Understanding The 4 Key Functions Of Management

To be successful and remain competitive in today’s dynamic global environment, every organisation needs effective managers.

Managers achieve organisational goals and objectives with and through the people who make up the organisation. To accomplish these goals effectively and efficiently, managers perform four key functions:

Planning > Organising > Leading  > Controlling

1. Planning

Planning is the first of the four management functions. Planning defines and determines the strategic, tactical and operational goals of an organisation, department or team. Deciding future direction is an activity that is basic to management functions.

Determining your team or department’s goals, how and when they will be achieved and what resources will be allocated to them are key aspects of the planning you undertake as a successful manager.

Continuously developing your planning skills will significantly contribute to higher performance at a personal and organisational level.

2. Organising

The organising function is centred on the acquisition and deployment of resources to achieve operational goals.

Organising determines an organisation’s division of labour into specific departments and teams as well as what tasks are to be done, who is going to do them and how they will be grouped. Organising also encompasses deciding the formal chain of command, operational processes, reporting structures and decision- making authority that will be used.

To ensure continued competitiveness, as a manager you are expected to use your organising skills to restructure and maintain a leaner, more efficient and more productive department or team. You are expected to place the right people with the right skills in the right roles at the right time to achieve maximum productivity and performance.

3. Leading

Leading is the ability to influence and inspire people to achieve organisational goals because they want to, not because they have to.

Leadership creates and determines the culture and values of an organisation, department or team. Quality leadership is also an integral component in creating and maintaining a high-performance work environment.

In today’s ever-changing workplace, providing the right type of leadership at the right time has become an increasingly important management function. Successful leadership today combines the authority of title – Positional Power, with the leaders own Personal Power, which is based on the respect and trust earned from those they lead.

Your leadership is essential in communicating the organisation’s vision, mission, values and goals to provide clear direction to all involved. It is only through exercising strong leadership that you will effectively harness and utilise the best resources at your disposal – your people.

4. Controlling

Controlling is the last but not least of the four key management functions. Controlling involves the continuous monitoring of actual performance against planned performance.

This function entails the constant and systematic monitoring and regulating of organisational activities and processes to ensure they are consistent with predetermined goals, plans and key performance indicators.

As the manager of a high-performance work environment you are expected to set in place systems and processes that establish required standards of performance, measure the actual performance, compare it with the pre-set standards and initiate Gap Resolution actions when and if required.

Become a highly effective and respected leader

Whether you’re an experienced leader or aspiring to become one, there are steps you can take to grow your skills, knowledge and capacity to motivate and inspire. LMA offers a range of short courses and in-depth development programs that support your key people to excel in this arena, effectively unlocking the potential of your entire team.

Explore our Leadership & Management Courses today, and see our upcoming course dates and locations in our current course schedule.

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