Proper leading will influence individuals to get tasks accomplished, maintaining moral and managing conflict and communication. Leading is aimed at getting the member of the organization moving in the direction that will achieve its objectives. Leading should be used as a motivating tactic to control individuals and emphasize the importance of achieving the goals set out in the planning stage. When leading, the manager must provide direction to the work group, build a climate in which individuals are motivated to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently, and communicate both operating expectations for performance and feedback on results.
In practicing leadership within my organization, the manager did not simply give orders. He or she must decide how best to achieve goals through people. The difficult decision for a manager becomes how to provide guidance and involve people in the decisions making process. In my organization, part of the solution is to create a work environment in which employees are motivated to work toward their goals and the goals of the organization. To do so, management is required to conduct weekly meetings with the group members to insure success. If needed, managers will have a one on one meeting with selected individuals; making sure that everyone does their part. Managers must appreciate the uniqueness of each person in a work group and must attempt to provide an environment in which the personal needs of each person are fulfilled. A manager’s effort to stimulate high performance by its employees is the function of leading (Bateman & Snell, 2007). This seems to be a very logical step in the functions of management. After all you have a company and mangers that have spent countless hours planning for it’s success and future, they’ve identified the various parts of which an employee can successful now they must motivate and encourage that employee so that they might offer the most benefit to the company and it’s profitability.
Controlling is used to insure that things are going as they should. The control process is cyclical. It builds on planning, organizing and leading. Controlling leads to identification of new problems that in turn need to be addressed through organization of performance standards. Perhaps the plan was not correct, or was not organized enough, or the associates were not motivated enough to complete their tasks in the timeframe allocated. Controlling allows the managers to see loopholes in the process, as well as identify a procedure that works well in one area and can easily be implemented in another. There was a small control issue within my company due to lack of communication. Each agent communicated to the head manager but not to each other. The manager tried to take control of the situation. I was not involved in this part of the management process but I thought if the agents would simply talk to each other, there would be a less likely chance of a misunderstanding. A major component of controlling is , they often find that things are not working out as planned. The controlling function makes sure that goals are met. It asks and answers the question, “Are our actual outcomes consistent with our goals” (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Inside the University most everything can be found within its monitoring system. As an employee you are given stats and reports on a daily basis and are held to not only the team’s standard of performance but your own. When an employee does not meet their performance mark it’s really a sense of loss of pride. We’ve let not only ourselves down but also the team. This seems to be in part because of the controlling aspect the mangers put upon its employees. They all know what’s expected of them, and they all know that the reports come out daily. When you’re not meeting your goals at an individual or a team it’s up to the manager to take the necessary corrected action to ensure the success of the department.
My company has managed to get the better of three out of the four functions of management. The controlling process still needs some work. Thereby this company as proven to me that they have a firm feeling on the functions of management. A manager has multiple responsibilities and how a manager handles those responsibilities can determine how effective they are as managers. The four functions of management have been proven to work, if properly used a manager will be very successful.
The four functions of management have a lot in common. All four functions inter-relate to one another for the efficiency of each department and the entire business. You start with planning and then move on to organizing. Once the structure is created within the business, then managers can lead their employees and help them understand their roles. Lastly, managers will analyze how well the business is achieving its goals and if there are areas to improve in, then they will employ a way for improving the business.
I suppose , The future of management focuses on leadership. Finding shared values and visions along with the power of information. Participating and learning along with teamwork will help manager and their employees to tackle tough decisions and the increasing difficult business environment. When the focus is on developing and not controlling then the people will adapt to the environment shifts and the effectiveness of the organization will increase. Many of the older traditional styles of management should not completely disappear from businesses today. A combination of the old and new will continue to guide all levels of management in the working world today.
The four functions of management have been considered the cornerstone of the analysis of business management. These functions play a critical role in the development of the new and future corporate world. This knowledge has streamlined and reorganized poor processes and has focused on the health of the entire company. Having a combination of strong leadership and controls is what makes it possible for these functions to thrive. And as technology progresses and the economy conditions continue to change, our interpretation of these functions and ideas will change as well. Their application within the business environment will change accordingly with the constant change in the business world. New ideas and theories must take their place and it is said that the only path to success is through innovation.
References
Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2007). Management: Leading and Collaborating in a Competitive World [7e]. Retrieved June 25, 2007, from Resource.