Five Functions of Management & Leading

Современный менеджер

Basics

Management operates through five basic functions: planning, organizing, coordinating, commanding, and controlling.

· Planning: Deciding what needs to happen in the future and generating plans for action(deciding in advance).

· Organizing: Making sure the human and nonhuman resources are put into place

· Coordinating (or staffing): Creating a structure through which an organization's goals can be accomplished.

· Commanding (or leading): Determining what must be done in a situation and getting people to do it.

· Controlling: Checking progress against plans.

Basic roles

· Interpersonal: roles that involve coordination and interaction with employees

· Informational: roles that involve handling, sharing, and analyzing information

· Decision: roles that require decision-making

Skills

Management skills include:

· political: used to build a power base and to establish connections

· conceptual: used to analyze complex situations

· interpersonal: used to communicate, motivate, mentor and delegate

· diagnostic: ability to visualize appropriate responses to a situation

· leadership: ability to lead and to provide guidance to a specific group

· technical: expertise in one's particular functional area.

Implementation of policies and strategies

· All policies and strategies must be discussed with all managerial personnel and staff.

· Managers must understand where and how they can implement their policies and strategies.

· A plan of action must be devised for each department.

· Policies and strategies must be reviewed regularly.

· Contingency plans must be devised in case the environment changes.

· Top-level managers should carry out regular progress assessments.

· The business requires team spirit and a good environment.

· The missions, objectives, strengths and weaknesses of each department must be analyzed to determine their roles in achieving the business's mission.

· The forecasting method develops a reliable picture of the business's future environment.

· A planning unit must be created to ensure that all plans are consistent and that policies and strategies are aimed at achieving the same mission and objectives.

Levels

Most organizations have three management levels: first-level, middle-level, and top-level managers. First-line managers are the lowest level of management and manage the work of non managerial individuals who are directly involved with the production or creation of the organization's products. First-line managers are often called supervisors, but may also be called line managers, office managers, or even foremen. Middle managers include all levels of management between the first-line level and the top level of the organization. These managers manage the work of first-line managers and may have titles such as department head, project leader, plant manager, or division manager. Top managers are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and establishing the plans and goals that affect the entire organization. These individuals typically have titles such as executive vice president, president, managing director, chief operating officer, chief executive officer, or chairman of the board.

These managers are classified in a hierarchy of authority, and perform different tasks. In many organizations, the number of managers in every level resembles a pyramid. Each level is explained below in specifications of their different responsibilities and likely job titles.

Top

The top consists of the board of directors (including non-executive directors and executive directors), president, vice-president, CEOs and other members of the C-level executives. They are responsible for controlling and overseeing the entire organization. They set a tone at the top and develop strategic plans, company policies, and make decisions on the direction of the business. In addition, top-level managers play a significant role in the mobilization of outside resources and are accountable to the shareholders and general public.

Middle

Consist of general managers, branch managers and department managers. They are accountable to the top management for their department's function. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. Their roles can be emphasized as executing organizational plans in conformance with the company's policies and the objectives of the top management, they define and discuss information and policies from top management to lower management, and most importantly they inspire and provide guidance to lower level managers towards better performance.

Their functions include:

· Design and implement effective group and inter-group work and information systems.

· Define and monitor group-level performance indicators.

· Diagnose and resolve problems within and among work groups.

· Design and implement reward systems that support cooperative behavior. They also make decision and share ideas with top managers.

Lower

Consist of supervisors, section leaders, foremen, etc. They focus on controlling and directing. They usually have the responsibility of assigning employees tasks, guiding and supervising employees on day-to-day activities, ensuring quality and quantity production, making recommendations, suggestions, and up channeling employee problems, etc. First-level managers are role models for employees that provide:

· Basic supervision

· Motivation

· Career planning

· Performance feedback.

Five Functions of Management & Leading

Effective management and leadership involve creative problem solving, motivating employees and making sure the organization accomplishes objectives and goals. There are five functions of management and leadership: planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating and controlling. These functions separate the management process from other business functions such as marketing, accounting and finance.

Planning

The planning function of management controls all the planning that allows the organization to run smoothly. Planning involves defining a goal and determining the most effective course of action needed to reach that goal. Typically, planning involves flexibility, as the planner must coordinate with all levels of management and leadership in the organization. Planning also involves knowledge of the company’s resources and the future objectives of the business.

Organizing

The organizing function of leadership controls the overall structure of the company. The organizational structure is the foundation of a company; without this structure, the day-to-day operation of the business becomes difficult and unsuccessful. Organizing involves designating tasks and responsibilities to employees with the specific skill sets needed to complete the tasks. Organizing also involves developing the organizational structure and chain of command within the company.

Staffing

The staffing function of management controls all recruitment and personnel needs of the organization. The main purpose of staffing is to hire the right people for the right jobs to achieve the objectives of the organization. Staffing involves more than just recruitment; staffing also encompasses training and development, performance appraisals, promotions and transfers. Without the staffing function, the business would fail because the business would not be properly staffed to meet its goals.

Coordinating

The coordinating function of leadership controls all the organizing, planning and staffing activities of the company and ensures all activities function together for the good of the organization. Coordinating typically takes place in meetings and other planning sessions with the department heads of the company to ensure all departments are on the same page in terms of objectives and goals. Coordinating involves communication, supervision and direction by management.

Controlling

The controlling function of management is useful for ensuring all other functions of the organization are in place and are operating successfully. Controlling involves establishing performance standards and monitoring the output of employees to ensure each employee’s performance meets those standards. The controlling process often leads to the identification of situations and problems that need to be addressed by creating new performance standards. The level of performance affects the success of all aspects of the organization.