The secrets of a business resuscitator

Luc Michaud has a real talent for turning around companies in difficulty. How does he do this ? He makes an assessment which he communicates to the employees; devises an ambitious and credible strategy ; motivates teams by explaining the situation to them, describing the prospects and telling them what the likely scenario will be and making them interested in the project ; and finally, he creates an atmosphere which is friendly and is based on trust and respect. These principles may appear to be obvious but they are presented in an original way by one of his longstanding colleagues, Bernard Leblanc-Halmos, a "coach" who is equally unusual. These principles are known to be often nebulous and Luc Michaud's skill is to show how they could be done in practice. When the groups's management asked him to ensure short-term profitability, he showed that he was courageous and determined : even the CGT (trade union) hardliners came to his farewell drinks party…