| Management |
Managing staff effectively is vital to succeed in every industry and in order to achieve appropraite management, a full understanding of the term is required
 Fayol H. (1916) Management had 5 elements - · Forecasting then planning for the anticipated future · Organising physical and human resources · Commanding or setting in action and continuing the activities needed to implement plans · Co-ordinating activities to meet goals · Controlling this activity to make sure this is done properly Planning and forecasting is essential yet widely neglected. The more you procrastinate the greater the pressure. The Basic Control Loop target) Essential parts of loop are: · A goal or target - "What am I trying to do?" - Without this the whole idea of control makes no sense. · A way of sensing or measuring what is happening - "What am I actually doing?" · Some means of comparing with this target - "How am I doing?" · Some way of taking action if a discrepancy is found - "What I should have been doing to improve?" The loop needs to be complete, or closed, for ongoing control to be exercised. Absence of any of these components will mean that there is no control: shortcomings in any one of them will mean that control is seriously weakened. Easy to apply models can provide useful checklists whereas difficult ones can change the way you think and become more creative. "CSMART" Objectives The following objectives must be incorporated into every task to achieve required results and for monitoring future targets whilst maintaining efficiency. · Challenging · Specific · Measurable · Achievable · Relevant · Time defined Time dimension is imperative to meet objectives therefore measuring progress at regular intervals, the following steps are useful: Objective Tree · Break down objectives into hierarchies of sub-objectives · Indentify critical paths through these hierarchies · Identify "milestones", i.e. points on these paths at which you will check your progress · Check as per this schedule. To construct a hierarchy of objectives you must start at the top asking "For this to happen, what must I achieve?" and then broken down into a series of specific sub-objectives in order to achieve the final target and schedule achievement of these objectives by implementing deadlines and ways of measuring progress at each stage. Objective tree logic starts with the ultimate objective then identifying needs to be completed to secure the desired outcome.  Action Planning There are several possible formats for an action plan however all must incorporate a list of actions with target dates and leave room to show completion. More complex plans may include lists of resources needed, specify standards to be achieved and allow room for ongoing commentary on progress. "Personal development plan" are often required by employees in the appraisal system ensuring professional skills are constantly monitored and improved. Personal development plans usually specify development needs, learning objectives/outcomes, responsibility for development (individual, manager or HR department), timing and results - what was done, when and how effective it was. Complexity is not always desirable, CIPD guidelines suggest 5 columns: What do I want/need to learn?; What do I do to achieve this?; What resources or support will I need?; What will my success criteria be?; Target dates for review and completion. Remember when action planning that each objective is CSMART forcing logical thinking techniques to achieve stated objectives providing both measurable progress, thus sustaining motivation and time restraints. Planning Charts and Critical Paths Some tasks will have to be completed before others can start. The time period between the earliest and latest points at which they could be started is called "slack". You will often need to plan to use this slack in order to make full use of available time and to help you avoid scheduling more into a period than you can possibly achieve. |
