Essay on Four Functions of Management

Submitted By tawandak04
Words: 675
Pages: 3

The functions of management are as vital in an organization as the employees themselves. No matter how big or small, companies need to run smoothly and achieve the objectives and goals which it has set forth. Without a constant evolution of these functions: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, the business would suffer and fail. Although together these functions produce a constant flow for a company individually each function is its own power all its own.
The heart of management and its most important role is planning. Planning happens to be the main base in which all four functions are built by. Without prior planning a company would essentially have no mission, no common goal, and no future. Planning requires management to evaluate where the organization is presently, and where it wants to be in the near future, and what it wants to stand for. There are many aspects to the planning process that managers should consider when brainstorming such as analyzing current situations, the best uses for on-hand resources, anticipating what the future holds, and determining company goals to name a few (Bateman, & Snell, 2009).
The military is an organization where the planning step is carefully and diligently practiced. However, from time to time upper leadership may withhold the bigger mission due to operational security. This situation can cause the effectiveness of a unit to diminish rapidly. When this happens it is important for upper management to recognize this and ensure they do their part to get the unit back on track.
The organizing function is best described as the beginning process of implementing the ideas and goals created in the planning phase. Organization is a matter of appointing individuals to responsibilities or assignments that blend together to accomplish the goals driven by one purpose. These goals will be reached in accordance with the company’s procedures and values. Through this process, management will now determine the inside directorial structure; establish and maintain relationships, and also assign required resources. They also see the coordination of staff, and try to find out the best way to handle important tasks and disbursement of information within the company.
Even though many use the term managing and leading synonymously, nothing could be farther from the truth. Simply managing tasks means making people do their jobs. But leading means influencing and inspiring people in such a way that they feel motivated to do their jobs. People find it easier to follow a leader. Following the orders of a manager is something that is done as a part of one’s job, but following a leader is something that is done more willingly by people. Thus,