Ortega y Gasset’s maxim. Not only from a “leader-employee” relationship model to a “person-person”, also circumstances matters.

Ortega y Gasset. One of the major managerial shifts is recognizing the requirements of the person, not just the professional, within the workplace. A person-to-person dynamic is replacing the leader-employee, but it will not solve some of the problems that arise from the legislative framework itself.

Best Practises in management

Talent shortages, energy and supply issues, inflation—these environmental concerns have caused significant changes in the workplace, to which leaders must adapt new approaches.

In addition to the aforementioned changes, the expectations of professionals are increasingly gaining voice, with flexibility, shared purpose and wellbeing being key to becoming and staying connected to their organizations.

A human-centered leader
The people-to-people dynamic in the workplace pushes leaders to exhibit human-centered leadership, defined by the ability to lead with authenticity, empathy and adaptability.

These traits, which have long been listed as the key qualities of great leaders, used to be considered “extra” in other managers. Today, however, they have become a requirement of employees.

The soft-skills of today’s leaders:

• Authenticity: Act with purpose and allow true self-expression for themselves and their teams.
• Empathy: Show genuine care, respect and concern for the well-being of employees.
• Adaptability: Ability for flexibility and support that accommodates the unique needs of team members.

A new approach

In response to all of these factors, HR managers recognize that they need a new, more effective approach to how they manage. This is acknowledged by more than 60% of the 800 HR managers worldwide surveyed by Garner.

These are people leaders who say they are concerned about their effectiveness. Among other priorities for 2023, they point to Organizational Design and Change Management; Employee Experience; Recruitment; and the Future of Work. Five priorities chosen by more than 40% of respondents.

This new approach settles on the three key responsibilities of the leader: exemplary behavior, supporting teams and achieving results.

In terms of the leader’s observable behavior, this new approach translates into ensuring that the work environment welcomes diversity so that each person can express him/herself freely. In terms of team support, the leader must focus on attending to the personal needs of employees; and, in terms of achieving results, through individualized and flexible management of workflows.

Download the Gartner for HR, Top 5 Priorities for HR Leaders in 2023 Report totally free here.

Best environment or circumstances, as Ortega y Gasset mention

There are undoubtedly as many models and legal situations as there are nations with labor laws in the world. Generally speaking, labor laws are intended to safeguard employees, provide minimum standards and conditions for employment, including working hours, holidays, sick days, and minimum wages, as well as to guarantee equal opportunities.

At a higher educational level of professionals, and in positions of high competence, creativity and innovation, people require new challenges that constantly challenge their intellect and competences. In this sense, legislation that favors the mobility of workers with all the guarantees in case the jump does not go as expected, similar to the Austrian backpack models or the FGTS (Fondo de Garantía do Trabalhador) model in Brazil.

They are more transparent mechanisms in terms of financial security based on liabilities in circumstances that the employee had not anticipated. They also give the employee the opportunity to gain momentum and re-enter the workforce with all applicable guarantees. Because of this, it is a complicated, structural issue that needs to be handled by the governments of each nation if we truly want to enhance people’s lives, relationships, and consequently their productivity and value-adding contribution to the jobs they complete.

Therefore, if we want to have the greatest impact, we must evolve in best practices and relationship models as described in the Gartner report in short order, without giving up on modernizing each nation’s legal framework. This means that societies and citizens must become more responsible and sustainable.