Four Functions of Management

Introduction

“Management is the process of working with people and resources to accomplish organizational goals. Good managers do those things both effectively and efficiently. To be effective is to achieve organizational goals. To be efficient is to achieve goals with minimal waste of resources, that is, to make the best possible use of money, time, materials, and people.”(Bateman and Snell p. 24, 2004)

Planning

The first key aspect to becoming a successful manager is planning or developing a strategic plan for any given situation or organization. A strategic business plan must be developed that can accommodate to all components of the business. Typically, brainstorming sessions occur between the executives or top level managers where both ideas and processes are developed to uncover new opportunities and overall company longevity. Delivering strategic value allows companies to retain current customers, penetrate new ones and operate with a dynamic that will separate it from others within the industry.

With my company being only 5 years old, it has become difficult to keep up with the growth. In my opinion, many of our current practices have already become somewhat ancient given that they were based upon a group of employees consisting of 15 employees. Now that we have quadrupled in size, we must revise our internal strategies so all employees are able to work with an overall goal in mind. Recently, the top level managers have created a Customer Care Group consisting of employees in all sectors of the company who have the most interaction with our clients. We hope to identify the elements of our business plan that appeal most to our clients and improve on the ones that need more attention.

Organizing

Organization is the coordination of the resources by use of its employees, finance and information technology to carryout the company’s goal. Also known as grouping, the idea behind organizing is to create a workflow that maximizes the resources available. The efficiency in which a company performs is attractive not only to clients because of potential cost savings that will be passed on to them, but also to individuals seeking long term employment. Employees can be the biggest advocates of a company considering their treatment. A strong reputation must be felt not only in the industry, but within the organization through the creation of positive working conditions.

The world of federal government contracting might not have the appeal of a Yahoo or Google, but somehow my company has found a way to retain 82% of its employees from inception. Through its determination that “The Employees Make the Company,” my company continues to meet the needs of its employees year after year. After one full year of employment, employees are given a choice between three benefits that appeal most to them. Such benefits consist of tuition assistance/reimbursement, additional comprehensive leave or fully paid medical insurance. Every year, we conduct an anonymous Employee Satisfaction Survey to gather info about the internal policies and practices of the company and determine if any of them need to be adjusted to meet the needs of our workforce.

Leading

The success of an organization depends highly on a leader’s ability to stimulate and motivate its employees to maximize results. Staying in tune with the employees at all levels promotes a positive work environment and impels employees to be top performers. Top level managers will not only stimulate