more than remaining silent: it means showing that you really understand. By asking open-ended questions and observing weak signals, the manager creates a space of trust. This is the basis for sincere dialogue, and helps avoid misunderstandings.
It's important to note that these skills don't just concern managers: they must become everyday reflexes for all employees. The manager sets this dynamic in motion for the whole team.
We sometimes tend to believe that behavioral skills are innate, that we are naturally empathetic, or not. In reality, like any other skill, it takes time, practice and a little method.
Experience remains the starting point. It's by going through different situations, observing different postures and adjusting to different contexts that we make progress. A manager who has been through several reorganizations will, over time, be able to detect signals of tension, clarify unclear areas, and keep his team mobilized without controlling everything.
But experience alone is not enough. You have to take the time to read and interpret it. That's where feedback comes in. Feedback from a colleague after a meeting, a remark made during a 1:1... These are the moments when you can put your finger on your blind spots: a tone that's too dry, a decision that's too vague, a listening style that seems attentive but isn't really active. The more regular the feedback, the more useful it becomes.
Training can also make a real difference, as long as you stay close to the field. There's no need for lengthy theoretical modules: what works, short, targeted formatsWhat works are short, targeted formats, with real-life situations that speak to your day-to-day life. For example: practicing how to reframe without blaming, how to set a clear framework, or how to listen without interpreting too quickly.
Finally, coaching - whether individual or peer-to-peer - takes things a step further, providing a space for in-depth work on posture, taking a step back, and testing other ways of doing things.
Example:
Some time ago, we welcomed Maylis Amram, Head of Product Marketing at Hublo, who shared her experience of conflict management. She tells us how she learned to rely on her intuition to anticipate tensions, adapt her posture to situations and deal with frustrations.
Developing behavioral skills is not just a matter of individual will. HR and managers have a key role to play in employee development.
A learning organization isa working environment where everyone can learn from their mistakes, adjust their posture and ask for feedback without fear of judgment. A framework that not only values results, but also progress. This framework is made possible by managers and HR.
In concrete terms, this means :
If behavioral competencies remain vague, they will always be perceived as secondary. If they are to be taken seriously, they must be made visible, concrete and assessable. In other words: give them the same place as technical skills in development benchmarks.
In concrete terms, this means :
It's these anchor points that enable us to track their progress over time - and make them a lasting part of our practices.
Finally, HR and managers have a role to play in the choice and deployment of appropriate training courses. Whether short, targeted modules, team workshops or cross-functional courses combining coaching, role-playing and co-development, to be effective and long-lasting, these schemes must be rooted in the realities of day-to-day work.
Behavioral skills are no longer an "extra", but a genuine foundation for sustainable performance. Developing them takes time, practice, and a collective commitment - from employees to HR and managers.
To go further and integrate them into your organization, discover our formats.
Knowing how to use a tool or apply a process is no longer enough to navigate in a hybrid, constantly evolving environment.
What keeps a team aligned, reactive and committed are invisible skills : the ability to listen, cooperate, manage tensions or adapt. In other words: behavioral skills are becoming the new foundation of performance.
If behavioral skills are described as "invisible", it's because they fall outside the traditional evaluation grids.
Unlike technical skills, which are based on methods, tools or protocols, behavioral skills are revealed in action, often in the informal: a well-managed disagreement in a meeting, tension defused, silence respected at the right moment.
These are human skills, which cut across roles and functions. That's why managers must be able to master them at every level.
They can be worked on, refined and passed on , thus becoming a real lever for collective performance.
The rules of the game have changed. Automation, the rise of AI, hybrid working....In this context, technical skills, however solid, are no longer enough to make the difference.
What counts today is the ability to collaborate effectively, to deal with the unexpected, to make decisions without having all the answers, or to maintain a clear framework when the going gets tough.
These are all situations where behavioral skills become decisive: they enable teams to remain aligned, agile and committed, even in the face of uncertainty.
Unlike technical skills, which can be learned via an online module or tool-based demonstration,behavioral skills are developed over time.
They are refined through experience, real-life situations and feedback. And above all, they require a real effort in terms of posture: learning to put yourself in the other person's shoes, to regulate yourself emotionally, to adapt your mode of communication... Nothing mechanical, nothing instantaneous.
Example
Faced with a sudden organizational change, a purely technical manager may find himself powerless to deal with the unexpected.
Conversely, a manager with good adaptability will be able to listen to weak signals, set a clear framework and guide teams through the transition, without losing sight of either performance or cohesion.
Behavioral competencies encompass a wide range of skills, each with its own importance depending on the context or the people involved. Here are the 8 most sought-after key competencies:
In times of uncertainty, the manager's role is to create clarity where none yet exists. This means moving forward in small steps, with clear intentions, and adapting quickly when necessary. This skill is all the more essential in today's changing business environment.
Development must take place on a regular basis, whether through a development conversation with your employee, a performance review with your teams, or individually by focusing on the strengths to be developed. Continuous development enables you to improve both behavioral and technical skills.
Learning how to preserve your teams' energy and optimize everyone's time is your main lever for impacting performance: set deep work slots, structure the agenda efficiently and communicate priorities clearly.
Inclusion is played out in the details of everyday life: reactions, silences, recognition of contributions. An inclusive manager knows how to identify and address exclusionary behavior, however subtle. They take action, creating a space for dialogue, where everyone has their place.
It means knowing how to express oneself without rushing, using non-violent communication, and asserting a refusal without it being perceived in the wrong way. It relies on empathy to create a healthy, positive working relationship.
Good feedback is precise, useful and given at the right time. Whether spontaneous or methodical, managers structure their feedback so that it helps people grow, rather than making them feel guilty. He anchors feedback in daily life.
Active listening means more than remaining silent: it means showing that you really understand. By asking open-ended questions and observing weak signals, the manager creates a space of trust. This is the basis for sincere dialogue, and helps avoid misunderstandings.
It's important to note that these skills don't just concern managers: they must become everyday reflexes for all employees. The manager sets this dynamic in motion for the whole team.
We sometimes tend to believe that behavioral skills are innate, that we are naturally empathetic, or not. In reality, like any other skill, it takes time, practice and a little method.
Experience remains the starting point. It's by going through different situations, observing different postures and adjusting to different contexts that we make progress. A manager who has been through several reorganizations will, over time, be able to detect signals of tension, clarify unclear areas, and keep his team mobilized without controlling everything.
But experience alone is not enough. You have to take the time to read and interpret it. That's where feedback comes in. Feedback from a colleague after a meeting, a remark made during a 1:1... These are the moments when you can put your finger on your blind spots: a tone that's too dry, a decision that's too vague, a listening style that seems attentive but isn't really active. The more regular the feedback, the more useful it becomes.
Training can also make a real difference, as long as you stay close to the field. There's no need for lengthy theoretical modules: what works, short, targeted formatsWhat works are short, targeted formats, with real-life situations that speak to your day-to-day life. For example: practicing how to reframe without blaming, how to set a clear framework, or how to listen without interpreting too quickly.
Finally, coaching - whether individual or peer-to-peer - takes things a step further, providing a space for in-depth work on posture, taking a step back, and testing other ways of doing things.
Example:
Some time ago, we welcomed Maylis Amram, Head of Product Marketing at Hublo, who shared her experience of conflict management. She tells us how she learned to rely on her intuition to anticipate tensions, adapt her posture to situations and deal with frustrations.
Developing behavioral skills is not just a matter of individual will. HR and managers have a key role to play in employee development.
A learning organization isa working environment where everyone can learn from their mistakes, adjust their posture and ask for feedback without fear of judgment. A framework that not only values results, but also progress. This framework is made possible by managers and HR.
In concrete terms, this means :
If behavioral competencies remain vague, they will always be perceived as secondary. If they are to be taken seriously, they must be made visible, concrete and assessable. In other words: give them the same place as technical skills in development benchmarks.
In concrete terms, this means :
It's these anchor points that enable us to track their progress over time - and make them a lasting part of our practices.
Finally, HR and managers have a role to play in the choice and deployment of appropriate training courses. Whether short, targeted modules, team workshops or cross-functional courses combining coaching, role-playing and co-development, to be effective and long-lasting, these schemes must be rooted in the realities of day-to-day work.
Behavioral skills are no longer an "extra", but a genuine foundation for sustainable performance. Developing them takes time, practice, and a collective commitment - from employees to HR and managers.
To go further and integrate them into your organization, discover our formats.
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