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You may have used the word ‘management' thousands of times at personal level in the context of leading a hassle-free life. Today this term is used at commercial level too. It has entered all spheres of human life and its popularity has reached an unavoidable stage. This can be accounted with the needs of the present socio-economic structure of every society. Management has been in great practice in the recent past though it is true that earlier it was practiced at a very subtle level. Now it has become a profession and one of the most over-rated characteristics in the economic sector. At personal levels also management has become an essential virtue. This is the reason that more people are taking tips to manage their life with efficiency and pleasure. It cannot be denied that all this has happened for betterment as significant progress is witnessed in all the economic sectors as well as personal domain.
In economic terms, you can describe management as the process of leading and directing all the parts of an organization or a business. It is basically done through an analysis and application of recourses (human, financial, strategic and intellectual). Management is an art to get things done correctly at right place and on right time. You can realize management as a very intrinsic quality that needs to be displayed with confidence at various extrinsic levels. There are many organizations, institutes and consultancy firms that offer management studies, training and tips. However, it entirely depends upon your observation and learning ability to make the best use of the studies. Following guidelines with discipline is a key factor in growing as a good manager. There can be nothing better than self coaching and it can only be accomplished when you are confident of yourself.
Management is a skill that is polished through regular practice and up-gradation. Understanding of the situation and determining the advantages and disadvantages is a primary task in management. An experienced manager will listen to suggestions and find a well-thought solution to some issues or problems. Management is also an art of balance between personal thoughts and influencing factors. Apart from personal management, every other form of management has to be directed towards group interest. Here lies the success of a manager and organization as a whole.
It would be beneficial to know that there are five functions of management. They are planning, organizing, leading, coordinating and controlling. You can understand that there is a need of dynamism for effective management. All these functions are directed towards the six separate branches of management that are categorized to facilitate the studies and application of management. Human resource, Operations management, Strategic management, Marketing management, financial management, and Information technology management
The one who manages various departments is called a manager. Every person is not blessed with this art of management but he or she can be a better manager with a disciplined approach towards learning management. Managers are responsible for all the planning and application of strategies. In an organizational set-up there is a hierarchy of managers who take care of all the management activities within and outside. CEO (he/she is the topmost authority responsible for the success and failure of the company. Sitting at the top of any management, every policies and activities pass through a CEO. Understanding the work of a CEO can give a complete insight to a management activity. Vice president, marketing (he or she is responsible for marketing strategies, advertising, promotions, sales, product management and pricing), Marketing managers and Promotion managers follow the footsteps of a CEO.
Part Two: http://www.bizmanualz.com/articles/01-18-05_Systems_Planning.html?src=ART43
Next Week: Implementation
Before beginning our discussion of The Development Phase, let’s recap. In Phase I (Discovery) we learned how your organization specifies the project mission, objectives and effectiveness criteria. Phase II (Planning) entailed setting requirements for project tools, budgets and schedules to manage your project.
Strong Policy and Procedure System
Now, I’m no entertainment mogul, but The Development Phase reminds me of producing a Hollywood movie. When we sit in a theater and watch the latest blockbuster, we see a finished product and assume it was made pretty much as it looks. And we would be wrong. Making a movie, much like the process of building a strong policy and procedure system, is a non-linear process with a tremendous amount of “behind the scenes” support.
Management and Project Leader
Just as every great movie is guided by a talented Director; your effort to build an effective management system requires a skilled Project Leader. The role is especially critical in the Development Phase because it is during this stage that the time, effort and expense of the entire project cast is involved, and much like the actual shooting phase of a film production, it can consume up to 50% of your project cost.
What skills make a strong Project Leader? Besides the obvious qualities of good organizational, communication and time management skills, I include policy and procedure or process development expertise. Depending on your staff, this may require an outside resource.
Policy and Procedures Document Control
You might be surprised to learn that movies are seldom shot in "linear sequence"... that is, from start to finish. For a number of reasons, the director will organize scenes into groups that are filmed "out of sequence," then edited into their correct place. Similarly, your firm will want to conduct the Development Phase by organizing related processes into a grouping and then completing these before going on to the next set.
Your development work will begin by establishing a policy and procedures document control flow and format (think of these as setting the stage). Next your assigned writers will craft the actual documents from base materials (refining the script). Then a process walk through is performed and tested for compliance and effectiveness (Dress rehearsal). Once this process grouping is completed, you move on to another set.
Development Process
At the end of a film, I’m always amazed at the long scroll of credits after the actor’s names. It takes a tremendous amount of resources to make it all happen, and your development process is no different. You’ll rely on valuable support documents such as job descriptions, forms, technical manuals, training programs and reference material to develop your new management system.
Documentation, Assessment and Review
A motion picture can’t be released until all the scenes are shot and edited. Likewise, you will want to complete the process documentation and a review of ALL your processes as a completed system before moving on to the next phase – Implementation.
The Development Phase should take 2-4 months, depending on the number of processes, compliance requirements and skills of the writers/reviewers.
Next time, we will look at the implementation phase, and see just what is involved.