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An original study was designed in order to analyse the activity of managers in several sectors of the French public service. The aim of the research was to collect data through observation of the managers’ activity in situ, and to do so via the gathering of documents and discourse practices. A part of the results of a study focusing on territorial public service managers is presented here. Findings show that the manager constantly seeks to strike forms of balance with respect to the situations s/he encounters and in relation to work partners, while also working out a conceptual structure of these situations. In order to manage others effectively and transform ongoing processes in the workplace, s/he operates on the basis of two organizing concepts: a belief in the effectiveness of the managerial process and an awareness of potential strife and unrest.