Manager also feelingsThis proximity makes painful layoffs

A word in his Office: "Forgive me for having failed to save the company." A fifty-five years, Joël Gamelin, founder of the shipyards of the same name, ended its days on December 23, 2008, while his company had to be placed in receivership.

May 30, is a craftsman of Frontignan (Hérault) who committed suicide under pressure "of banking stocks exceeded" even a "result order book.

Thus, suffering at work saving not SMEs and affects head-on their patterns. However, the phenomenon remains taboo. No statistics. And a wrong-being which, according to Olivier Torrès, researcher at the University of Montpellier, is even more inaudible, "a fortiori in times of crisis, the trend is rather the demonisation of the patterns.

This stress is not without consequences on the health of the company, or its employees. Poorly managed, this suffering results in a lack of listening, early and little informed decisions more dry and expeditious management often.

For the patterns of SMEs, it is a vicious circle, causing recurring symptoms: insomnia chronic, extensive anxiety, exhaustion which installs... And when a blow hard - one outstanding important amount, the Bank decides to stop funding the start strategic collaborator-, is the drop of water that can lead to the irreparable.

If patterns of large group are primarily shareholders, the race for the performance or pressure of the media, to patterns of SMEs, the problem is elsewhere: it resides in isolation, a sense of responsibility towards employees and the duty, often, to act on all fronts. "Large group leaders have a close guard, an Executive Committee and private consultants, pattern of SMEs is often only to decide, especially in structures under 20 employees, where there is not necessarily intermediate management", note Nathalie Steinberg, General Manager of Mercuri Urval development, specialized in the accompaniment of leading teams.

On a daily basis, the issues are pressing: is I me adapting to the market and my customers What is I'm going in the right direction This feeling of isolation is exacerbated by the economic uncertainty that has generated the crisis. Many leaders have no prospects for more than two months on their order book. The parade: get support by a partner or still join networks, such as the CGPME or Centre for young leaders. The CJD has also implemented, a few months ago, a consortium of decision support, consisting of patterns, and a cell of listening.

Take the height

Recent phenomenon, some, like the leaders of major group, opt for a coach to talk of peer-to-peer, as now proposed Mercuri Urval or Visconti. "Patterns of SMEs need someone limit their uncertainties, challenge their ideas and requires them to take the height, said Hubert Reynier, CEO of Visconti. "Often, they know where they want to go but they do not take the time to imagine different scenarios." Frédéric Agid, boss of a four-person communication consulting firm, is, followed by an another Executive, CEO of a large agency for five months. One afternoon a week, they sweep also issues various that the customer portfolio, offers products, employees and their evolution... "Having no partner, it is somehow my Acting Director General," explains Frédéric Agid.

Another source of stress: the responsibility on these contractors. Because the pattern of a small business is financially committed to his business when the owner... Many have invested their savings, must stand surety for a loan, with a risk of personal bankruptcy, as, often, their spouse works alongside them. But great unease is mainly the responsibility that they feel they have with employees. "You know their problems, I know that one has a sick father, the wife of another will lose his job," says Lisa Agopian, who heads a company of 11 people in the field of cosmetics testing. There is little, she had to put 5 employees to part-time unemployment, the backlog fell 40.

Manager also feelings

This proximity makes painful layoffs. "As a leader of the CAC does not know the guys it removes posts, observes Olivier Torrès.". As a termination of employment in SMEs compared to stab murder: must look in the eye as it terminates. "The boss then saw as a personal failure. The image of Catherine Kastner, the head of a company which manufactures ball bearings for the industry heavy. Having had no command for one year, she had to break away from 8 employees on... 14: "You feel guilty." "But you need to know to take a distance", she explains, still confident, because she comes from rehire a former collaborator.

Third cause of stress for the patterns of SMEs, the lack of time. In fact, many are struggling to do everything: deal with prospecting, negotiating contracts, supervise the production and logistics, manage the administrative and financial tasks, develop the company... "They are both the DG, HRD, Director of production, Director commercial, financial director and Minesweeper on a daily basis," observes Jean-Claude Delgènes, Director General of Technologia, a firm of expertise on working conditions. With result, too often focus on the operational, against what is truly strategic. "The pattern of SMEs, it is who is going to change the light bulbs and the printer paper, between two meetings", demonstrates Hubert Reynier. He knows what he is talking about: he created Visconti, after having been victim of burnout, in command of a consulting firm for which he did not hours. His back, blocked under the onslaught of stress, forced it rest forced six months. "In large groups, positions and responsibilities are clear." Not in small, mostly below 100 people, threshold at which it begins to have a structuring by functions, says Sylvie Audibert, leaders in Audere coach. Moreover, as the company is their heritage, they often find it difficult to delegate. "Was the image of Catherine Kastner, admits, is at end of the arm, forcing him to sleep in his Office for a year. But if they are often multi-tasking, patterns of SMEs are struggling to Excel everywhere. "It is quite stressful to say me that I must be good, while some areas are not part of my core business", says Frédéric Agid who, prior to becoming an entrepreneur, worked as creative in a communication agency.

The cure Outsourcing is known not to do (accounting and part of HR, for example, as did Frédéric Agid), reach (by hiring a Marketing Manager) or mount self skills in some areas. But also more structure the company. Alexandre Souillé, who pilot an editor software (40 employees), just to set up a Steering Committee: "this will empower each, with clear objectives and, ultimately, to unload me because I am compelled to delegate," he said.

Had patterns of SMEs they anticipated such headaches For the most part, not. "The stress of starting, the expected." As the bad passes, observes Lisa Agopian, former Medical Director in a US group. But when it is continuous, as since the beginning of the crisis, it is hard.