We talk about “famous couples” and the magical alchemy that makes their synergy work. In professional life it’s the same. “I made the mistake of surrounding myself at the Elysée with a team that was undoubtedly the best possible in its field but that was not adapted to the task that was now its own”. The observation is that of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, President of the Republic between 1974 and 1981, in Power and Life (Livre de poche, 2004), in which he explains his regret at having been led to re-appoint a team that was heavily influenced by the Ministry of Finance, where VGE had spent five years. “The formula has often been misunderstood… while it expresses the obvious: namely the relatively technical, not to say technocratic, nature of a general secretariat of the Elysée within which there were hardly any truly political advisors… Nothing comparable in any case to the Juillet-Garaud duo (Editor’s note: Pompidou’s advisors)”, explains Eric Roussel (Valéry Giscard d’EstaingPerrin, 2024).
“When choosing your assistant, one of the absolute mistakes is to only take into account the criterion of expertise,” confirms Eléna Fourès, founder of the Idem-per-Idem firm. For this expert who supports directors and managers, contrary to a widespread intuition and to which VGE gave in, the technical profile is not the best. On the other hand, she highlights the criterion of loyalty. “Many directors tell me: “expertise can be bought, but not loyalty”. This loyalty must be towards the company. If the manager is himself aligned with the company, loyalty does not offend him personally. But very often, some prefer that the assistant be loyal to them personally. For me, this is not the solution”. An assistant allows you to question your role in the company. “Be careful: someone who is devoted is not necessarily loyal”.
Hence, the second criterion necessary to make the right choice: what Elena Fourès calls “the vital energy of the applicant”. “Concretely, there are those who bring you energy and those who suck it from you, who are “social vampires”. It is by communicating with the future assistant that we see who we are dealing with”. Talk to the candidate, see how he reacts. “There are negative, toxic people who have personal problems. In these troubled times, this tendency is exacerbated. You can recognize them by their pessimism, their propensity to predict disasters, to remain on the defensive… These people are to be avoided”. Do not absorb the unhappiness of others. Also be careful not to be obsessed by the risk of the ambitious assistant in his conquest of power. “Some people are looking for an assistant who will not take their place, who will not overshadow them. For me, this is a false choice. The healthy criteria are not to be afraid of losing your place, but to look for an assistant who will allow you to go higher, to achieve your objectives and possibly prepare him to take your place in two years, when you will follow another trajectory.”
Forget the clone
The third criterion to take into account, according to the founder of Idem-per-Idem, is “functional compatibility”. “We often choose people who are “wired like us”, with the same operating faults. Taking your mirror is taking the risk of making mistakes without realizing it since the “blind spot” is not covered”. Being reassured by an alter ego with the same feelings is a very practical cognitive bias because it allows you to avoid thinking about your shortcomings. “When you choose an assistant, you choose a function, not a person. The goal is not to feel good with him, to have personal sympathy. It does not matter to have few atoms hooked up, he must be able to extend you, not to do like you”. A challenge for the ego. The expert goes further: “we do not necessarily need to be friends. The less we mix, the less it will spill over into the professional”. It is the work that connects.
But to do this, the last step before hiring your assistant is to agree on the rules of the game. Tell him what is expected of him, never assume that he knows. Explain to him what to do or not, what the absolute taboos are. “Communicate upstream and not post factum”, concludes the specialist. This avoids disappointment and being trapped in the vicious cycle of criticism and the search for the rare bird.
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