General Management & Communication

Ever wonder what managers would answer to the following question: “What is the most important part of your job?”

Whatever their answer, you will be able to place it into one of four overarching management functions, summarised as PLOC:

Planning,
Leading,
Organising and
Control.

Most people only observe leading and controlling – but you should know that for every managerial behaviour you see, there is an equal amount that you do not see. Behind the manager’s door, they spend a good deal of their time planning and organising, so that they can effectively carry out the functions of leading and controlling.

Think of the four functions as a process where each step builds on the others. Managers must first plan, then organise according to that plan, lead others to work towards the plan, and finally evaluate the effectiveness of the plan. These four functions must be performed properly and, when done well, become the reason for organisational success.

Planning is the first and most important management function, as it creates a detailed action plan aimed at achieving the organisation’s goals.

Organising determines how managers distribute their limited resources and organise their staff to achieve the set plan.
Leading, as a management function, is when managers connect with their employees on an interpersonal level through communicating, motivating, inspiring, and encouraging them towards a higher level of productivity.

Controlling is the final function of management and requires managers to, once the plan has been carried out, evaluate the results against the organisation’s goals.

In this programme you will be introduced to all four of these functions that managers from all over the world are faced with on a daily basis, as they aim to satisfy the ever changing needs of their customers, staff and shareholders.

Written by: Werner Landman