Functions of Management
There are many management styles, some more effective and efficient than others. The
most successful managers have the ability to lead their teams to meet the company goals.
Great managers use four fundamental management practices: planning, organizing,
leading, and controlling. This, in fact, is the definition of management. I will define these
fundamental practices and discuss how each relates to my organization.
Once the company goal is clearly communicated to the manager, a plan must be developed
to achieve the goal in the most efficient and effective manner. According to Bateman-Snell
Management: The New Competitive Landscape, Planning is specifying the goals to be
achieved and deciding in advance the appropriate actions needed to achieve those goals.
(15) This is the most critical and time-consuming part of management in my organization.
We spend weeks at the beginning of each year preparing our budget and planning how we
are going to meet the expectations of the company in the years to come. Regardless of how
well we plan, it becomes difficult to foresee all the obstacles that will come up during the
year. We meet daily to discuss what we are working on, and the way that activity will
contribute to the facility achieving the goals that were set. Our plan will change throughout
the year, because unplanned issues that arise and we must keep the teams on track.
Planning is the most critical management practice, in my opinion, and we spent a
considerable amount of time planning every year. The plan is our guide to get us to our
