Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling

For any organization to operate smooth while achieving the goals of the organization management ideas are required to be in place. The basic functions of management, planning, organizing, leading and controlling are concepts put into action to help achieve company goals. Achieving those goals increases the value of the business and value is what any business wants. In a family owned childcare center two types of managers exist top-level and frontline, although, the top-level is just as accessible as the front-line manager. Even though the titles are different both managers have the same goal for the organization in mind and will spend time planning, organizing, leading and controlling the organization. Understanding the four functions of management and using all four equally can improve any organization.

The foundation of the functions of management is planning and to achieve a set goal a plan has to go into action. Proper planning prevents poor performance and a poor manager. Planning allows the company to look at where they stand currently and where the company would like to see them. Bateman and Snell (2009) said “Planning activities include analyzing current situations, anticipating the future, determining objectives, deciding in what types of activities the company will engage, choosing corporate and business strategies, and determining the resources needed to achieve the organization’s goals.” By evaluating the current situation of the company, the company can see what changes need to be made to the company to advance to the next level.

This process allows managers to set a blueprint of what could happen in the future to help decide on adequate action to continue to generate revenue. At the childcare center the CEO through her mission statement has a dream that she will offer the best care and structured learning environments for children of all ages and her mission statement clearly states that goal. That goal is achieved through planning which includes finding the objective, choosing various activities, business strategies and the resources needed. Some parts of the planning for a child care center are making sure that the proper people are paired in a room, all supplies are available and the needs of the children are met.

To reach the goal summarized in the planning process arrangement of the work is imperative. Organization is basically putting the right people in the right places making sure that all the finances, resources and information is acquired to do the job. “Progressive human resource practices that attract and retain the very best of a highly diverse population will be essential aspects of the successful company” Bateman and Snell (2009) said about organizing people. In order for that to work a manager must know the people who work under them and what they are capable of doing and once that is known handing out job tasks and responsibilities becomes an easier task. The classrooms at the center are organized according to the needs of the classroom and the children because not everyone can handle every age group. Every class has a system set up for that class according to room size, what the children need and function of that room.

Leadership plays an important role in the organizational success because leadership is what gets people motivated into getting the work done. Simply put leading is stimulating people to be high performers. (Bateman, Snell, 2009). Motivating the employees through individually and group communication helps build up the employees a positive attitude. The power of persuasion over people, to get them to see the goal and wanting to achieve that goal is all a part of leadership. A manager with good leadership qualities sees when an employee is lacking somewhere or needs an extra boost tries to motivate that person so the job can be done and the organizational goals can be met. The director and CEO take time out to visit with the rooms to see what is going on with classrooms and see how the teachers are holding up. The director goes out of her way to make sure the needs of the teachers are met due to the stress that can be related to the job.

The last part of the four functions is controlling which monitors the work being done to make sure the plan and goal are being achieved. Controlling also includes evaluating and reporting of actual job performance (Pakhare, 2007). The goals should be met and monitored accordingly. Some employees may feel like they are being watched, but that feeling is for the good of the company. Controlling allows for proper corrections needed to make so that the system, plan and goal can continue to be reached and aimed for. At the childcare center every room and hallway comes equipped with a camera. Monitoring of the rooms, teachers, children and surrounding grounds is monitored at all times. When something goes wrong or needs to be played back that option is there for whoever needs to view the recording.

The four functions of management planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, serve purpose inside of any business every day. Every employee makes a difference in every organization in order for that organization to run smoothly and the manager is the one who sets the pace for the goals to be reached. At the childcare center all four are being met and although improvement is sometimes necessary operations at this business are optimal.

Resources

Bateman, Thomas S., and Snell, Scott. (2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in the Competitive World. (8th ed., ch.1 pg.19). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. , : The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from University of Phoenix, MGT 330.

Bateman, Thomas S., and Snell, Scott. (2009). Management: Leading and Collaborating in the Competitive World. (8th ed., ch.1 pg.20). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. , : The McGraw-Hill Companies. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from University of Phoenix, MGT 330.

Pakhare, J. (2007). Management Concepts – The Four Functions of Management. Buzzle.com. Retrieved January 18, 2009, from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html