Introduction
Organisations develop and implement management concepts that enable them to operate efficiently. These concepts are also called functions of management. They help managers to make tactical and strategic decisions to enhance efficient management of an organisation (Griffin and Moorhead 108).
Functions of Management
Planning
This is the major function of management. It acts as a pillar upon which other functions are built. Planning enables managers to evaluate the present position of an organisation and decide in advance possible future developments. It provides a plan of action that elaborates what should be done and at what time.
Moreover, it enhances drafting of the means and ways of achieving predetermined goals. It is vital in management because it ensures that human and no-human resources are utilized properly. Moreover, it helps the management to avoid uncertainties, risks, possible wastes, and confusion (Keller 109).
Organising
Organising helps the management team to assemble human, finance, and physical resources. As a result, a productive relationship is created between the resources that enhance realization of set goals and objectives.
Organising involves the identification of available resources, allocating and delegating duties, and coordinating both non-human and human resources. This ensures that resources are organised properly to enhance the achievement of goals developed during the planning phase (Griffin and Moorhead 108).
Directing
Directing involves influencing people to work efficiently. Influence to achieve goals is attained through motivation, communication, supervision, and leadership (Keller 109). Motivation inspires, stimulates, and encourages employees to work with determination.
It can be in the form of job promotion, gifts or recognition of individuals who perform excellently. Supervision entails monitoring the workforce and providing necessary directions and support.
Leadership entails guiding the workforce in a desired direction. Finally, communication entails passing information, opinions, and/or experience within an organisation. It promotes teamwork and understanding.
Controlling
Controlling is the last function of management that entails measurement of the organisation’s accomplishments and correction of possible deviations. This is meant to ensure that the organisation achieves its goals systematically. Moreover, controlling ensures that the plans of an organisation occur according to predetermined standards.
It investigates whether the company is aligned towards achieving its goals and objectives. In addition, it involves taking appropriate actions when necessary to correct any deviations from standards (Keller 109).
Controlling entails the following steps: setting standard of performance, measuring actual performance, comparing actual performance with standards, and taking corrective actions (Griffin and Moorhead 108).
Effective Management Traits
For a person to manage an organisation effectively, he/she need to possess effective management traits. These traits will enable the person to control system processes and drive an organisation towards success. According to Jonathan Scott (79), effective management traits include the following:
Integrity
A good manager has integrity. This trait enables workers to build trust on the manager. To effectively manage people and organizations one need to be honest and follow rules. Integrity deters corruption which is dangerous to organisation development.
Self-motivation
A good manager is self-motivated. He/she does not need to be monitored to deliver. He/she must be capable of understanding the goals and objectives of an organisation. Furthermore, he/she should be ready to develop strategies for achieving those goals and objectives.
Team Player
To effectively manage a business or people, one should be ready to work with a team. This means that a manager should corporate with the staff to achieve business goals and personal satisfaction.
Ability to Solve Conflicts
A manager acts as a bridge between top management and workers. He/she should be capable of solving conflicts between management and employees. In addition, one should be able to solve conflicts between the organisation and outside rivals diplomatically.
Dependability
An effective manager should be dependable such that the employer or employees can counted on him or her any time. Reliability helps one to gain people’s trust.
Optimism
Effective management requires a person to have an optimistic attitude. This enables one to be visionary i.e. looking into the future with determination and hoping for the better even if the situation seems hopeless. Optimism inspires employees and makes them feel good about their work.
Leadership Skills
Effective managers have good leadership traits. He/she must be confident with his/her abilities to lead a team, provide directions, delegate duties appropriately, and command actions where necessary. Moreover, one must be capable of influencing others to achieve business or personal goals and objectives.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is vital in today’s business world. To manage an organisation effectively, one need to have efficient communication skills. This will enable him/her to communicate with prospective clients/customers.
Providing Feedback
Effective management requires that both negative and positive feedback be provided to respective parties. Feedback helps individuals to reflect on their performance and adjust accordingly.
Intelligentsia
An effective manager should have a good understanding of his/her field of study and be able to show what he/she knows. This trait entails other characteristics such as intelligence, creativity, and humor (Keller 109).
Fairness
Managers should demonstrate fairness when formulating policies or delegating duties. This trait is vital in any organisation because it encourages teamwork and loyalty.
Ability to Remain Calm
Being able to remain calm and composed in all situations even when things are not working according to plans is not easy. However, a good manager should be able to cool down when circumstances get worse, employees become nuisance, and strategies fail to work.
How to Achieve Effective Management Traits
Effective management traits can be achieved through many ways. Some of the traits are inborn while others are learnt through several processes (Guido and Nueno 56). To achieve these traits one need to do the following:
Investing in his/her Strengths
People have natural strengths that permit their skills and capabilities. Investing in these strengths through training can enhance their perfection and refinement. For instance, if one is naturally good in negotiation, he/she should take negotiation classes to improve his/her negotiation skills.
Invest in Knowledge
Investing time to acquire the right knowledge and intelligence enhances one’s career development. For instance, to acquire better leadership skills, one may need to invest in leadership trainings to be perfect (Keller 109).
Having the right relationship
Keeping the right relationship with people who have management skills may help one to learn similar skills. Having a personal advisory board can enable one to achieve management traits. For instance, one may attain teamwork trait by having right networks or relationship.
Investing in a Coach
A coach can help one to achieve some traits such as self-motivation or provide one with tools to keep him/her focused. Coaching is one of the mostly used methods of attaining effective management traits.
Through Experience
When one is chosen as a manager of an organisation, he/she can learn effective management skills while working. For instance, he/she can learn how to give feedback, treat each employee, and get employees motivated to achieve goals.
Sharing with other Managers
Sharing gives a person an opportunity to reflect on his/her management traits. This helps him/her to takes appropriate action to improve. For instance, if one becomes emotional very first, he/she can learn how to control his/her temper through colleagues (Keller 109).
Seminars and workshops
One can achieve management traits by attending seminars and workshops presided over by management experts. The experts will teach how to develop and nature management traits.
Works Cited
Griffin, Ricky and Gregory Moorhead. Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations. Oxford: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print
Guido, Stein and Pedro Nueno. Managing People and Organizations: Peter Drucker’s Legacy, Bingley: Emerald, 2010. Print.
Keller, Andreas. What is Effective Leadership? Managing People in Organisations. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2011. Print.
Scott, Jonathan. Fundamentals of Leisure Business Success: A Manager’s Guide to Achieving Success in the Leisure and Recreation Industry, New York: Haworth Press Incorporated, 1998. Print.