Functions of Management There are many businesses around the world that are successful just for the simple fact that they have an efficient and productive management team. Most managers have been taught the four functions of management and know how to use them to their advantage. The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Using these four functions can enable businesses to operate at their maximum potential however failing to implement the four functions can lead to a company’s poor performance and unorganized workplace. There is much more competition in today’s business market and globalization has made it much easier for the competition to enter the market which can then cause a company to go back reanalyze their processes on how they run their business. Management is the ones responsible for making the needed changes to keep up with the ever evolving business industry. If we break each function down individually we can see how each one relates to managers and the organization.
Planning
Planning is the first part of the functions of management and is the backbone of the four functions. The planning function can include looking at the future goals or responsibilities that need to be accomplished in a business. This would involve analyzing the current status of the company and creating a strategy to reach those goals. A major part of planning is to recognize and to work around many of the internal and external factors that can affect a business. This can include looking at the companies’ strengths, weaknesses, new competition threats, and opportunities for growth. The management team can be responsible for overseeing many types of planning, for example strategic planning, project planning, business planning, and marketing planning. Planning normally starts at the top with CEO’s and then they distribute the plans to lower management. Managers then use any of their resources to help the company ensure that the plan is successfully carried out.
Organizing
The organizing function involves using the right resources in the proper places to accomplish specific goals or tasks that are determined through planning. Most managers need to be able to organize groups of people and also would need to delegate the appropriate work to each group of individuals to allow the goals of the company to be reached. A productive manager knows how to organize their workers and motivate them to carry out their goals and tasks to the best of their abilities. Proper organization will help managers maximize their available resources to increase their productivity and efficiency. Poor organization by management can cause employees to not perform their best and question what their goals are.
Leading
Leading is the function where a manager or supervisor is the one who is responsible for motivating employees to do their best to achieve their goals and go above and beyond to meet expectations of the company. Motivated employees perform better and are more willing to do extra work to make sure the company is successful. A manager with excellent communication skills with their employees will be able to lead them to success and create a more productive and better working environment. Managers should always be aware of employees needs to ensure that they always have the tools they need to succeed.
Controlling
The controlling function involves the process of evaluating the performance and productivity of the organization or business. Managers must monitor exactly what is leading the company to success and also find out where the failures are. Management must then make a decision to make the necessary changes to make sure that the company can be and stay successful for a long