Managing Change
Managing Change
Definitions of Management and Leadership
- Management is the act of coordinating and overseeing the work of others so that organizational goals can be accomplished.
- Leadership refers to the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizations of which they are members.
Functions of Management and Leadership
- Planning: This involves setting goals and determining the best way to achieve them.
- Organizing: Involves arranging and structuring work to achieve the organization’s goals.
- Leading: This involves directing and motivating all relevant employees to achieve the company’s goals.
- Controlling: This function involves monitoring, comparing, and correcting work .
Business Culture
- Business Culture is the collection of values, expectations, and practices that guide and inform the actions of all team members.
- The culture can heavily influence an organization’s atmosphere and its ability to achieve its objectives.
Management and Leadership Styles
- Autocratic Style: The manager makes decisions without consulting the team.
- Democratic Style: The manager involves team members in decision-making.
- Laissez-faire Style: The manager allows the team to make decisions.
Management and Leadership Skills
- Technical Skills: Ability to perform specific tasks.
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to communicate with, motivate, and lead employees.
- Conceptual Skills: Ability to think critically and make sound decisions.
Human Resources (HR)
- Deals with issues related to employees such as hiring, compensation, performance management, organization development, safety, wellness, benefits, and employee motivation.
- HR develops systems for providing fair and consistent treatment to all employees.
Human Resource Planning
- HR Planning involves gathering of information, making objectives, and making decisions to enable the organization achieve its objectives.
- Surprisingly, many organizations attempt to operate and achieve their objectives without an HR Plan.
Motivation in the Workplace
- Refers to the processes that account for an individual’s intensity, direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.
- Employee motivation can be boosted through incentives, rewards, positive reinforcement, and employee recognition programs.
Techniques to Meet Skills Requirements
- Techniques used may include on-the-job training, off-the-job training, induction training, and apprenticeships.
- Mentoring and coaching can also be effective in developing skills in employees.
Training and Development
- Relates to a company’s effort to equip its employees with the skills required to perform their duties proficiently.
- Training can be conducted in a variety of ways, including on-the-job training, off-the-job training, or through e-learning.
Performance Appraisal
- Refers to the process by which an employee’s job performance is evaluated.
- Performance appraisal is often carried out through an annual review, which aims at measuring an employee’s productivity to decide on promotions, incentives, increments, and future training needs.
Managing Change
- Businesses need to evolve in response to changes in the business environment.
- There are different models and theories of change management such as the Lewin’s Change Management Model, McKinsey 7-S Model and the Kotter’s 8 Step Change Model.
This overview summarizes the key points to consider in the Principles of Management. Remember to review each area thoroughly and understand not only the definitions but also how these concepts work in a practical business setting.