How Are the Principles Implemented in the Workplace - Essay Example

?  I. Introduction Due to an organization’s limited resources, business enterprises’ has devised managerial methods to optimize its productivity. Among the core of management’s principle in enhancing productivity are the practices of planning, leading, organizing, staffing and controlling (Conforto and Amoral, 2010). Planning – is the first process where objectives and goals are defined. At this stage, strategies on how to attain and realize the stated objectives and goals are defined. The plan on how to coordinate various activities are also enumerated at this stage. Leading – is the process where all the organizations resources, including manpower, are effectively led towards the fulfillment of the stated objective. It includes motivating the people to optimize their performances. Organizing – determines the tasks that need to be done to achieve the stated objectives and goals. The organization’s structure is also defined at this stage where functions can be effectively dispensed and to establish who decides what. Staffing - is the stage or process of determining the personnel who can do the job best. It also involves the determination of how many people are required for a task to be accomplished. Controlling – is the tool where management can measure its actual performance compared to the intended plan. Through controlling, management is enabled to apply corrective measure if there is a deviation in performance vis-a-vis intended plan. II. How are these principles implemented in the workplace? I used to work in a start up fast food chain and was involved in setting up of its new branch. I was a new employee and was assigned to tag along the branch manager and was asked to perform as a support system to the setting up of the new branch. My functions then are not clearly defined as I was involved in almost all aspect of the business but it gave me an insight on the different aspect of management. It gave me an idea that running a business is both a science and art where there are principles that needs to implemented and also tools to be used for the successful management of a business enterprise. The first stage: Planning Before going to the actual site, and doing anything the manager first planned on what to do and how do we intend to things. From what I recall, the objectives must be first established as a core part of planning. In our case, the first and most important objective is to make the store operational in three months within a specified budget. Schedules were then established along with commensurate tasks that need to be performed for the objective to be realized. Management tools were employed such as the Gantt chart, Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM) to ensure that everything will go on schedule to realize the objective of opening the store in three months (Gomez-Mejia, 2002). The planning stage took a while because it involved several studies to determine on how some functions can be done with a smaller budget and shorter period of time. Example for this is the consideration on how the physical be set up at a lesser cost. Leading When the objectives were already clearly defined and the tasks needed to accomplish were already enumerated, the Branch Manager, has to pull its human resources together and direct our efforts and energy towards the fulfillment of tasks on schedule. In addition of clearly defining what needs to be done in a specific time-frame to accomplish our objectives, the Branch Manager also motivated his people by giving favorable write-ups and small incentives if we accomplish tasks within the stated time-frame (Gray, 2008). Organizing After defining the tasks involved on how to accomplish our objective, tasks were then specifically assigned to each employee where we are responsible for its completion. Task varies after the completion of each task and is usually time bound. The branch manager had to check time to time to ensure that each one of us is within schedule and that there is no duplication of work to optimize our output. He also had to ensure that several functions are coordinated to ensure a desired output. For example, he has to ensure in the improvement process of the physical improvement of the new branch that the system that allows the materials to be available when needed so as to avoid stalling and delays. This is also the stage where who does what are identified (Pratt, 1991). Staffing There were a lot of things that needed to be done in setting up a new branch. Things that needed to be done includes not only the physical set up of the store which already requires plenty of manpower but also the system behind it; such as to ensure that sales are properly recorded, deliveries to come on time, inventories are well managed etch. In addition, the marketing aspect of the branch needs to be attended also because it is still about to open. There were only few of us who were directly reporting to him. To optimize our productivity, he checked our portfolios one by one to figure out which of us can do a specific function better. I was assigned with coordinating with specific people to ensure that certain things will come on time and to follow it up when it is late. Other tasks which we cannot perform like the physical improvement of the branch were subcontracted. Even that, the branch manager had to check the profile and background of each subcontractor to ensure that they are capable of delivering his specifications on time and within budget. Controlling The tools that was created during the planning stage that includes the Gantt chart, Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) and Critical Path Method (CPM) has been checked from time to time. He conducted perpetual audit and checking on our jobs and always asked at what stage are we at a specific task. He then compared it according to his plan if we are within schedule. If there are any deviations to the plan, he employs corrective measures like hiring more subcontractors to hasten a certain job. With regard to his employees, he provides feedback on how to do a certain job better and provides information whether a certain employee is within the intended schedule. This management process and tool is critical because it can spell the difference between failure and success of any business endeavor during its implementation stage (Guna, 2007). III. Conclusion Managing a business enterprise is a complex process. In the example stated, the management process of managing an enterprise became more complex because it did not involve a routine task where procedures are already established. Instead, it was a setting up of a new branch where almost all process and procedures are new and yet to be created. In addition, everything is time bound and within budget that each tasks and function should be dispensed according to plan. It is however a great learning experience because the whole managerial process of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling has been completed in a relatively shorter period of time which hastened my learning curve of understanding management principles and processes in a real world scenario. References: Conforto, Edivandro Carlos; Amaral, Daniel Capaldo (2010).Evaluating an agile method for planning and controlling innovative projects. Project Management Journal, Vol. 41 Issue 2, p73-80, 8p Gomez-Mejia, Luis R., Balkin, David B. (2002). Management 1st edtion. McGraw-Hill companies Gray, Erik W. Larson (2008). Project Management. The Managerial Process, 4th edition. McGraw-Hill companies Pratt, Henry J. (1991). Principles of effective performance management. Records Management Quarterly, Jan91, Vol. 25 Issue 1, p28, 4p Guna Civcisa (2007). A COMPARISON OF TERMS LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT WITHIN QUALITY SYSTEMS. Economics & Management , p987-992, 6p Read More