He is one of the most iconic characters in Franco-Belgian comics: Gaston Lagaffe, his naps, his brilliant inventions to make as little effort as possible at work, in short, his very pronounced taste for laziness. Pranks that return to bookstores this Wednesday, on the occasion of the release of the 22nd album.
But every employee knows that the real professional world has its share of cruelty and the law of the jungle. Would a Gaston Lagaffe survive it, or would he be fired after an hour of trial? How to manage such a collaborative case, both creative and totally dilettante, in real life? To find out, we asked three experts from the world of work.
Dominique Primault, CFDT unionist:
What Gaston tells him:
“A very likeable personality and a hard worker, contrary to the stereotype we have of him of someone purely interested in laziness. Just look at the number of machines and gadgets he makes. He has many values – and not just that of naps. He is particularly very empathetic. He is certainly not very popular with his boss, but he seems to me to be liked by the other employees.”
How to manage it?
“His imagination can be put to good use in a union organization. He would be able to find original actions to mobilize employees and ideas for slightly offbeat work organization. It would bring another dimension than the cliché of the angry trade unionist who bellows into the microphone to join the struggle, and it could make it possible to reach employees that we would not normally have had. I’m not saying that we only need Gaston Lagaffes within a trade union organization, nor in a company, but a personality like him is added value.
Furthermore, he talks a lot about well-being at work and always tries to find solutions to have better living conditions. So of course, he only thinks about his own conditions, but within a union, he could try to improve the condition of all employees.
I think he is completely defensible union-wise against a boss who would like to fire him, because he has great added value for the company and for his colleagues. It would be enough to show the good points – obvious – that he brings and try to erase the times where he pushes the envelope too far. »
Marie-Laure Martins, talent scout/HR at the recruitment firm Skillency
What Gaston tells him:
“Gaston Lagaffe embodies very current themes in the professional world: well-being at work, the importance of private life and freedom of time and space. We see him setting up his office in his own way, bringing objects from home, appropriating his own time and space. These are ultimately very modern demands among employees, and therefore in this respect, it does not seem to me to be open to criticism.
So of course, the line is magnified and we should clearly limit him in his naps and certain of his creations, but that does not prevent his basic desires from being fair and legitimate. Everyone today aspires to a better work/life balance. We can see in his approach quiet exit, this American movement which consists of doing only the bare minimum at work to save your energy for the rest. »
How to manage it? :
“When I see Gaston Lagaffe, I don’t see a bad employee, but an employee who is out of place. His job is not good, he is terribly bored and does not exploit his abilities. It is our role as HR to find him a job that suits him best. I would put it back in Research & Development, or like Chief Happiness Officer. I think you have to harness your creativity and imagination, either to make products or to manage employee morale.
As HR, Gaston Lagaffe seems to me more the consequence of very pyramidal and authoritarian bad management. This is above all what I will try to manage: management that is too toxic in my opinion, which is also clearly denounced in the comic strip. Let’s not forget that Gaston is the hero. »
Virginie Faivet, CEO of StartHack, a digital training center
What Gaston tells him:
“He definitely has a clumsy side, but he seems to me to carry values that every CEO looks for: he is someone who is whole and who can be trusted. It doesn’t seem impossible to me to have a Gaston Lagaffe in a company; I think we would have a good laugh, that he has lots of good ideas – which need to be sorted out – and that he has a real gift for creating connections, which is essential. »
How to manage it?
“The role of a CEO and a company is to support her employees to correct their mistakes, not to blame them for them. It’s also important for a chef to remember that we all make mistakes, that we all have a left side, that we are human. And fortunately we are not perfect!
For Gaston, I will try to understand the reasons for his lack of motivation and support him, with great caution. You should not restrict your creativity, but channel it and boost your self-confidence, because in my opinion this is one of the main reasons for your demotivation. To give him confidence, and channel his imagination, I will try to create work routines for him, to better segment and organize his time, so that he is confident and has a framework. »