Essential Functions of Management

The management team must understand and perform its four essential functions for a business to succeed.  These functions are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. 

This blog post will highlight these functions and explain how they are essential to a company’s success.  Let us explore the responsibilities of management and provide tips on how to perform these critical tasks best!

Planning Function

Planning is creating and implementing a strategy for achieving the desired goal.  Examples include setting objectives, developing strategies, and allocating resources.  Good planning requires accurate forecasting and risk assessments to identify potential problems and opportunities. 

Organizing Function

Next, organizing creates a structure that allows employees to work together effectively toward the company’s goals.  For example,  establishing roles and responsibilities, building systems and procedures, and allocating resources is only the beginning.  Organizing is essential for ensuring completed tasks meet internal and external guidelines.  We recommend that you thoroughly understand your organization’s competencies, policies, accountability, sustainability, and audit guidelines.

Leading Function

Third, leading is forming an idea and getting employees to believe in it, creating a company culture, and building connections with them.  When necessary, leaders must also make challenging decisions while keeping their emotions in check.  Introspection is the substance of learning and understanding how you communicate and how others view how you share information.  Self-awareness can be a deal-breaker, especially in tough times, if you are unaware of your leadership style, biases, strengths, and weaknesses. 

Controlling Function

Latter, controlling measures performance and takes action to ensure that it meets the company’s goals, including establishing standards, monitoring progress, and taking corrective action when necessary.  Controlling ensures that tasks are completed efficiently and on schedule.

We offer a simple version of these functions in this blog, and they are not always as simple as one would believe.  Managers are responsible for performing these four functions effectively to ensure the success of their company. 

By understanding and implementing these functions, businesses can ensure they are on track for long-term success!

If you want to learn more about management functions, let’s connect at www.tborders.com.

References:

Mintzberg, H.  The Nature of Managerial Work (New York: Harper & Row, 1973); D. Lamond, “A Matter of Style: Reconciling Henri and Henry,” Management Decision 42, no. 2 (2004): 330–56.

Principles of Management.  (2022) 1.5 Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Controlling . Retrieved from https://open.lib.umn.edu/principlesmanagement/chapter/1-5-planning-organizing-leading-and-controlling-2/.