The 21st Century Manager: Future‐ Focused Skills for the Next Millennium

Citation

Bryce, J. (2000), "The 21st Century Manager: Future‐ Focused Skills for the Next Millennium", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 21 No. 6, pp. 333-334. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj.2000.21.6.333.1

This is a practical book grounded in contemporary organisational experi‐ence, with a focus on facilitating the development of skills for managing organisational change. Kamp claims that flexibility, responsiveness and adaptability are the central abilities for the “twenty‐first century manager”. The focus of the book is on the importance of developing these skills for managers, and enabling them to facilitate the process of organisational change. This is seen as essential for the effective implementation and management of change on an individual, team and organisational level. The initial section of the book outlines how changing economic and organi‐sational climates create the need for organisational change, and examines the commitment, roles and skills of the manager in this context. Kamp lists 12 characteristics of the effective manager and asks the reader to assess the extent to which they possess these qualities. She stresses that the process of becoming a twenty‐first century manager is a journey, a process of developing “future‐focused skills”. This journey encourages good practice and recognizes the continuing importance of technology, quality and customer service in contemporary organisations.

The main themes in the book are structured around self‐trans‐formation, effective communication, emotional intelligence, preparation for change and managing others. Each of these focuses on dealing with change and accepting it as a fact of organizational life. The section “Transforming yourself” focuses on developing managerial skills and becoming a change agent. Kamp encourages managers to reflect on how they prepare for change and how they motivate both themselves and others. There is also a strong emphasis on the need for twenty‐first century managers to lead by example, providing a model for others to follow. In the section on “Effective communication”, Kamp emphasises the need for managers to review and develop their communication skills in order to build a rapport with staff. This enables managers to effectively transmit and obtain the information necessary to facilitate change. The section “Managing others” builds on these previously mentioned themes by focusing on the role of the manager in providing motivation, support and counselling for staff faced with a change situation.

Kamp suggests that managers use this book as a guide, selecting sections that are of relevance to the management practice of particular organisations. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on skill development as a process, one which develops through a process of learning and reflection on managerial experiences. Kamp makes good use of examples from her own work as “triggers” for self‐analysis. The book’s strength lies in providing practical reflective exercises and these “triggers” which focus the attention of the manager on the importance of communication, managing and motivating others to facilitate change. This builds awareness of the need for change, and encourages readers to examine their own performance in relation to that need. Overall, this is a well‐written, practical book which is a useful addition to the literature outlining the need for organisational change and the role of management in meeting this challenge.