Proximity management, advantages and disadvantages

Proximity management is a first level management style that seeks to supervise the work of teams on a daily basis. What are the real benefits, and more importantly the limitations, of this leadership style? Here we take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of proximity management.  

The role of the proximity manager

The proximity manager is present in the field and close to operational teams. They have a variety of missions, including:

• Setting SMART objectives and giving clear directives.
• Steering missions and ensuring the good progress of a project within the given deadlines and with the deployed resources.
• Allocating and delegating tasks to coworkers.
• Monitoring operational performance.
• Motivating, advising and guiding employees on an individual and collective level.
• Ensuring operational efficiency and the achievement of objectives.
• Developing employees' skills.

This middle manager also plays the role of mediator between management and employees. They are in charge of communicating the company's strategic orientations and ensuring their proper application on a daily basis.  

The advantages of proximity management

Local management has undeniable advantages in many respects, both for a company and its employees. First of all, this form of team management is very beneficial for boosting company performance. The manager, who directly accompanies employees on a daily basis, is able to ensure the productivity, motivation and efficiency of each individual in an optimal way. They give specific guidelines to structure the collective work, unblock possible problems and deliver constructive feedback to improve performance and develop skills. This form of management also emphasises benevolence, listening, respect and appreciation of each individual, which has a direct impact on the quality of life at work. The role of the local manager is also to foster good team cohesion and a positive social climate, which contributes a fortiori to the well-being of employees. This management style implies close, cross-functional communication, which speeds up processes, promotes collective intelligence and optimises performance. In addition, thanks to the bond of trust and proximity established, the line manager can easily federate and mobilise teams around a common objective. They will also be able to detect possible flaws and malfunctions, prevent risks upstream and lead change effectively. In short, proximity management is a powerful lever to promote team development, productivity and employee adherence to a company's culture and values.  

The limitations of proximity management

Although proximity management has many benefits, this management style also has some limitations, such as restricting employee autonomy and freedom, for example. If the manager does not take the time to empower teams, there is a strong chance that employees will ask for help immediately, before drawing on their own pool of knowledge and skills. This style of leadership can therefore have a negative impact on initiative-taking and on team innovation and creativity, which could in turn harm a company's competitiveness. Furthermore, if a local manager attempts to monitor and control the work of employees too closely, it could lead to disengagement, or even a loss of meaning, among teams. Successful proximity management is above all situational: the team manager must adapt their management style to the personalities of each individual, to the context and to the values of the company. In addition, to be effective, this first-level management requires indispensable qualities from the team leader, including a sense of pedagogy, adaptability, good stress resistance, natural authority, dynamism, charisma, etc.