Introduction
Control is one of the most important functions of management. Its main objective is to ensure that the activities of an organization are proceeding according to plan. The control process of implementing all managers consists of several stages. Each of these is equally important and plays a large role in effective management.
What is control process?
The control process of management ensures that every activity in a business is pursuing its goals. This process basically helps managers to evaluate the performance of their organization. Using this effectively, they can decide whether to change their plans or continue with them as they are.
The control process consists of the following basic elements and steps: –
1. Establishing goals and standards
- The task of setting goals and standards is done in planning but it also plays a big role in controlling. This is because the main purpose of control is to direct the actions of a business towards its goals. If the members of an organization are clearly aware of their goals, they will devote their full attention in achieving them.
- It is very important for managers to communicate their organization’s goals, standards, and objectives as clearly as possible. There should never be ambiguity among employees in this regard. If everyone works towards common goals, an organization can flourish.
- The goals that managers have to set and act on can be either tangible/specific or intangible/abstract. Tangible goals are those that are easy to quantify in numerical terms. For example, the sales achievement of Rs. The target of 100 crores within a year is a concrete target.
2. Measuring actual performance against goals and standards
- Once managers know what their goals are, they should measure their actual performance and compare. This step basically helps them know if their plans are working as intended.
- After implementing a plan, managers have to continuously monitor and evaluate them. If things are not working properly then they should always be ready to take corrective measures. To do this, they must keep comparing their actual performance with their ultimate goals.
- To compare their actual performance, managers must first measure it. They can employ financial experts by measuring results in a monetary context, seeking customer feedback, etc. This can often be difficult if managers want to measure intangible standards such as industrial relations, market reputation, and more.
3. Taking corrective action
- If there are discrepancies between actual performance and goals, managers need to take corrective action immediately. Timely corrective action can reduce the damage as well as prevent it from recurring in the future.
- Occasionally, business organizations take corrective actions as default in policies. However, when it comes to complex problems, it can be difficult to do.
- In such cases, managers first need to determine the amount of the defect and devise a course of action to measure it. Sometimes, they may have to take extraordinary measures for unexpected problems.
4. Following up on corrective action
- Merely taking corrective measures is not enough; Managers should also lead them to their logical conclusion. Even this step requires thorough evaluation and comparison.
- Managers should solve the problem until they solve it. If they refer it to a subordinate, they should stick around and see that it accomplishes the task. They can also refer to him personally so that later he will be able to solve such problems by himself.