Management has been described as a social process involving responsibility for economical and effective planning & regulation of operation of an enterprise in the fulfillment of given purposes. It is a dynamic process consisting of various elements and activities. These activities are different from operative functions like marketing, finance, purchase etc. Rather these activities are common to each and every manger irrespective of his level or status.
But while elements of personal style may vary, there are absolutes one can point to about management substance. Accordingly, here are 5 things the best managers do - and don't do. On the positive. Things is the award-winning personal task manager that helps you achieve your goals. This all-new version has been rethought from the ground up: it's got an all-new design, delightful new interactions, and powerful new features. There are many ways to run a project. But to run a project successfully, you have to consider all aspects of the project—from scope and budget to the tasks and conversations that take place after the project is launched and executed. Traditionally, there are 5 stages of project management. These 5 stages create what is known as a project life. Making and following a task schedule reduces anxiety. As you check off items on your 'to-do' list, you can see that you are making tangible progress. This helps you avoid feeling stressed out with worry about whether you're getting things done. Good time management gives you extra time to spend in your daily life.
Different experts have classified functions of management. According to George & Jerry, 'There are four fundamental functions of management i.e. planning, organizing, actuating and controlling'.
According to Henry Fayol, 'To manage is to forecast and plan, to organize, to command, & to control'. Whereas Luther Gullick has given a keyword 'POSDCORB' where P stands for Planning, O for Organizing, S for Staffing, D for Directing, Co for Co-ordination, R for reporting & B for Budgeting. But the most widely accepted are functions of management given by KOONTZ and O'DONNEL i.e. Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling.
For theoretical purposes, it may be convenient to separate the function of management but practically these functions are overlapping in nature i.e. they are highly inseparable. Each function blends into the other & each affects the performance of others.
Planning
It is the basic function of management. It deals with chalking out a future course of action & deciding in advance the most appropriate course of actions for achievement of pre-determined goals. According to KOONTZ, 'Planning is deciding in advance - what to do, when to do & how to do. It bridges the gap from where we are & where we want to be'. A plan is a future course of actions. It is an exercise in problem solving & decision making. Planning is determination of courses of action to achieve desired goals. Thus, planning is a systematic thinking about ways & means for accomplishment of pre-determined goals. Planning is necessary to ensure proper utilization of human & non-human resources. It is all pervasive, it is an intellectual activity and it also helps in avoiding confusion, uncertainties, risks, wastages etc.
Organizing
It is the process of bringing together physical, financial and human resources and developing productive relationship amongst them for achievement of organizational goals. According to Henry Fayol, 'To organize a business is to provide it with everything useful or its functioning i.e. raw material, tools, capital and personnel's'. To organize a business involves determining & providing human and non-human resources to the organizational structure. Organizing as a process involves:
- Identification of activities.
- Classification of grouping of activities.
- Assignment of duties.
- Delegation of authority and creation of responsibility.
- Coordinating authority and responsibility relationships.
Staffing
It is the function of manning the organization structure and keeping it manned. Staffing has assumed greater importance in the recent years due to advancement of technology, increase in size of business, complexity of human behavior etc. The main purpose o staffing is to put right man on right job i.e. square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. According to Kootz & O'Donell, 'Managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal & development of personnel to fill the roles designed un the structure'. Staffing involves:
- Manpower Planning (estimating man power in terms of searching, choose the person and giving the right place).
- Recruitment, Selection & Placement.
- Training & Development.
- Remuneration.
- Performance Appraisal.
- Promotions & Transfer.
Directing
It is that part of managerial function which actuates the organizational methods to work efficiently for achievement of organizational purposes. It is considered life-spark of the enterprise which sets it in motion the action of people because planning, organizing and staffing are the mere preparations for doing the work. Direction is that inert-personnel aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising, motivating sub-ordinate for the achievement of organizational goals. Direction has following elements:
- Supervision
Supervision- implies overseeing the work of subordinates by their superiors. It is the act of watching & directing work & workers.
Motivation- means inspiring, stimulating or encouraging the sub-ordinates with zeal to work. Positive, negative, monetary, non-monetary incentives may be used for this purpose.
Leadership- may be defined as a process by which manager guides and influences the work of subordinates in desired direction.
Communications- is the process of passing information, experience, opinion etc from one person to another. It is a bridge of understanding.
Controlling
It implies measurement of accomplishment against the standards and correction of deviation if any to ensure achievement of organizational goals. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that everything occurs in conformities with the standards. An efficient system of control helps to predict deviations before they actually occur. According to Theo Haimann, 'Controlling is the process of checking whether or not proper progress is being made towards the objectives and goals and acting if necessary, to correct any deviation'. According to Koontz & O'Donell 'Controlling is the measurement & correction of performance activities of subordinates in order to make sure that the enterprise objectives and plans desired to obtain them as being accomplished'. Therefore controlling has following steps:
- Establishment of standard performance.
- Measurement of actual performance.
- Comparison of actual performance with the standards and finding out deviation if any.
- Corrective action.
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A Free App Can Customize Your Managing Responsibilities
A Free App Can Customize Your Managing Responsibilities
Work is usually tiring and stressful. Is there anything you could do to make it easier? The short answer is yes. The longer answer is 'yes, if you'll create the best personal task management system for you and your team'. How does it help to regulate a workflow and why especially managers are in need of creating the personal task management system that works for them? We have the answers.
According to the latest research published in 'The Wall Street Journal', the work routine of the manager takes more than just sitting down at the desk. In their latest article, 'Which professions can make you smarter?', they explore the daily routine of the average executives and managers and claim that these jobs are far more creative than we thought. Since the SMB managers must routinely block out distractions and exercise reasoning and problem-solving skills, with time they become real experts in multitasking. Moreover, their ability to be focused is improving gradually and finally, they are able to solve more than one problem at a time. This is a valuable skill when you are in charge of workflow and monitor the progress of other workers as well, but the bigger the business, the less possible is for the manager to cope with everything without any help. While your team is growing so is your need to have a personal task management system that allows you to monitor the progress of each employee, assign tasks, create dynamic checklists online and much more!
What is personal task management system?
Things 2 5 – Elegant Personal Task Management App
In short, the best personal task management system enables you to focus more on the tasks and less on creating the to-do lists for various units as well as worrying about deadlines and last-minute projects. When all your tasks for the day, week or month are already scheduled and the data is conveniently stored in one place, the job of the manager becomes more fuss-free and less stressful than it was ever before. Previously, the managers could rely only on manual handwritten checklists, a stack of Post-it notes, notepads and maybe some inconvenient to-do list that would be rewritten and updated often. Later appeared the bulky and clumsy software. Finally, today on the market there are hundreds of the employee task management tools you can choose from-
a. Expensive flashy and trendy apps that are still complicated and offer more features than you could ever use
b. Free apps that are so basic you wonder if they'd be helpful at all
c. Paid apps that look just right and offer everything you need along with a simple intuitive interface, but you are not sure whether it is worth the price or not
So what to choose? What personal task management will be just right for you? Wonder no more. To make your choice easier, here are some steps that will help you to pick the best to-do app and gradually to create the personal task management system that is just right for you.
Things 2 5 – Elegant Personal Task Management
How to pick the best personal task management app
Only five years ago there were approximately more than a few hundred apps and websites built to manage your tasks during the day, week, or month. Now, the actual number of to-do apps might be twice that if not in the thousands. Search to-do apps in the App Store or Google Play Store and you'll get hundreds of results. So where do you begin your search and how to make a final choice?
First, do not look for the right software in the app stores. Instead, check out the websites that offer the essential features of the classic to-do list along with extra features that are useful at a reasonable price. Find the software that works best for you and then download their official app to stay connected 24/7.
In general, it's best to start choosing the right software with your task management method-
a. Do you group the tasks in a certain way?
b. How many employees do you have?
c. Do you need to write extra details along with comments and profound feedback or do you keep task descriptions short?
d. Do you want to keep a record of everything that was done?
e. Are you in need of reminders?
f. Do you want to visualize your progress etc.?
Answering all these questions will help you to determine which task management method to follow. If you need a basic to-do list, choose the simple 'Grocery List' app. However, when you organize your task into detailed projects with attachments, subtasks, comments, and feedback, you need powerful software that enables you to get all things done quickly and easily to communicate with your team anytime and from any location.
