A technological revolution redefining management

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI), data and collaborative tools is profoundly changing the role of managers. Long perceived as a strategic and operational leader, the manager must now deal with ultra-digitized and constantly evolving environments.

Faced with these changes, the central question is how to adapt the manager's role so that it remains a genuine driver of performance and commitment, rather than a mere operational relay?

Expectations of management are evolving along three dimensions:

• A new focus on people: Automating administrative tasks frees up time that needs to be reinvested in supporting teams.
• The ability to navigate uncertainty: with rapid change, managers need to be agile and able to support change on an ongoing basis.
• A role as a learning facilitator: Technological innovation means that employees have to constantly upgrade their skills, under the guidance of their managers.

Free up time to refocus on human relations

With the rise of AI and data-driven tools, many managerial tasks are now automated: performance monitoring, task planning, administrative management, etc.

At Doctolib, this transformation is compared to that of the medical sector: the manager plays a role similar to that of a doctor, faced with constant tension between his operational obligations and his relationship with his team.

Three pillars are essential to preserve the human dimension of management:

• Regular, structured follow-up: Plan frequent interactions to pick up on weak signals and adjust support.
• A stronger relationship of trust: transparency and accessibility on the part of the manager are key to maintaining a healthy working climate.
• A more proactive approach to well-being at work: Spot signs of demotivation or stress before they become critical.

"The challenge is not to replace managers with AI, but to enable them to focus on what really has value: the human relationship." Jordan Defas, Doctolib.

In this context, AI becomes a tool at the service of the manager rather than a substitute:

• Automated preparation of follow-up points, to optimize 1:1 exchanges.
• Analysis of engagement trends, to anticipate risks of disengagement.
• Support for feedback, with suggestions for questions or ways of structuring exchanges.

Develop a posture of adaptability in the face of transformation

Technological developments are not static: they are accelerating at an unprecedented rate, requiring companies and teams to adapt continuously.

At L'Oréal, this ability to adapt is seen as an essential soft skill for managers. Faced with successive transformations, managers must :

• Learn to manage uncertainty, by adopting a more agile and less rigid approach.
• Challenge their own practices, to avoid reproducing obsolete patterns.
• Encourage a mindset of experimentation, where error becomes a learning opportunity rather than a hindrance.

A good example at Doctolib is the adoption of AI in work routines: rather than imposing these tools top-down, the company encourages its managers to test, adjust and share their feedback.

"Managers can no longer be mere executors of corporate strategy. They must become agents of change, capable of adapting and supporting their teams as they learn new practices." - François Debois, L'Oréal.

Supporting team skills development

Rapidly evolving technologies are having a direct impact on jobs and skills requirements. To guarantee team performance, managers must now play a key role in skills development.

At L'Oréal, this approach is structured around several levers:

• Visualize key skills: Each manager has access to his or her team's skills repository via OneLearning, enabling him or her to quickly identify areas for improvement.
• Encourage continuous learning: skills development should no longer be seen as a one-off event (annual training courses), but as a daily process.
• Making skills enhancement actionable: Rather than prescribing top-down training, the company encourages employees to choose their training paths according to their needs and ambitions.

At Doctolib, skills development is also a key issue in the adoption of AI: managers are tasked with helping their teams ask themselves the right questions about the use of new technologies and avoid the biases associated with automation.

One of the challenges of the coming months will be to better structure support for middle managers, who are often the most exposed to the tensions between digital transformation and day-to-day team management.

A changing managerial role, but more essential than ever

Far from being overtaken by AI, the role of the manager is becoming more strategic than ever. Its impact rests on three pillars:

✔ More time for people: AI automates administration, freeing up time for relationships and management.

✔ An agile posture: In the face of uncertainty, adaptability becomes a key skill.

✔ Supporting skills development: the manager is a learning facilitator.

AI doesn't replace managers, it redefines their mission: less operational, more leadership. A challenge that requires a cultural transformation and a real investment in training.

Would you like to delve deeper into these topics and provide food for thought? Discover the FORWARD 2025 replays and retrospective.