Functions of Management in the Daily Managerial Work - Essay Example

Planning is necessarily management’s foundational function which “provides the design of a desired future state and the means of bringing about that future state to accomplish the organization's objectives” (Wijesinghe, 2011). Plans have to be made on a daily basis as new challenges emerge. Once the decision has been made, the manager assesses the required resources and recruits the missing ones accordingly. Recruitment allows a manager to evaluate the skills of candidates through formal hiring procedures like interviews or tests in order to bring new employees on board so that the workforce is equipped with the competencies that are demanded by the task at hand. It is recommendable to have a pre-planning session as it can prove a wonderful time saver (Rowland, 2001, p. 4). Senior management can complete a SWOT analysis before the commencement of the planning process.

The function of organizing requires a manager to allocate appropriate resources to the tasks for their accomplishment. This is commonly achieved with the help of organizational charts that clearly depict the levels of authority and the accorded areas of responsibility. Day-to-day operations are governed by rightly marked lines of communication between the various organizational personnel. Suutari (2001, p. 12-14) said that although the organizational charts sufficiently define responsibility and the associated accountability, they are not the forum to mark the channels of communication. It is recommendable to organize the work upon a template that can be distributed to the concerned individuals so as to keep them updated (Woloschuk, 2010).

The leading function requires a manager to influence and motivate the employees to work better. Employees visualize their leader as a practical and spiritual role model whom they can consult when in trouble. Therefore, a good leader keeps the lines of communication open with his/her subordinates. Nevertheless, a manager should be just enough of a leader so as to be able to influence others. Too much leadership or influence is not consistent with a manager’s function (Mintzberg, 2004, p. 22).

The function of controlling requires a manager to supervise and adjust the various resources and processes involved in the work with a view to achieving the goals. Performance measurement is an essential component of control. Behn (2003) is of the view that controlling is about realizing what measures a manager can take to maximize the usefulness of performance measurement. This is necessarily the function in which a manager identifies and implements change agents to improve the results. The implementation of change links the controlling function with the planning function so that it forms a cycle. One of the key measures a manager can take to improve the performance of the workforce is to provide them with training and skill development opportunities. This helps the manager customize the workers’ skills according to the nature of work so that they can deliver their best.

The management position is very demanding and challenging. Managers who lack competence in any of the four functions of management indirectly refuse to work hard and thus, can not maintain the intended control overwork. In order to be successful, managers must evaluate their skills according to the four functions of management and take necessary steps to improve their dedication in each of them. Read More