Functions of Management
One thing a successful company has is a great staff filled with people in working in different areas, all doing their best to keep the business moving forward. Like an army, the staff does need a leader, or maybe a few, to make sure that everyone in the business is organized, informed and all moving toward the goal of the company. Some people may think that this person is the owner but most of the time this person is the manager. Successful managers must know, and be able to apply the four functions of management: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, to their daily work routine.
Planning is specifying the goals to be achieved and deciding in advance the appropriate action needed to achieve those goals (Bateman & Snell, 2007). All businesses, new and established, must have goals. Having a plan is crucial because it lets everyone know exactly which goals the company is heading for. Plans help to make sure everyone in the staff knows what specific tasks they may have to do in order for the company, as a whole, to achieve the goal. Planning activities can include, analyzing current situation, anticipating the future, determining objectives, deciding what kind of activities the company will engage, choosing business and corporate strategies, and determining the resources needed to achieve the organization’s goals (Bateman & Snell). After a plan is set for a specific goal, now the organizing of resources is the next step.
Organizing is assembling and coordinating the human, financial, physical, informational, and other resources needed to achieve goals (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Organization is key because a well organize staff will be more efficient in executing the plans of the company. Lets say your company manufactures furniture and you goal is to produce 20 rocking chairs for furniture store. If the staff is not organized then a problem might occur in the production because the staff has no clue what has to be done in what order. Shipping and receiving needs to know when raw materials are coming in. Builders need to know if they have enough material to put together the chairs, and the date the chairs need to be assembled by. Lastly the store needs to know when they will have their finished product. If anyone of those areas of manufacturing is not organized then the deadline can be pushed back and this can cause a loss in money and or resources. After the organization is complete, leading the staff to the goal is the next step.
Leading is stimulating the people to be high performers. It includes motivating and communicating with employees, individually and in groups (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Leaders must be able to do more than just bark orders. Everyone in the staff might not have a clear idea of what is expected of them when trying to achieve a company goal. Leaders are there to “lead the way” so to speak. They must be able to show, by example if necessary, what a person specific task is and at the same time make sure the employee understand what it is exactly that is expected of them. Knowing what to do, and wanting to do it are two different things. Leaders must be able to motivate and inspire their employees to want to achieve the goal (Bateman & Snell). Leadership, organization, and planning are not enough to guarantee success (Bateman & Snell). Control is the last and most important thing needed.
Control is the management process of monitoring performance and making needed changes (Bateman & Snell, 2007). Control does not mean you have to walk around with an iron fist, cracking a whip, its means as a manager, taking the necessary actions to ensure that the company goals are reached. Let us say that you are the manager of a manufacturing plant, and an outside vendor ordered 50 units of product and they would like to have it in two weeks. Three days later you find out that the finished product is not being produced fast enough because the equipment is outdated. As a manager you have to take control of this situation and go out and either buy or rent some new equipment. You may even have to take out a contract with an outside manufacture. Either way making the decision to fix the problem to ensure that the goals are met is a form of control. Unfortunately, sometimes taking control might mean reprimanding and disciplining an employee but if no action is taken then the problem might prevent the company from reaching its goal.
Four functions of management take place in all aspects of business. In the restaurant the goal of the business is to not only have new customers come in but to keep them coming back. Their plan is to provide great food and wonderful service as well as get their concept across to the customer so they would feel like they want to eat there and that they want to come back. Larry Edger (2008) stated in an article:
“One of the other keys to success is the commitment of the owner/manager to learn, read and master strategies that retail existing customers and constantly cultivate new ones. Knowledge and a passion to keep experimenting with every aspect of the customer's experience.”
In order to do that, the manager of the restaurant needs to organize their recourses. This includes finding a location, finding suppliers of the food materials that will be needed to make a dish. A manager will also need to find a staff that can cook great food, provide great service, and create a wonderful experience. They will also need other things such as eating utensils, glassware, dishes, tables, maintenance crew, dishwashers, cooking equipment, and many other things to run the business. This is why organizing is very important.
The employee’s service is what will make or break a restaurant. Managers most motivate and inspire the crew to want to provide the service. They must also motivate the kitchen staff so that they will produce quality food for the customer. Employees must feel like their work is worth something or else they will just give up.
Finally control is needed to make sure the restaurant reaches its goal. When the manager notices that an employee is not providing the service that is required then that employee might need to be reprimanded or possibly terminated. At the same time the manager needs to attend to the displeased customer to try and rectify the situation. Taking care of the customer’s unpleasant experience can help to ensure their return which is the company’s goal.
Managers must always remember that the success of the business is important because if the business fails then they fail. Practicing the four concepts of management is crucial to the success of the business as well as that of the manager. Having a plan, being organized and a good leader is important, however, unexpected things might happen and a manager must be able to take control of the situation in order to achieve the company’s goal.
Reference
Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2007, n.d.). Managing. Management: Leading and collaberatin in a competitve world, 7e, . Retrieved July 16, 2008, from rEsource
Edger, L. (2007, December 5) Starting a Successful Restaurant. Articlesbase. Retrieved July 16, 2008, from http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/starting-a-successf