Functions of Management

Managers use many different techniques when they take the on the role management. Some managers are the type that are more concerned with being everyone’s friend, others like to be very stern, some delegate power to take the workload off their own shoulders, while others do all the work themselves because in their minds no one else can do the job the same. No matter which way a manager decides to manage his or her team a manager has to realize the role plays a vital part in the success of a company. The manager is the person leading a team of individuals to complete a task set by the company so the manager needs to follow the four functions of management. By using the four functions of management a manager can handle the tactical, planned, and set decisions of his or her team. The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.

The base function and foundation of management is planning. Planning is a necessity for management to help determine where the company is today and where they would like it to go in the future. Once a direction is determined an action plan needs to be set in place in order to achieve the company’s goals. The function of planning is a vital to a companies success because bumps in the road will occur and the plan may need to change but a plan gives the company a direction to follow. Les Mills Midwest is the group fitness company located out of Chicago formed two years ago. The goal was to distribute the Les Mills product in the Midwest the same way the systems have been distributed overseas. A goal needed to be set and the goal was to set up an organization by following the same plan that had worked in New Zealand. The planned seemed to have no flaws but the audience in the US was different from the audience in New Zealand so the plan had to be altered. The plan was easily altered though the goal stayed the same.

The second function of management is organizing. Organizing is a necessary step for management to take mainly because it helps define the roles of members on the team. Definition of roles for the team is vital to help each individual know what, where, and when his or her jobs have to be finished. At Les Mills, the most important role is the role of sales. The salespeople have to make calls to the gyms in the Midwest and convince the gyms the system will help grow their membership. Organizing is very important for the sales force to let them know what clubs to call, who to talk with, and when to call. If the database was not organized the sales force would be in complete ciaos.

The third function of management is leading. Leading is another necessary function for a team as the manager plays the key role in motivating the team. The manager needs to be a person the team can look to when the team becomes stagnant and tired. The leader needs to motivate the troops and get them back on track. At Les Mills, they have a business development manager who oversees the sales staff. The manager here is so important because his or her job is to get excel charts, generate leads, and basically motivate the staff to get back on the phone even after the salesperson has made 6 straight unsuccessful calls. By using the leading function the manager at