Each leader performs the main functions of management: planning, organization, motivation, control. Four elements of the control function: determining indicators and methods for measuring results, measuring results, determining whether the results are in line with the plan, and corrective actions.
All management functions: planning, organization, motivation, control are closely interconnected. They are equally important for effective management. You can not divide them into main and secondary. At the same time, the management functions: organization, motivation and control are based on thoughtful and effective planning.
- Planning is the primary, fundamental function. On the basis of strategic goals, a plan for their achievement is built, providing for the allocation of certain resources and linking this allocation in time. Planning documents the allocation of resources and combines the efforts of individual departments and employees to achieve a common goal. For this, the decomposition of general goals into personal ones is carried out. It is imperative to provide for the planning of control of the organization. The management functions, in addition to the goal-setting, include the preparation of a list of works that must be performed in a certain sequence to achieve the goal. Moreover, each work is tied to the time of its beginning and end, the resources assigned to it and the subsequent (or previous) work in time.
- Organization, as a management function, consists in creating a structure that allows the individual elements of the system to jointly act according to the given rules and rationally spend the allocated resources to achieve the goals. The organizational structure is described by a number of formalized rules - regulations, regulations, instructions.
- Motivation, as a management function, is to encourage employees at all levels to work together effectively to achieve their goals. This is the most humanistic and least formalized management function.
- Control, as a function, the management process are quantitative and qualitative accounting of the results of work, it is a process that ensures that the organization achieves its goals
Control Assignment
Control is the main function of management. It is intended for:
- Reducing the uncertainty of the production process and management process.
- Predict and prevent failures.
- Support successful action.
Control is unthinkable without measurement. To understand that the work is going according to plan, it is necessary to compare the quantitative indicators achieved at the time of control with some previously known planned ones.
The control process is a system that allows you to plan, measure, determine deviations and adjust any business activity, such as production, packaging, delivery to the consumer and much more.
The control function in management is an essential part of the management process.
In the absence of a control function, any control loses its meaning. You will not be aware of whether what was planned was completed, and in general whether anything is being done.
Without the control function, it is also impossible to manage personnel.
The management process is a functional process for organizational control, it should grow out of the goals and strategic plans of the organization
Four elements of a control function
The management control function includes four main stages:
- Define indicators and methods for measuring results.
- Measure the results.
- Determine if the results are consistent with the plan.
- Apply corrective action.
"Control" means a list maintained in two copies (fr. Contrôle, from contrerôle -, from lat. Contra - against and rotulus - scroll).
Setting target values and methods for measuring results
It is necessary to form a set of indicators that are important for the controlled process and determine for each the planned values at given times. When, at this time, the actual result is measured, managers receive signals about how things are and, therefore, they do not need to check every step of the execution of plans.
Indicators should be clearly articulated, measurable and relevant to control. At an industrial enterprise, indicators may include sales and output, labor efficiency, safety indicators, etc.
When providing services, on the other hand, indicators should include, for example, the number of customers who have to wait for their turn to serve at the bank or the number of new customers attracted as a result of an updated advertising campaign.
Measuring points on the timeline should also not be randomly selected, but associated with critical periods of the process being monitored, or the start / end of important process steps. It can be
- The beginning or end of the planning period - shift, day, week or month.
- The beginning or end of an important stage: the completion of production preparation, the beginning of the final assembly of the product, shipment of the product to the customer.
- The release of a new product release or achievement of planned volumes of services.
The functions of planning and control in management are very closely interconnected and do not make sense one without the other. An uncontrolled plan turns into an empty piece of paper. The functions of management motivation and control are also related.
Measuring results
Measurement of results at control points and their comparison with planned indicators should be carried out on the basis of a proactive approach, so that deviations can be detected as early as possible or even predicted before they occur, which will allow to avoid or minimize corrective actions.
If milestones are properly planned and tools are available to determine exactly what subordinates are doing, assessing current and expected performance will be accurate and easy.
However, there are many activities in which it is difficult to determine exact control points; there are also many activities that are difficult to measure.
It’s quite simple, for example, to establish an indicator of the norm of time for mass production and it is just as easy to measure actual values from these indicators
The situation is more complicated with types of work far from technology. For example, it is not easy to monitor the work of the labor relations manager, since it is not easy to develop a clear system of indicators.
This type of managerial leader often relies on such vague indicators as relations with trade unions, the enthusiasm and loyalty of subordinates, staff turnover and / or labor disputes. In such cases, the measurement results of the subordinate by the manager are also vague.
Compliance with the results of the plan
This is a simple but very important step in the control process. It includes a comparison of the measured results with predetermined targets. At this stage, a previously developed comparison technique is extremely important. This document should clearly define what is specifically measured, at what point in time and under what conditions. Follow this technique must be strictly, otherwise, the results of measurement and comparison with the plan will be unreliable.
If the indicators correspond to the planned ones, management may consider that everything is under control. In this case, there is no need to intervene in the daily work of the organization.
Corrective action
This stage becomes most important if the indicators do not reach the planned and the analysis shows the need for corrective actions. Such corrective actions may include changes in one or more aspects of the organization’s daily operations.
For example, the head of a bank branch should decide that it is necessary to take more operation women in the hall in order to withstand the previously set indicator of a maximum five-minute wait.
Or the shop manager decides to withdraw the overworkers to meet the deadlines for delivering the products.
Monitoring also helps to identify incorrectly set planned indicators, in which case the corrective effect will consist in correcting the planned indicators, and not in the struggle to change the current measured values.
Timeliness of corrective actions
You must always develop a constructive way to bring the indicators to planned values, otherwise you will have to belatedly realize that a failure has already occurred. The sooner an error or failure is established, the more chances there are to correct it or to catch up. And the less will be the time, material and labor resources for its correction.
Deviations found in the later stages can be completely impossible to correct. In this case, the organization suffers sensitive financial and reputation losses, up to the termination of its functioning.
Bad news today is better than the same news tomorrow.
D.S. Chadwick
Interconnection of Management Functions
Functions of management: motivation and control are closely related to each other. To build an effective system of motivation for the subordinate to the head, access to accurate and timely control results is necessary.
Control can be carried out for compliance with:
- planned indicators;
- quality standards;
- corporate policies;
- safety and labor requirements;
- requirements of controlling state or public organizations.
Control can also be periodic and one-time, planned and emergency, private and as part of a general audit of the organization.
Conclusion
The main function of control in management is to ensure the implementation of the plan and thus achieve the goals of the organization. Additional functions - support for organization and motivation and interaction with them. The control function in management is critical. The point of control is not to convict the unit or employees of the failure to fulfill the plan and punish them. The point is the timely detection of deviations from the plan. Then there is a chance to complete corrective actions. A well-thought-out organization of control processes is the key to accurate and timely execution of plans and achievement of goals.