Functions of management

Management is described as the process of planning, organising, directing and controlling the efforts of organisational members and of using organisational resources to achieve specific goals.

Planning

• Planning is the function of determining in advance what is to be done and who is to do it. This implies setting goals in advance and developing a way of achieving them efficiently and effectively. 
• Various alternatives are formulated in order to achieve the goals. The best alternative courses of action are then selected which will help the organization to achieve its objectives. 
• Planning cannot prevent problems, but it can predict them and prepare contingency plans to deal with them if and when they occur. 
• Planning is always the first function performed by every manager. Planning refers to "deciding in advance what to do, how to do, when to do, and who is going to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we stand today and where we want to reach”. 
• It bridges the gap between where we are and where we want to go. All the other functions of management like organising, staffing, directing, controlling are dependent on planning.
• Planning is the base of all other functions of management.
• Planning is related to the future and is a continuous process. 
• All the organizations have to make a concrete plan before they start business or execute any project. 

Organizing

• After planning the next function of management is organising. Organising involves division of work among people whose efforts must be coordinated to achieve specific objectives and to implement pre-determined strategies. It is the backbone of management. 
• So, after the objectives of an enterprise are determined and the plan is prepared, the next step in the management process is to organize the activities of the enterprise and establish an organisation structure to execute the plan. 
• Organising is the management function of assigning duties, grouping tasks, establishing authority and allocating resources required to carry out a specific plan. 
• Once a specific plan has been established for the accomplishment of an organizational goal, the organising function examines the activities and resources required to implement the plan. 
• It determines what activities and resources are required. It decides who will do a particular task, where it will be done, and when it will be done.
• Organising involves the grouping of the required tasks into manageable departments or work units and the establishment of authority and reporting relationships within the organisational hierarchy.
• Proper organisational techniques help in the accomplishment of work and promote both the efficiency of operations and the effectiveness of results.
• Different kinds of business require different structures according to the nature of work.

Staffing

• Staffing  simply stated, is finding the right people for the right job. 
• A very important aspect of management is to make sure that the right people with the right qualifications are available at the right places and times to accomplish the goals of the organisation. 
• This is also known as the human resource function and it involves activities such as recruitment, selection, placement and training of personnel. 
• It refers to recruiting, selecting, appointing the employees, assigning them duties, maintaining cordial relations and taking care of grievances of employees. 
• It also includes training and developing the employees, deciding their remuneration, promotion, increments, etc., evaluating the performance, maintaining personal records of employees.
• It is important to have a good organization structure, but it is even more important to fill the jobs with the right people. 
• Filling and keeping the position provided for by the organization structure with right people at the right place is the staffing phase of the management function.
• All the managers have a responsibility for staffing.
• The staffing function deals with the human elements of management.
• The staffing function has assumed great importance these days because of rapid advancement of technology, increasing size of organizations and complex behavior of human beings.

Directing

• Directing  involves leading, influencing and motivating employees to perform the tasks assigned to them. This requires establishing an atmosphere that encourages employees to do their best.
• Directing  is concerned with the initiation of organized action and stimulating people to work.
• Directing refers to giving directions or instructions to employees by motivating them, supervising the activities of employees, and communicating with them.
• Once the employees are appointed there is a need to instruct them and get the work done.
•  Managers act as leaders and guide them to the right direction, so directing functions includes, supervising, motivating, communicating and leadership.
• Hence, directing is the inter-personal aspect of management which deals directly with influencing, guiding, supervising and motivating the subordinates for the accomplishment of pre-determined objectives.
• Planning, organizing, staffing are merely preparations for doing the work but the work actually initiates through directing function.
• Motivation and leadership are two key components of direction.
• Directing also involves communicating effectively as well as supervising employees at work.
• Motivating workers means simply creating an environment that makes them want to work. Leadership is influencing others to do what the leader wants them to do. A good manager directs through praise and criticism in such a way that it brings out the best in the employee.

Controlling

• Controlling is the management function of monitoring organizational performance towards the attainment of organizational goals.
• The task of controlling involves establishing standards of performance, measuring current performance, comparing this with established standards and taking corrective action where any deviation is found. 
• In reality, managers are rarely able to carry out these functions in isolation.
• The activities of a manager are interrelated and it is often difficult to pinpoint where one ended and the other began. 
• This is the last function of managers. 
• In this function managers try to match the actual performance with the planned performance.
• If there is no match between both then managers try to find out the reasons of deviation and suggest corrective measures to come on the path of plan.
• Controlling functions refer to all the performance measurements and follow up actions that keep the actual performance on the path of plan.
• Controlling is seeing that actual performance is guided towards expected performance.
• All other functions of management cannot be completed effectively without performance of the control function.
• The efficient system of control helps to predict deviation before they actually occur.
• Controlling ensures that there is effective and efficient utilization of organisational resources so as to achieve the organisational goals.
• Controlling has two basic purposes  :-  a) If facilitates coordination  b) It helps in planning