Changing One’s Ways of Making Others Act after Significant Experiences: the Case of Managers

Abstract

Attitudes towards others of adult subjects or of people with a strong position in professional life are often considered difficult to change. However, in certain circumstances, especially during significant experiences in their own trajectory, significant changes in attitude can occur in the way they manage and get to manage their interactions with others. Through empirical work on the testimonies of these managers regarding their interactions with others, we illustrate the processes and activities that characterize changes of self in relation with others. If learning can be considered as a “transformation of activity habits” (Barbier 2011: 32), we are convinced that a significant experience can trigger a process of change in learnings dedicated to human competencies that allows managers to adapt themselves to various situations multiplied by the number of roles they play in each situation.