The interpretation of this famous French expression by AP2V Conseils

A new and insightful vision of the relationship between the company and its stakeholders

 

"Finding the right match" that is how the French expression "Find shoes that fit your feet" could be translated."Finding the right match" is more relevant than ever in the world of labor based on the growing number of "Cinderellas of modern times" always looking for the perfect match, trying every and anything in their desperate quest : from the luxury shoe to the vulgar one that makes you even regret not to walk barefoot, there is something for all budgets and for all tastes ! 

 

But how would you explain why very few people feel good "wearing their sneakers" and that the other majority suffers, so to speak, from a largely compulsive tendency to change positions every mornings ? 

 

 

Notwithstanding the responsibility surely proven for some of a loss of meaning and personal landmarks as well as a craze for individualism and mass consumption, it is also interesting to think about the partnership that forms the company and the people who work there in today's working labor.

 

To return to the expression that interests us, I invite you to imagine that the organization (or the company) is a shoe and the foot is an actor of it (employee, manager, leader). In this case, the expression "find a shoe that fits your foot" commonly used in French could have the following interpretations :

 

CASE number 1: the shoe that hurts

 

The shoe is rigid, not very flexible, in resistant material, with a well defined size. The probability that the foot fits perfectly in it is possible but very low. In the least worst case, the foot literally "floats" in the shoe and it will take a little nothing to break their union. Conversely, the foot must be compressed, tightened, or mutilated to get into the shoe. Again, following the tolerance of pain and suffering of the poor foot, this situation will last more or less long. In both cases, walking is almost impossible : pain and suffering on one side, risk of falls, sprains and others on the other. 

 

CASE number 2: the King foot

 

The foot is now considered as the immutable constant of the pair and it is now the shoe that must adapt to the foot. For this to work, it is necessary, upstream, to accurately measure the size and others different dimensions of the foot, to test the distribution of weight during walking and all a series of parameters affecting walking. At the end of a long and expensive process, the shoe thus manufactured fits the foot perfectly. The approach being unique, it must be repeated after each evolution of the foot in time and for each new foot.

 

CASE number 3 : the Winning compromise

 

The shoe is now composed of an adjustable material, expandable to a certain extent, allowing to easily match with different morphologies and foot sizes, within a predefined range. In other words, by means of a preliminary study on the typology of foot that can be put in the shoe, the design of the it will be made in order to be able to adapt effectively to the foot. All feet can not be satisfied, however the feet corresponding to the desired criteria will be. 

 

What can we conclude ?

 

It is common for organizations and companies to choose case number 1 (the shoe that hurts). In this case, it is therefore normal that like the poor feet, the actors of this type of structures suffer and decide to leave quickly. It is not uncommon to note the appearance of phenomena such as burnout, depression or a high rate of turnover in this type of context.

 

This analogy also shows the following dual need for business and organizational decision-makers :

 

• knowing your needs in terms of skills and professional profiles of employees

 

• puting in place organizations that are flexible enough and agile so that everyone can find their place, within the limits of the predefined framework

 

AP2V Conseils assists you in setting up an organization that is up to your ambitions, respectful of the people who work there so that everyone, if they wish, can finally feel like in slippers at home, and well in his sneakers !

 

 

Author : Florent POULET, State Certified Professional Coach - Engineer - Founding President AP2V Conseils - Copyright All Rights Reserved June 2018