Management process essay sample

Planning, organizing, leading and controlling (POLC) are the four basic processes or functions of management that constitute the entire work of management. All these four processes are essential parts of management. Planning involves setting objectives and deciding on actions to be taken to achieve these objectives. The process of organizing involves designing and development of structure of relationships between members of the team or group assigned to carryout the planned task. It also includes the job of filling and keeping filled positions in the organization. Leading refers to the process of motivating, directing and guiding the people in the organization for carrying out the their work as per plans and objectives. Finally the controlling function involves monitoring what is the work actually being done and the results being achieved, comparing this with what was planned, ad taking corrective action. It is not possible to manage any work or activity effectively without the use of all the four of POLC processes. No manager can ensure the continued success the work managed, without employing all the four POLC processes. Therefore all the four processes are equally important.

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Example:

1. Idea: let’s say Melissa the marketing manager has a goal of increasing sales during the month of February. 2. Planning: Melissa needs to first spend time mapping out the necessary steps she and her team of sales representatives must take so that they can increase sales numbers. These steps might include things like increasing advertisements in a particular region, placing some items on sale, increasing the amount of required customer-to-sales rep contact, or contacting prior customers to see if they are interested in purchasing additional products. The steps are then organized into a logical pattern so that Melissa and her team can follow them. 3. Organizing: This step requires Melissa to determine how she will distribute resources and organize her employees according to the plan.

Melissa will need to identify different roles and ensure that she assigns the right amount of employees to carry out her plan. She will also need to delegate authority, assign work, and provide direction so that her team of sales representatives can work towards higher sales numbers without having barriers in their way. 4. Leading: In this step, Melissa spends time connecting with her employees on an interpersonal level. This goes beyond simply managing tasks; rather, it involves communicating, motivating, inspiring, and encouraging employees towards a higher level of productivity. Not all managers are leaders. An employee will follow the directions of a manager because they have to, but an employee will voluntarily follow the directions of a leader because they believe in who he or she is as a person, what he or she stands for, and for the manner in which they are inspired by the leader. 5. Controlling: Once a plan has been carried out the manager evaluates the results against the goals. If a goal is not being met, the manager must also take any necessary corrective actions to continue to work towards that goal.

If Melissa noticed that her team was behind in their sales half way through February, she will need to put in place necessary provisions to ensure the second half of February is twice as productive as the first half so that by the end the month, the original sales goal will be met or exceeded. Because the control process also includes setting performance standards for employees and continuously evaluating their job performances, Melissa will speak with each of her sales reps individually to review their performances.