Contemporary Management Capabilities

This report explores the attributes that make a manager a good leader and the importance of peer coaching in improving management skills. It discusses the concepts of soft and hard skills, problem-solving ability, and management effectiveness. Recommendations are provided for implementing peer coaching in organizations.

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Contemporary Management Capabilities
Name

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3
Findings.......................................................................................................................................................3
Peer coaching..........................................................................................................................................3
Soft and Hard skills.................................................................................................................................3
Problem solving ability............................................................................................................................4
Theoretical concepts underpinning hard and soft skills...........................................................................4
Management effectiveness.......................................................................................................................4
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................5
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................5
References...................................................................................................................................................6

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Introduction
The purpose of this report is to explain and highlight some of the various attributes that make a
manager a good leader in his or her business or place of employment. This report will also show
how some factors such as peer coaching can influence the perception and understanding of
individuals considering their career peers, their method of sharing information and the
willingness of this individuals to accept and interpret this information in a constructive and
educational manner (Bharadwaj et al, 2015). From the case study, I will explain how the
behavior and attitude of such high ranking individuals in the organization such as the CEO can
really affect the perception and attitude of the company by the general public. The main aim of
this report will be the exploration of how peer coaching will help the CEO to better his problem
handling skills, the report will also shed light on some of the soft skills and hard skills that a
manager needs in order to be considered successful. The only area that will not be covered will
be teamwork and management of self and others in the workplace. These aims will be discussed
in depth in the main body giving examples from the case study and citing relevant resources
from various journals, and online sources.
Findings.
Peer coaching
Peer coaching is a private procedure where a group of professional individuals hold meetings in
order to reflect on the prevailing business practices where they add upon the existing knowledge,
improve and formulate new services (Wu, L & Hsu, 2014). During such meetings ideas are also
shared, the individuals present teach each other and conduct market and classroom research so as
to solve problems within the workplace (Joseph, 2016). With the above information in mind,
Jeffries can hold private meetings with some of the globally renowned CEOs such as Elon Musk,
Tim Cook or Jamie Dimon so as to share ideas on how he can improve his public handling skills
and which problem-solving techniques are most appropriate depending on the situation.
Soft and Hard skills

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Hard skills are skills that can be taught and are more often than not technical skills, they include
skills such as strategic designing and preparation, and the ability to analyze the economy. While
soft skills fall under the classification of interpersonal factors such as good listening skills, team
management, and leadership development. These characteristics are not entirely taught but
cultivated over time. From the case study, Jeffries has a lot of hard skills such as being result
oriented this has been displayed by his clear understanding of the demographic he is targeting.
He seems not to be too concerned with his soft skills. Studies have shown that managers with an
array of hard skills are far more successful than those with soft skill who are considered to be too
gentle (Wikle et al, 2015). Soft skills may be a necessary characteristic for hiring but when it
comes to the ability of managers to deliver constant success hard skills are very necessary.
Problem-solving ability
The problem-solving ability of Mike Jeffries is very poor. This is very evident by the way he
behaves after the remarks he gave about the company products which create problems for the
company yet he seems unbothered and unapologetic. There is a variety of problem-solving skills
such as creative thinking, team work, emotional intelligence, decision making, risk management,
and researching skills. Mike clearly lacks risk management skills and decision-making skills this
is shown by his lack of awareness and delay in responding to the problem which gave the
customers and consumers more time to get angry and dissatisfied. Through peer coaching and
information sharing the CEO will be able to know where he went wrong and from the same,
ways of improving such conduct will be identified and taught (Hesse et al, 2015).
Theoretical concepts underpinning hard and soft skills
Hard skills make a manager more successful in comparison to managers with soft skills. This
theoretical framework will be comprised of five stages: first, definition; were the hard skills and
soft skills are identified and explained. Second, measurement; where there will be a comparison
of the hard and soft skills among various CEOs and the relationship of such skills. Third,
analysis; during this stage, there will be a calculation of hard and soft skills clusters among top
managers. Fourth, Design; in this stage, there will be a determination of the most effective
strategies for the adoption of some hard and soft skills that a CEO may need but does not have.

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Fifth, verification; during this stage the proposed hard and soft skills will be proved as to how
appropriate they are (Fielt, 2014).
Management effectiveness
This refers to a leader’s capability to attain the expected results and how he uses his skills and
capabilities in directing the workers. Considering the case study above management
effectiveness can be attained through anticipating and solving conflict situations, enforcing a
culture based upon partnership and confidence, and increasing communication of constructive
feedback.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the CEO had sufficient hard skills that would enable him to be successful since he
is able to meet the company’s objective but his soft skills are poor meaning his public handling
capability is not sufficient which is evidenced by his inability to handle the general public when
they voiced their displeasure. His problem-solving abilities were also incompetent. This has been
shown in the case study by his failure to apologize and own the remark that angered his
consumers and the delay to respond to consumers’ displeasure by nearly two weeks portrays a
serious lack of problem-solving capabilities. However, with the use of peer counseling Mike
Jeffries will be able to sit down with his fellow CEOs and discuss the issues presented and come
up with solutions.
Recommendations
Wise leaders have come to the realization that normal performance appraisal is not the only
means to assist in the process of learning and growth. Peer coaching is a common and underused
resource that is ideal for knowledge transfer and sharing in the current business world. I would,
therefore, recommend regularly scheduled peer coaching among peers in all levels of the
organization from top management such as CEOs to casual workers employed by the company.
Such proactive methods will have the effect of providing a deeper understanding of the strengths
of the organization and areas that need improvement, it will empower the workers to learn, will

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lead to the rise and improvement of team dynamics, will also assist young leaders to develop
leadership attributes and will lead to the improvement of team performance.
References
Joseph, S. (2016). A review of research into business coaching supervision. Coaching: An
International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 9(2), 158-168.
Hesse, F., Care, E., Buder, J., Sassenberg, K., & Griffin, P. (2015). A framework for teachable
collaborative problem solving skills. In Assessment and teaching of 21st century skills (pp. 37-
56). Springer, Dordrecht.
Fielt, E. (2014). Conceptualising business models: Definitions, frameworks and
classifications. Journal of Business Models, 1(1), 85-105.
Bharadwaj, S. S., Chauhan, S., & Raman, A. (2015). Impact of knowledge management
capabilities on knowledge management effectiveness in Indian organizations. Vikalpa, 40(4),
421-434.
Wu, L., Chuang, C. H., & Hsu, C. H. (2014). Information sharing and collaborative behaviors in
enabling supply chain performance: A social exchange perspective. International Journal of
Production Economics, 148, 122-132.
Wikle, T. A., & Fagin, T. D. (2015). Hard and soft skills in preparing GIS professionals:
Comparing perceptions of employers and educators. Transactions in GIS, 19(5), 641-652.