Four Functions of Effective Management
Times may change, but managerial practices will always separate effective from
ineffective organizations. (Bateman, 2004) There are four main functions that make up a
complete circle and create an effective manager. Without all four, there would be a missing
link to the circle, and without each one depending on one another, the circle will not
complete itself. The four functions I speak of are planning, organizing, leading and
controlling. Each one serves an important part of a successful organization. The
Marriam-Webster dictionary defines manage as follows: to handle or direct with a degree
of skill, to work upon or try to alter for a purpose, to succeed in accomplishing, and to
direct the professional career of (Marriam, 2005). Managers are responsible for helping not
only the company grow and reach its goals, but also to help the individual grow and reach
his or her goals as they are related to the company success. The four functions of
management help the manager to break down his or her role, and focus on the smaller parts
that make up the whole.
Planning is selecting priorities and results (goals, objectives, etc.) and how those results
will be achieved. It is concerned with the future impact of today decisions. (Erven, 1994)
In the planning stage, the desired end result is looked at objectively to see the necessary
resources needed to accomplish the job. The company vision, mission, objective, and goals
are taken into consideration in the planning stage and each one is worked through
separately (Erven, 1994). A vision includes motivational guidance for the entire company.
It is the highest level of planning when someone decides what they want to happen and
then leave it up to the company to collectively make it happen. The next level is mission.
Why is the organization an organization. Why is it different, and how do we need to tackle
this project with those differences in mind (Erven, 1994)? Objectives and goals are what
most people think of in the planning stage. This is where one looks at the requirements of
the project and where he or she needsto end up when the project is completed.
The second function of management is the organizing stage. Organizing is basically
allocating and configuring resources to accomplish the preferred goals and objectives
established during the planning process. The organizational structure becomes very
apparent in this stage. Managers decide division of labor, Delegation of authority,
