Functions of Management

Functions of Management

20th Century French mine owner Henri Fayol is widely accepted as the person who revolutionized management with his principles of management. Henri Fayol first coined the term "Four Functions of Management". He saw a manager's job as: planning, organizing, commanding, coordinating activities and controlling performance. In today’s business world managers, follow certain rules that help them be better at their job and contribute to the success of the business. The functions of management are established to help managers see the business operations with more clarity and understanding. In this paper, I will discuss the four functions of management along with how each function relates to my own organization.

The four functions of management are planning, organizing, leading and controlling. Many people refer to the four functions as the acronym P.O.L.C. The first function I will explain is planning. Planning is selecting priorities and results and how those results will be achieved. Planning typically includes identifying goals, objectives, methods, resources needed to carry out methods, responsibilities and dates for completion of tasks. There are many examples of planning shown within my organization. One of my organization objectives is to minimize errors through out the company. My company has created many methods for lowering errors. My company has implanted the use of daily, weekly and monthly spreadsheets. These spreadsheets play a beneficial role in track of employee errors and any procedure problems.

The next function of management I will discuss is organizing. Organizing is defining roles and responsibilities to ensure that people with the skills required to discharge functions are available with the tools and materials to complete them successfully. Another way explaining organizing is simply hiring the right people for the right job. My organization many examples of organizing through out the company. Each employee within the company goes through an interview process. During the interview process, various personnel within the organization interview the employee. This method aids our company in obtaining the right personnel for each position.

The next function of management I will discuss, leading, is arguably the most important of all the management functions. Leading is described as setting long term aims, communicating a vision, and motivating people to achieve them. Although leading is a function of management, many managers