Is this the traditional interpretation of Management?

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There are some traditional views on management that cover four different aspects. These are planning, organising resources, leading and controlling or coordinating. These functions tend to be considered the tasks of management.

The concept of planning in the business environment includes such elements as identifying goals and objectives. Determining the methods to be used in the achievement of those goals and objectives. They would cover the consideration of the resources required. It would mean deciding on the responsibility of the tasks as well as establishing deliverables.

A manager may be called in to start a new business venture. This could involve starting a new division that would provide a product or service different to what the company was already offering or even starting an entirely new organisation.

Expanding an existing organisation or buying a going venture, product or service could also involve a manager’s time. But in most organisations a manager would plan to improve the current business, product or service.

A manager is involved in organising resources to achieve the goals in the most optimum manner. Some examples of this would be addressing staffing issues that is human resources management, administrative functions such as filing systems and document processes, overseeing the purchasing departments and in general ensuring the smooth running of the business.

There is some argument as to whether a manager should be a leader. Whatever the thought on this, every manager does perform some leadership function. One cannot organise staffing without needing some leadership ability.

Leadership is required even if just to keep staff motivated and willing to work. It can of course be more than that.  Managers may be involved in setting goals and direction for the organisation, groups and individuals.

Managers might then be called upon to ensure those goals are achieved by influencing people to follow through on tasks effectively. To a certain extent this will always involve leadership qualities such as establishing vision, values and goals and championing methods of organisational performance to reach these.

A final function of the traditional role of the manager is to control or coordinate. These would involve establishing feedback procedures, monitoring and adjusting systems, processes and performance criteria and measures to avoid risk.

Management is also often perceived to be the straight forward function of getting things done through others. It could also be seen to be a supporting role that ensures that staff work to their full potential.

To employees though the term management most often refers to the people who are mostly responsible for making decisions in the organisation. In a non profit organisation, the term management might refer to all or some of the activities of the board, executive directors and or program directors.

Many authoritative voices now dispute this rather limiting view of management and find it quite out of touch with modern business. They feel that management is a full leadership role and that it is the skills associated with this function that sets the good managers apart from the mediocre ones. They also assert that leadership must be more facilitative, participative and empowering in how the organisations visions and goals are established and carried out.