What is Management?

Management is a universal phenomenon. It is a very popular and widely used term. All organizations - business, political, cultural or social are involved in management because it is the management which helps and directs the various efforts towards a definite purpose. According to Harold Koontz, Management is an art of getting things done through and with the people in formally organized groups. It is an art of creating an environment in which people can perform and individuals and can co-operate towards attainment of group goals. According to F.W. Taylor, Management is an art of knowing what to do, when to do and see that it is done in the best and cheapest way. Management is a purposive activity. It is something that directs group efforts towards the attainment of certain pre - determined goals. It is the process of working with and through others to effectively achieve the goals of the organization, by efficiently using limited resources in the changing world. Of course, these goals may vary from one enterprise to another. E.g.: For one enterprise it may be launching of new products by conducting market surveys and for other it may be profit maximization by minimizing cost. Management involves creating an internal environment: - It is the management which puts into use the various factors of production. Therefore, it is the responsibility of management to create such conditions which are conducive to maximum efforts so that people are able to perform their task efficiently and effectively. It includes ensuring availability of raw materials, determination of wages and salaries, formulation of rules & regulations etc. Therefore, we can say that good management includes both being effective and efficient. Being effective means doing the appropriate task i.e, fitting the square pegs in square holes and round pegs in round holes. Being efficient means doing the task correctly, at least possible cost with minimum wastage of resources.

Management as a Profession
Over a large few decades, factors such as growing size of business unit, separation of ownership from management, growing competition etc have led to an increased demand for professionally qualified managers. The task of manager has been quite specialized. As a result of these developments the management has reached a stage where everything is to be managed professionally. A profession may be defined as an occupation that requires specialized knowledge and intensive academic preparations to which entry is regulated by a representative body. The essentials of a profession are: 1. Specialized Knowledge - A profession must have a systematic body of knowledge that can be used for development of professionals. Every professional must make deliberate efforts to acquire expertise in the principles and techniques.

Similarly a manager must have devotion and involvement to acquire expertise in the science of management. 2. Formal Education & Training - There are no. of institutes and universities to impart education & training for a profession. No one can practice a profession without going through a prescribed course. Many institutes of management have been set up for imparting education and training. For example, a CA cannot audit the A/Cs unless he has acquired a degree or diploma for the same but no minimum qualifications and a course of study has been prescribed for managers by law. For example, MBA may be preferred but not necessary. 3. Social Obligations - Profession is a source of livelihood but professionals are primarily motivated by the desire to serve the society. Their actions are influenced by social norms and values. Similarly a manager is responsible not only to its owners but also to the society and therefore he is expected to provide quality goods at reasonable prices to the society. 4. Code of Conduct - Members of a profession have to abide by a code of conduct which contains certain rules and regulations, norms of honesty, integrity and special ethics. A code of conduct is enforced by a representative association to ensure self discipline among its members. Any member violating the code of conduct can be punished and his membership can be withdrawn. The AIMA has prescribed a code of conduct for managers but it has no right to take legal action against any manager who violates it. 5. Representative Association - For the regulation of profession, existance of a representative body is a must. For example, an institute of Charted Accountants of India establishes and administers standards of competence for the auditors but the AIMA however does not have any statuary powers to regulate the activities of managers. From above discussion, it is quite clear that management fulfills several essentials of a profession, even then it is not a full fledged profession because: a. It does not restrict the entry in managerial jobs for account of one standard or other. b. No minimum qualifications have been prescribed for managers. c. No management association has the authority to grant a certificate of practice to various managers. d. All managers are supposed to abide by the code formulated by AIMA, e. Competent education and training facilities do not exist. f. Managers are responsible to many groups such as shareholders, employees and society. A regulatory code may curtail their freedom. g. Managers are known by their performance and not mere degrees.

h. The ultimate goal of business is to maximize profit and not social welfare. That is why Haymes has rightly remarked, The slogan for management is becoming He who serves best, also profits most.

Levels of Management
The term Levels of Management refers to a line of demarcation between various managerial positions in an organization. The number of levels in management increases when the size of the business and work force increases and vice versa. The level of management determines a chain of command, the amount of authority & status enjoyed by any managerial position. The levels of management can be classified in three broad categories: 1. Top level / Administrative level 2. Middle level / Executory 3. Low level / Supervisory / Operative / First-line managers Managers at all these levels perform different functions. The role of managers at all the three levels is discussed below:

LEVELS OF MANAGEMENT
1. Top Level of Management

It consists of board of directors, chief executive or managing director. The top management is the ultimate source of authority and it manages goals and policies for an enterprise. It devotes more time on planning and coordinating functions. The role of the top management can be summarized as follows a. Top management lays down the objectives and broad policies of the enterprise. b. It issues necessary instructions for preparation of department budgets, procedures, schedules etc. c. It prepares strategic plans & policies for the enterprise. d. It appoints the executive for middle level i.e. departmental managers. e. It controls & coordinates the activities of all the departments. f. It is also responsible for maintaining a contact with the outside world. g. It provides guidance and direction. h. The top management is also responsible towards the shareholders for the performance of the enterprise. 2. Middle Level of Management The branch managers and departmental managers constitute middle level. They are responsible to the top management for the functioning of their department. They devote more time to organizational and directional functions. In small organization, there is only one layer of middle level of management but in big enterprises, there may be senior and junior middle level management. Their role can be emphasized as a. They execute the plans of the organization in accordance with the policies and directives of the top management. b. They make plans for the sub-units of the organization. c. They participate in employment & training of lower level management. d. They interpret and explain policies from top level management to lower level. e. They are responsible for coordinating the activities within the division or department. f. It also sends important reports and other important data to top level management. g. They evaluate performance of junior managers. h. They are also responsible for inspiring lower level managers towards better performance.

3. Lower Level of Management Lower level is also known as supervisory / operative level of management. It consists of supervisors, foreman, section officers, superintendent etc. According to R.C. Davis, Supervisory management refers to those executives whose work has to be largely with personal oversight and direction of operative employees. In other words, they are concerned with direction and controlling function of management. Their activities include a. Assigning of jobs and tasks to various workers. b. They guide and instruct workers for day to day activities. c. They are responsible for the quality as well as quantity of production. d. They are also entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining good relation in the organization. e. They communicate workers problems, suggestions, and recommendatory appeals etc to the higher level and higher level goals and objectives to the workers. f. They help to solve the grievances of the workers. g. They supervise & guide the sub-ordinates. h. They are responsible for providing training to the workers. i. They arrange necessary materials, machines, tools etc for getting the things done. j. They prepare periodical reports about the performance of the workers. k. They ensure discipline in the enterprise. l. They motivate workers. m. They are the image builders of the enterprise because they are in direct contact with the workers. Objectives of Management The main objectives of management are: 1. Getting Maximum Results with Minimum Efforts - The main objective of management is to secure maximum outputs with minimum efforts & resources. Management is basically concerned with thinking & utilizing human, material & financial resources in such a manner that would result in best combination. This combination results in reduction of various costs. 2. Increasing the Efficiency of factors of Production - Through proper utilization of various factors of production, their efficiency can be increased to a great extent which can be obtained by reducing spoilage, wastages and breakage of all kinds,

this in turn leads to saving of time, effort and money which is essential for the growth & prosperity of the enterprise. 3. Maximum Prosperity for Employer & Employees - Management ensures smooth and coordinated functioning of the enterprise. This in turn helps in providing maximum benefits to the employee in the shape of good working condition, suitable wage system, incentive plans on the one hand and higher profits to the employer on the other hand. 4. Human betterment & Social Justice - Management serves as a tool for the upliftment as well as betterment of the society. Through increased productivity & employment, management ensures better standards of living for the society. It provides justice through its uniform policies.

Management Functions Planning Function of Management

Planning means looking ahead and chalking out future courses of action to be followed. It is a preparatory step. It is a systematic activity which determines when, how and who is going to perform a specific job. Planning is a detailed programme regarding future courses of action. It is rightly said Well plan is half done. Therefore planning takes into consideration available & prospective human and physical resources of the organization so as to get effective co-ordination, contribution & perfect adjustment. It is the basic management function which includes formulation of one or more detailed plans to achieve optimum balance of needs or demands with the available resources. According to Urwick, Planning is a mental predisposition to do things in orderly way, to think before acting and to act in the light of facts rather than guesses. Planning is deciding best alternative among others to perform different managerial functions in order to achieve predetermined goals. According to Koontz & ODonell, Planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do and who is to do it. Planning bridges the gap between where we are to, where we want to go. It makes possible things to occur which would not otherwise occur. Steps in Planning Function Planning function of management involves following steps:1. Establishment of objectives a. Planning requires a systematic approach. b. Planning starts with the setting of goals and objectives to be achieved. c. Objectives provide a rationale for undertaking various activities as well as indicate direction of efforts.

d. Moreover objectives focus the attention of managers on the end results to be achieved. e. As a matter of fact, objectives provide nucleus to the planning process. Therefore, objectives should be stated in a clear, precise and unambiguous language. Otherwise the activities undertaken are bound to be ineffective. f. As far as possible, objectives should be stated in quantitative terms. For example, Number of men working, wages given, units produced, etc. But such an objective cannot be stated in quantitative terms like performance of quality control manager, effectiveness of personnel manager. g. Such goals should be specified in qualitative terms. h. Hence objectives should be practical, acceptable, workable and achievable. 2. Establishment of Planning Premises a. Planning premises are the assumptions about the lively shape of events in future. b. They serve as a basis of planning. c. Establishment of planning premises is concerned with determining where one tends to deviate from the actual plans and causes of such deviations. d. It is to find out what obstacles are there in the way of business during the course of operations. e. Establishment of planning premises is concerned to take such steps that avoids these obstacles to a great extent. f. Planning premises may be internal or external. Internal includes capital investment policy, management labour relations, philosophy of management, etc. Whereas external includes socio- economic, political and economical changes. g. Internal premises are controllable whereas external are non- controllable. 3. Choice of alternative course of action a. When forecast are available and premises are established, a number of alternative course of actions have to be considered. b. For this purpose, each and every alternative will be evaluated by weighing its pros and cons in the light of resources available and requirements of the organization. c. The merits, demerits as well as the consequences of each alternative must be examined before the choice is being made. d. After objective and scientific evaluation, the best alternative is chosen.

e. The planners should take help of various quantitative techniques to judge the stability of an alternative. 4. Formulation of derivative plans a. Derivative plans are the sub plans or secondary plans which help in the achievement of main plan. b. Secondary plans will flow from the basic plan. These are meant to support and expediate the achievement of basic plans. c. These detail plans include policies, procedures, rules, programmes, budgets, schedules, etc. For example, if profit maximization is the main aim of the enterprise, derivative plans will include sales maximization, production maximization, and cost minimization. d. Derivative plans indicate time schedule and sequence of accomplishing various tasks. 5. Securing Co-operation a. After the plans have been determined, it is necessary rather advisable to take subordinates or those who have to implement these plans into confidence. b. The purposes behind taking them into confidence are :a. Subordinates may feel motivated since they are involved in decision making process. b. The organization may be able to get valuable suggestions and improvement in formulation as well as implementation of plans. c. Also the employees will be more interested in the execution of these plans. 6. Follow up/Appraisal of plans a. After choosing a particular course of action, it is put into action. b. After the selected plan is implemented, it is important to appraise its effectiveness. c. This is done on the basis of feedback or information received from departments or persons concerned. d. This enables the management to correct deviations or modify the plan. e. This step establishes a link between planning and controlling function. f. The follow up must go side by side the implementation of plans so that in the light of observations made, future plans can be made more realistic.

Organizing Function of Management

Organizing is the function of management which follows planning. It is a function in which the synchronization and combination of human, physical and financial resources takes place. All the three resources are important to get results. Therefore, organizational function helps in achievement of results which in fact is important for the functioning of a concern. According toChester Barnard, Organizing is a function by which the concern is able to define the role positions, the jobs related and the co- ordination between authority and responsibility. Hence, a manager always has to organize in order to get results. A manager performs organizing function with the help of following steps:1. Identification of activities - All the activities which have to be performed in a concern have to be identified first. For example, preparation of accounts, making sales, record keeping, quality control, inventory control, etc. All these activities have to be grouped and classified into units. 2. Departmentally organizing the activities - In this step, the manager tries to combine and group similar and related activities into units or departments. This organization of dividing the whole concern into independent units and departments is called departmentation. 3. Classifying the authority - Once the departments are made, the manager likes to classify the powers and its extent to the managers. This activity of giving a rank in order to the managerial positions is called hierarchy. The top management is into formulation of policies, the middle level management into departmental supervision and lower level management into supervision of foremen. The clarification of authority help in bringing efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps in achieving efficiency in the running of a concern. This helps in avoiding wastage of time, money, effort, in avoidance of duplication or overlapping of efforts and this helps in bringing smoothness in a concerns working. 4. Co-ordination between authority and responsibility - Relationships are established among various groups to enable smooth interaction toward the achievment of the organizational goal. Each individual is made aware of his authority and he/she knows whom they have to take orders from and to whom they are accountable and to whom they have to report. A clear organizational structure is drawn and all the employees are made aware of it. Importance of Organizing Function 1. Specialization - Organizational structure is a network of relationships in which the work is divided into units and departments. This division of work is helping in bringing specialization in various activities of concern. 2. Well defined jobs - Organizational structure helps in putting right men on right

job which can be done by selecting people for various departments according to their qualifications, skill and experience. This is helping in defining the jobs properly which clarifies the role of every person. 3. Clarifies authority - Organizational structure helps in clarifying the role positions to every manager (status quo). This can be done by clarifying the powers to every manager and the way he has to exercise those powers should be clarified so that misuse of powers do not take place. Well defined jobs and responsibilities attached helps in bringing efficiency into managers working. This helps in increasing productivity. 4. Co-ordination - Organization is a means of creating co- ordination among different departments of the enterprise. It creates clear cut relationships among positions and ensure mutual co- operation among individuals. Harmony of work is brought by higher level managers exercising their authority over interconnected activities of lower level manager. Authority responsibility relationships can be fruitful only when there is a formal relationship between the two. For smooth running of an organization, the coordination between authority- responsibility is very important. There should be co- ordination between different relationships. Clarity should be made for having an ultimate responsibility attached to every authority. There is a saying, Authority without responsibility leads to ineffective behaviour and responsibility without authority makes person ineffective. Therefore, co- ordination of authority- responsibility is very important. 5. Effective administration - The organization structure is helpful in defining the jobs positions. The roles to be performed by different managers are clarified. Specialization is achieved through division of work. This all leads to efficient and effective administration. 6. Growth and diversification - A companys growth is totally dependant on how efficiently and smoothly a concern works. Efficiency can be brought about by clarifying the role positions to the managers, co-ordination between authority and responsibility and concentrating on specialization. In addition to this, a company can diversify if its potential grow. This is possible only when the organization structure is well- defined. This is possible through a set of formal structure. 7. Sense of security - Organizational structure clarifies the job positions. The roles assigned to every manager is clear. Co- ordination is possible. Therefore, clarity of powers helps automatically in increasing mental satisfaction and thereby a sense of security in a concern. This is very important for job- satisfaction. 8. Scope for new changes - Where the roles and activities to be performed are clear and every person gets independence in his working, this provides enough space to a manager to develop his talents and flourish his knowledge. A manager gets ready for taking independent decisions which can be a road or path to adoption of new techniques of production. This scope for bringing new changes into the running of an enterprise is possible only through a set of organizational structure.

Delegation of Authority A manager alone cannot perform all the tasks assigned to him. In order to meet the targets, the manager should delegate authority. Delegation of Authority means division of authority and powers downwards to the subordinate. Delegation is about entrusting someone else to do parts of your job. Delegation of authority can be defined as subdivision and sub-allocation of powers to the subordinates in order to achieve effective results. Elements of Delegation 1. Authority - in context of a business organization, authority can be defined as the power and right of a person to use and allocate the resources efficiently, to take decisions and to give orders so as to achieve the organizational objectives. Authority must be well- defined. All people who have the authority should know what is the scope of their authority is and they shouldnt misutilize it. Authority is the right to give commands, orders and get the things done. The top level management has greatest authority. Authority always flows from top to bottom. It explains how a superior gets work done from his subordinate by clearly explaining what is expected of him and how he should go about it. Authority should be accompanied with an equal amount of responsibility. Delegating the authority to someone else doesnt imply escaping from accountability. Accountability still rest with the person having the utmost authority. 2. Responsibility - is the duty of the person to complete the task assigned to him. A person who is given the responsibility should ensure that he accomplishes the tasks assigned to him. If the tasks for which he was held responsible are not completed, then he should not give explanations or excuses. Responsibility without adequate authority leads to discontent and dissatisfaction among the person. Responsibility flows from bottom to top. The middle level and lower level management holds more responsibility. The person held responsible for a job is answerable for it. If he performs the tasks assigned as expected, he is bound for praises. While if he doesnt accomplish tasks assigned as expected, then also he is answerable for that. 3. Accountability - means giving explanations for any variance in the actual performance from the expectations set. Accountability can not be delegated. For example, if A is given a task with sufficient authority, and A delegates this task to B and asks him to ensure that task is done well, responsibility rest with B, but accountability still rest with A. The top level management is most accountable. Being accountable means being innovative as the person will think beyond his scope of job. Accountability, in short, means being answerable for the end result. Accountability cant be escaped. It arises from responsibility. For achieving delegation, a manager has to work in a system and has to perform following steps : 1. Assignment of tasks and duties 2. Granting of authority

3. Creating responsibility and accountability Delegation of authority is the base of superior-subordinate relationship, it involves following steps:1. Assignment of Duties - The delegator first tries to define the task and duties to the subordinate. He also has to define the result expected from the subordinates. Clarity of duty as well as result expected has to be the first step in delegation. 2. Granting of authority - Subdivision of authority takes place when a superior divides and shares his authority with the subordinate. It is for this reason, every subordinate should be given enough independence to carry the task given to him by his superiors. The managers at all levels delegate authority and power which is attached to their job positions. The subdivision of powers is very important to get effective results. 3. Creating Responsibility and Accountability - The delegation process does not end once powers are granted to the subordinates. They at the same time have to be obligatory towards the duties assigned to them. Responsibility is said to be the factor or obligation of an individual to carry out his duties in best of his ability as per the directions of superior. Responsibility is very important. Therefore, it is that which gives effectiveness to authority. At the same time, responsibility is absolute and cannot be shifted. Accountability, on the others hand, is the obligation of the individual to carry out his duties as per the standards of performance. Therefore, it is said that authority is delegated, responsibility is created and accountability is imposed. Accountability arises out of responsibility and responsibility arises out of authority. Therefore, it becomes important that with every authority position an equal and opposite responsibility should be attached. Therefore every manager,i.e.,the delegator has to follow a system to finish up the delegation process. Equally important is the delegatees role which means his responsibility and accountability is attached with the authority over to here.

Relationship between Authority and Responsibility Authority is the legal right of person or superior to command his subordinates while accountability is the obligation of individual to carry out his duties as per standards of performance Authority flows from the superiors to subordinates,in which orders and instructions are given to subordinates to complete the task. It is only through authority, a manager exercises control. In a way through exercising the control the superior is demanding accountability from subordinates. If the marketing manager directs the sales supervisor for 50 units of sale to be undertaken in a month. If the above standards are not accomplished, it is the marketing manager who will be accountable to the chief executive officer. Therefore, we can say that authority flows from top to bottom and responsibility flows from bottom to top. Accountability is a result of responsibility and responsibility is result of authority. Therefore, for every authority an equal accountability is attached.

Differences between Authority and Responsibility

Authority Responsibility

It is the legal right of a person or a superior to command his subordinates.

It is the obligation of subordinate to perform the work assigned to him.

Authority is attached to the position of a superior in concern.

Responsibility arises out of superiorsubordinate relationship in which subordinate agrees to carry out duty given to him.

Authority can be delegated by a superior to a subordinate

Responsibility cannot be shifted and is absolute

It flows from top to bottom.

It flows from bottom to top.

Staffing Function of Management

The managerial function of staffing involves manning the organization structure through proper and effective selection, appraisal and development of the personnels to fill the roles assigned to the employers/workforce. According to Theo Haimann, Staffing pertains to recruitment, selection, development and compensation of subordinates. Nature of Staffing Function 1. Staffing is an important managerial function- Staffing function is the most important mangerial act along with planning, organizing, directing and controlling. The operations of these four functions depend upon the manpower which is available through staffing function. 2. Staffing is a pervasive activity- As staffing function is carried out by all mangers and in all types of concerns where business activities are carried out. 3. Staffing is a continuous activity- This is because staffing function continues throughout the life of an organization due to the transfers and promotions that take place. 4. The basis of staffing function is efficient management of personnels- Human resources can be efficiently managed by a system or proper procedure, that is, recruitment, selection, placement, training and development, providing remuneration, etc. 5. Staffing helps in placing right men at the right job. It can be done effectively through proper recruitment procedures and then finally selecting the most suitable candidate as per the job requirements. 6. Staffing is performed by all managers depending upon the nature of business, size of the company, qualifications and skills of managers,etc. In small companies, the top management generally performs this function. In medium and small scale enterprise, it is performed especially by the personnel department of that concern.

Directing Function of Management

DIRECTING is said to be a process in which the managers instruct, guide and oversee the

performance of the workers to achieve predetermined goals. Directing is said to be the heart of management process. Planning,organizing, staffing have got no importance if direction function does not take place. Directing initiates action and it is from here actual work starts. Direction is said to be consisting of human factors. In simple words, it can be described as providing guidance to workers is doing work. In field of management, direction is said to be all those activities which are designed to encourage the subordinates to work effectively and efficiently. According to Human, Directing consists of process or technique by which instruction can be issued and operations can be carried out as originally planned Therefore, Directing is the function of guiding, inspiring, overseeing and instructing people towards accomplishment of organizational goals. Direction has got following characteristics: 1. Pervasive Function - Directing is required at all levels of organization. Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates. 2. Continuous Activity - Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous throughout the life of organization. 3. Human Factor - Directing function is related to subordinates and therefore it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important. 4. Creative Activity - Direction function helps in converting plans into performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources are meaningless. 5. Executive Function - Direction function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels throughout the working of an enterprise, a subordinate receives instructions from his superior only. 6. Delegate Function - Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the peoples behaviour towards the goals of the enterprise is what the executive does in this function. Therefore, it is termed as having delicacy in it to tackle human behaviour. Importance of Directing Function Directing or Direction function is said to be the heart of management of process and therefore, is the central point around which accomplishment of goals take place. A few philosophers call Direction as Life spark of an enterprise. It is also called as on actuating function of management because it is through direction that the operation of an enterprise actually starts. Being the central character of enterprise, it provides many benefits to a concern which are as follows:-

1. It Initiates Actions - Directions is the function which is the starting point of the work performance of subordinates. It is from this function the action takes place, subordinates understand their jobs and do according to the instructions laid. Whatever are plans laid, can be implemented only once the actual work starts. It is there that direction becomes beneficial. 2. It Ingrates Efforts - Through direction, the superiors are able to guide, inspire and instruct the subordinates to work. For this, efforts of every individual towards accomplishment of goals are required. It is through direction the efforts of every department can be related and integrated with others. This can be done through persuasive leadership and effective communication. Integration of efforts bring effectiveness and stability in a concern. 3. Means of Motivation - Direction function helps in achievement of goals. A manager makes use of the element of motivation here to improve the performances of subordinates. This can be done by providing incentives or compensation, whether monetary or non - monetary, which serves as a Morale booster to the subordinates Motivation is also helpful for the subordinates to give the best of their abilities which ultimately helps in growth. 4. It Provides Stability - Stability and balance in concern becomes very important for long term sun survival in the market. This can be brought upon by the managers with the help of four tools or elements of direction function - judicious blend of persuasive leadership, effective communication, strict supervision and efficient motivation. Stability is very important since that is an index of growth of an enterprise. Therefore a manager can use of all the four traits in him so that performance standards can be maintained. 5. Coping up with the changes - It is a human behaviour that human beings show resistance to change. Adaptability with changing environment helps in sustaining planned growth and becoming a market leader. It is directing function which is of use to meet with changes in environment, both internal as external. Effective communication helps in coping up with the changes. It is the role of manager here to communicate the nature and contents of changes very clearly to the subordinates. This helps in clarifications, easy adaptions and smooth running of an enterprise. For example, if a concern shifts from handlooms to powerlooms, an important change in technique of production takes place. The resulting factors are less of manpower and more of machinery. This can be resisted by the subordinates. The manager here can explain that the change was in the benefit of the subordinates. Through more mechanization, production increases and thereby the profits. Indirectly, the subordinates are benefited out of that in form of higher remuneration. 6. Efficient Utilization of Resources - Direction finance helps in clarifying the role of every subordinate towards his work. The resources can be utilized properly only when less of wastages, duplication of efforts, overlapping of performances, etc. doesnt take place. Through direction, the role of subordinates become clear as manager makes use of his supervisory, the guidance, the instructions and motivation skill to inspire the subordinates. This helps in maximum possible

utilization of resources of men, machine, materials and money which helps in reducing costs and increasing profits. From the above discussion, one can justify that direction, surely, is the heart of management process. Heart plays an important role in a human body as it serves the function pumping blood to all parts of body which makes the parts function. In the similar manner, direction helps the subordinates to perform in best of their abilities and that too in a healthy environment. The manager makes use of the four elements of direction here so that work can be accomplished in a proper and right manner. According to Earnest Dale, Directing is what has to be done and in what manner through dictating the procedures and policies for accomplishing performance standards. Therefore, it is rightly said that direction is essence of management process.

Controlling Function of Management

What is Controlling? Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in confirmities with the plans adopted, instructions issued and principles established. Controlling ensures that there is effective and efficient utilization of organizational resources so as to achieve the planned goals. Controlling measures the deviation of actual performance from the standard performance, discovers the causes of such deviations and helps in taking corrective actions According to Brech, Controlling is a systematic exercise which is called as a process of checking actual performance against the standards or plans with a view to ensure adequate progress and also recording such experience as is gained as a contribution to possible future needs. According to Donnell, Just as a navigator continually takes reading to ensure whether he is relative to a planned action, so should a business manager continually take reading to assure himself that his enterprise is on right course. Controlling has got two basic purposes 1. It facilitates co-ordination 2. It helps in planning Features of Controlling Function Following are the characteristics of controlling function of management1. Controlling is an end function- A function which comes once the performances are made in confirmities with plans. 2. Controlling is a pervasive function- which means it is performed by managers at all levels and in all type of concerns.

3. Controlling is forward looking- because effective control is not possible without past being controlled. Controlling always look to future so that follow-up can be made whenever required. 4. Controlling is a dynamic process- since controlling requires taking reviewal methods, changes have to be made wherever possible. 5. Controlling is related with planning- Planning and Controlling are two inseperable functions of management. Without planning, controlling is a meaningless exercise and without controlling, planning is useless. Planning presupposes controlling and controlling succeeds planning.

Process of Controlling Controlling as a management function involves following steps: 1. Establishment of standards- Standards are the plans or the targets which have to be achieved in the course of business function. They can also be called as the criterions for judging the performance. Standards generally are classified into twoa. Measurable or tangible - Those standards which can be measured and expressed are called as measurable standards. They can be in form of cost, output, expenditure, time, profit, etc. b. Non-measurable or intangible- There are standards which cannot be measured monetarily. For example- performance of a manager, deviation of workers, their attitudes towards a concern. These are called as intangible standards. Controlling becomes easy through establishment of these standards because controlling is exercised on the basis of these standards. 2. Measurement of performance- The second major step in controlling is to measure the performance. Finding out deviations becomes easy through measuring the actual performance. Performance levels are sometimes easy to measure and sometimes difficult. Measurement of tangible standards is easy as it can be expressed in units, cost, money terms, etc. Quantitative measurement becomes difficult when performance of manager has to be measured. Performance of a manager cannot be measured in quantities. It can be measured only bya. Attitude of the workers, b. Their morale to work, c. The development in the attitudes regarding the physical environment, and

d. Their communication with the superiors. It is also sometimes done through various reports like weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly reports. 3. Comparison of actual and standard performance- Comparison of actual performance with the planned targets is very important. Deviation can be defined as the gap between actual performance and the planned targets. The manager has to find out two things here- extent of deviation and cause of deviation. Extent of deviation means that the manager has to find out whether the deviation is positive or negative or whether the actual performance is in conformity with the planned performance. The managers have to exercise control by exception. He has to find out those deviations which are critical and important for business. Minor deviations have to be ignored. Major deviations like replacement of machinery, appointment of workers, quality of raw material, rate of profits, etc. should be looked upon consciously. Therefore it is said, If a manager controls everything, he ends up controlling nothing. For example, if stationery charges increase by a minor 5 to 10%, it can be called as a minor deviation. On the other hand, if monthly production decreases continuously, it is called as major deviation. Once the deviation is identified, a manager has to think about various cause which has led to deviation. The causes can bea. Erroneous planning, b. Co-ordination loosens, c. Implementation of plans is defective, and d. Supervision and communication is ineffective, etc. 4. Taking remedial actions- Once the causes and extent of deviations are known, the manager has to detect those errors and take remedial measures for it. There are two alternatives herea. Taking corrective measures for deviations which have occurred; and b. After taking the corrective measures, if the actual performance is not in conformity with plans, the manager can revise the targets. It is here the controlling process comes to an end. Follow up is an important step because it is only through taking corrective measures, a manager can exercise controlling. Relationship between planning and controlling Planning and controlling are two separate fuctions of management, yet they are closely related. The scope of activities if both are overlapping to each other. Without the basis of planning, controlling activities becomes baseless and without controlling, planning becomes a meaningless exercise. In absense of controlling, no purpose can be served by.

Therefore, planning and controlling reinforce each other. According to Billy Goetz, " Relationship between the two can be summarized in the following points 1. Planning preceeds controlling and controlling succeeds planning. 2. Planning and controlling are inseperable functions of management. 3. Activities are put on rails by planning and they are kept at right place through controlling. 4. The process of planning and controlling works on Systems Approach which is as follows : Planning Results Corrective Action

Planning and controlling are integral parts of an organization as both are important for smooth running of an enterprise. 5. Planning and controlling reinforce each other. Each drives the other function of management. In the present dynamic environment which affects the organization, the strong relationship between the two is very critical and important. In the present day environment, it is quite likely that planning fails due to some unforeseen events. There controlling comes to the rescue. Once controlling is done effectively, it give us stimulus to make better plans. Therfore, planning and controlling are inseperate functions of a business enterprise. What is Motivation ? Motivation is the word derived from the word motive which means needs, desires, wants or drives within the individuals. It is the process of stimulating people to actions to accomplish the goals. In the work goal context the psychological factors stimulating the peoples behaviour can be

desire for money success recognition job-satisfaction team work, etc

One of the most important functions of management is to create willingness amongst the employees to perform in the best of their abilities. Therefore the role of a leader is to arouse interest in performance of employees in their jobs. The process of motivation consists of three stages:1. A felt need or drive 2. A stimulus in which needs have to be aroused

3. When needs are satisfied, the satisfaction or accomplishment of goals. Therefore, we can say that motivation is a psychological phenomenon which means needs and wants of the individuals have to be tackled by framing an incentive plan. Importance of Motivation Motivation is a very important for an organization because of the following benefits it provides:1. Puts human resources into action Every concern requires physical, financial and human resources to accomplish the goals. It is through motivation that the human resources can be utilized by making full use of it. This can be done by building willingness in employees to work. This will help the enterprise in securing best possible utilization of resources. 2. Improves level of efficiency of employees The level of a subordinate or a employee does not only depend upon his qualifications and abilities. For getting best of his work performance, the gap between ability and willingness has to be filled which helps in improving the level of performance of subordinates. This will result intoa. Increase in productivity, b. Reducing cost of operations, and c. Improving overall efficiency. 3. Leads to achievement of organizational goals The goals of an enterprise can be achieved only when the following factors take place :a. There is best possible utilization of resources, b. There is a co-operative work environment, c. The employees are goal-directed and they act in a purposive manner, d. Goals can be achieved if co-ordination and co-operation takes place simultaneously which can be effectively done through motivation. 4. Builds friendly relationship

Motivation is an important factor which brings employees satisfaction. This can be done by keeping into mind and framing an incentive plan for the benefit of the employees. This could initiate the following things: a. Monetary and non-monetary incentives, b. Promotion opportunities for employees, c. Disincentives for inefficient employees. In order to build a cordial, friendly atmosphere in a concern, the above steps should be taken by a manager. This would help in: d. Effective co-operation which brings stability, e. Industrial dispute and unrest in employees will reduce, f. The employees will be adaptable to the changes and there will be no resistance to the change, g. This will help in providing a smooth and sound concern in which individual interests will coincide with the organizational interests, h. This will result in profit maximization through increased productivity. 5. Leads to stability of work force Stability of workforce is very important from the point of view of reputation and goodwill of a concern. The employees can remain loyal to the enterprise only when they have a feeling of participation in the management. The skills and efficiency of employees will always be of advantage to employees as well as employees. This will lead to a good public image in the market which will attract competent and qualified people into a concern. As it is said, Old is gold which suffices with the role of motivation here, the older the people, more the experience and their adjustment into a concern which can be of benefit to the enterprise. From the above discussion, we can say that motivation is an internal feeling which can be understood only by manager since he is in close contact with the employees. Needs, wants and desires are inter-related and they are the driving force to act. These needs can be understood by the manager and he can frame motivation plans accordingly. We can say that motivation therefore is a continuous process since motivation process is based on needs which are unlimited. The process has to be continued throughout. We can summarize by saying that motivation is important both to an individual and a business. Motivation is important to an individual as: 1. Motivation will help him achieve his personal goals.

2. If an individual is motivated, he will have job satisfaction. 3. Motivation will help in self-development of individual. 4. An individual would always gain by working with a dynamic team. Similarly, motivation is important to a business as: 1. The more motivated the employees are, the more empowered the team is. 2. The more is the team work and individual employee contribution, more profitable and successful is the business. 3. During period of amendments, there will be more adaptability and creativity. 4. Motivation will lead to an optimistic and challenging attitude at work place. Motivation and Morale - Relationship and Differences Morale can be defined as the total satisfaction derived by an individual from his job, his work-group, his superior, the organization he works for and the environment. It generally relates to the feeling of individuals comfort, happiness and satisfaction. According to Davis, Morale is a mental condition of groups and individuals which determines their attitude. In short, morale is a fusion of employees attitudes, behaviours, manifestation of views and opinions - all taken together in their work scenarios, exhibiting the employees feelings towards work, working terms and relation with their employers. Morale includes employees attitudes on and specific reaction to their job. There are two states of morale: High morale - High morale implies determination at work- an essential in achievement of management objectives. High morale results in:

A keen teamwork on part of the employees. Organizational Commitment and a sense of belongingness in the employees mind. Immediate conflict identification and resolution. Healthy and safe work environment. Effective communication in the organization. Increase in productivity. Greater motivation.

Low morale - Low morale has following features: Greater grievances and conflicts in organization. High rate of employee absenteeism and turnover.

Dissatisfaction with the superiors and employers. Poor working conditions. Employees frustration. Decrease in productivity. Lack of motivation.

Though motivation and morale are closely related concepts, they are different in following ways: While motivation is an internal-psychological drive of an individual which urges him to behave in a specific manner, morale is more of a group scenario. Higher motivation often leads to higher morale of employees, but high morale does not essentially result in greatly motivated employees as to have a positive attitude towards all factors of work situation may not essentially force the employees to work more efficiently. While motivation is an individual concept, morale is a group concept. Thus, motivation takes into consideration the individual differences among the employees, and morale of the employees can be increased by taking those factors into consideration which influence group scenario or total work settings. Motivation acquires primary concern in every organization, while morale is a secondary phenomenon because high motivation essentially leads to higher productivity while high morale may not necessarily lead to higher productivity. Things tied to morale are usually things that are just part of the work environment, and things tied to motivation are tied to the performance of the individual.

Self Motivation at Work Self-motivation is a power that drives us to keep moving ahead. It encourages continuous learning and success, whatever be the scenario. Self-motivation is a primary means of realizing our goals and progressing. It is basically related to our inventiveness in setting

dynamic goals for ourselves, and our faith that we possess the required skills and competencies for achieving those challenging goals. We often feel the need for selfmotivation. Following are the ways/techniques for self-motivation: Communicate and talk to get motivated: Communicating with someone can boost up your energy and make you go on track. Talk with optimistic and motivated individuals. They can be your colleagues, friends, wife, or any one with whom you can share your ideas. Remain optimistic: When facing hurdles; we always make efforts to find how to overcome them. Also, one should understand the good in bad. Discover your interest area: If you lack interest in current task, you should not proceed and continue with it. If an individual has no interest in the task, but if it is essential to perform, he should correlate it with a bigger ultimate goal. Self-acknowledgement: One should know when his motivation level is saturated and he feels like on top of the world. There will be a blueprint that once an individual acknowledge, he can proceed with his job and can grow. Monitor and record your success: Maintain a success bar for the assignments you are currently working on. When you observe any progress, you will obviously want to foster it. Uplift energy level: Energy is very essential for self-motivation. Do regular exercises. Have proper sleep. Have tea/coffee during breaks to refresh you. Assist, support and motivate others: Discuss and share your views and ideas with your friends and peers and assist them in getting motivated. When we observe others performing good, it will keep us motivated too. Invite feedback from others on your achievements. Encourage learning: Always encourage learning. Read and grasp the logic and jist of the reading. Learning makes an individual more confident in commencing new

assignments. Break your bigger goals into smaller goals: Set a short time deadline for each smaller goal so as to achieve bigger goal on time.

Leadership Basics What is Leadership Leadership is a process by which an executive can direct, guide and influence the behavior and work of others towards accomplishment of specific goals in a given situation. Leadership is the ability of a manager to induce the subordinates to work with confidence and zeal. Leadership is the potential to influence behaviour of others. It is also defined as the capacity to influence a group towards the realization of a goal. Leaders are required to develop future visions, and to motivate the organizational members to want to achieve the visions. According to Keith Davis, Leadership is the ability to persuade others to seek defined objectives enthusiastically. It is the human factor which binds a group together and motivates it towards goals. Characteristics of Leadership 1. It is a inter-personal process in which a manager is into influencing and guiding workers towards attainment of goals. 2. It denotes a few qualities to be present in a person which includes intelligence, maturity and personality. 3. It is a group process. It involves two or more people interacting with each other. 4. A leader is involved in shaping and moulding the behaviour of the group towards accomplishment of organizational goals. 5. Leadership is situation bound. There is no best style of leadership. It all depends upon tackling with the situations. Role of a Leader Following are the main roles of a leader in an organization : 1. Required at all levels- Leadership is a function which is important at alllevels of management. In the top level, it is important for getting co-operation in formulation of plans and policies. In the middle and lower level, it is required for interpretation and execution of plans and programmes framed by the top

management. Leadership can be exercised through guidance and counseling of the subordinates at the time of execution of plans. 2. Representative of the organization- A leader, i.e., a manager is said to be the representative of the enterprise. He has to represent the concern at seminars, conferences, general meetings, etc. His role is to communicate the rationale of the enterprise to outside public. He is also representative of the own department which he leads. 3. Integrates and reconciles the personal goals with organizational goals- A leader through leadership traits helps in reconciling/ integrating the personal goals of the employees with the organizational goals. He is trying to co-ordinate the efforts of people towards a common purpose and thereby achieves objectives. This can be done only if he can influence and get willing co-operation and urge to accomplish the objectives. 4. He solicits support- A leader is a manager and besides that he is a person who entertains and invites support and co- operation of subordinates. This he can do by his personality, intelligence, maturity and experience which can provide him positive result. In this regard, a leader has to invite suggestions and if possible implement them into plans and programmes of enterprise. This way, he can solicit full support of employees which results in willingness to work and thereby effectiveness in running of a concern. 5. As a friend, philosopher and guide- A leader must possess the three dimensional traits in him. He can be a friend by sharing the feelings, opinions and desires with the employees. He can be a philosopher by utilizing his intelligence and experience and thereby guiding the employees as and when time requires. He can be a guide by supervising and communicating the employees the plans and policies of top management and secure their co-operation to achieve the goals of a concern. At times he can also play the role of a counselor by counseling and a problem-solving approach. He can listen to the problems of the employees and try to solve them. Qualities of a Leader A leader has got multidimensional traits in him which makes him appealing and effective in behavior. The following are the requisites to be present in a good leader: 1. Physical appearance- A leader must have a pleasing appearance. Physique and health are very important for a good leader. 2. Vision and foresight- A leader cannot maintain influence unless he exhibits that he is forward looking. He has to visualize situations and thereby has to frame logical programmes. 3. Intelligence- A leader should be intelligent enough to examine problems and difficult situations. He should be analytical who weighs pros and cons and then summarizes the situation. Therefore, a positive bent of mind and mature outlook is very important.

4. Communicative skills- A leader must be able to communicate the policies and procedures clearly, precisely and effectively. This can be helpful in persuasion and stimulation. 5. Objective- A leader has to be having a fair outlook which is free from bias and which does not reflects his willingness towards a particular individual. He should develop his own opinion and should base his judgement on facts and logic. 6. Knowledge of work- A leader should be very precisely knowing the nature of work of his subordinates because it is then he can win the trust and confidence of his subordinates. 7. Sense of responsibility- Responsibility and accountability towards an individuals work is very important to bring a sense of influence. A leader must have a sense of responsibility towards organizational goals because only then he can get maximum of capabilities exploited in a real sense. For this, he has to motivate himself and arouse and urge to give best of his abilities. Only then he can motivate the subordinates to the best. 8. Self-confidence and will-power- Confidence in himself is important to earn the confidence of the subordinates. He should be trustworthy and should handle the situations with full will power. (You can read more about Self-Confidence at : Self Confidence - Tips to be Confident and Eliminate Your Apprehensions). 9. Humanist-This trait to be present in a leader is essential because he deals with human beings and is in personal contact with them. He has to handle the personal problems of his subordinates with great care and attention. Therefore, treating the human beings on humanitarian grounds is essential for building a congenial environment. 10. Empathy- It is an old adage Stepping into the shoes of others. This is very important because fair judgement and objectivity comes only then. A leader should understand the problems and complaints of employees and should also have a complete view of the needs and aspirations of the employees. This helps in improving human relations and personal contacts with the employees. From the above qualities present in a leader, one can understand the scope of leadership and its importance for scope of business. A leader cannot have all traits at one time. But a few of them helps in achieving effective results. Leadership and Management - Relationship & Differences Leadership and management are the terms that are often considered synonymous. It is essential to understand that leadership is an essential part of effective management. As a crucial component of management, remarkable leadership behaviour stresses upon building an environment in which each and every employee develops and excels. Leadership is defined as the potential to influence and drive the group efforts towards the accomplishment of goals. This influence may originate from formal sources, such as that

provided by acquisition of managerial position in an organization. A manager must have traits of a leader, i.e., he must possess leadership qualities. Leaders develop and begin strategies that build and sustain competitive advantage. Organizations require robust leadership and robust management for optimal organizational efficiency. Differences between Leadership and Management Leadership differs from management in a sense that: 1. While managers lay down the structure and delegates authority and responsibility, leaders provides direction by developing the organizational vision and communicating it to the employees and inspiring them to achieve it. 2. While management includes focus on planning, organizing, staffing, directing and controlling; leadership is mainly a part of directing function of management. Leaders focus on listening, building relationships, teamwork, inspiring, motivating and persuading the followers. 3. While a leader gets his authority from his followers, a manager gets his authority by virtue of his position in the organization. 4. While managers follow the organizations policies and procedure, the leaders follow their own instinct. 5. Management is more of science as the managers are exact, planned, standard, logical and more of mind. Leadership, on the other hand, is an art. In an organization, if the managers are required, then leaders are a must/essential. 6. While management deals with the technical dimension in an organization or the job content; leadership deals with the people aspect in an organization. 7. While management measures/evaluates people by their name, past records, present performance; leadership sees and evaluates individuals as having potential for things that cant be measured, i.e., it deals with future and the performance of people if their potential is fully extracted. 8. If management is reactive, leadership is proactive. 9. Management is based more on written communication, while leadership is based more on verbal communication.

Leader versus Manager

Leadership and managership are two synonymous terms is an incorrect statement. Leadership doesnt require any managerial position to act as a leader. On the other hand, a manager can be a true manager only if he has got the traits of leader in him. By virtue of his position, manager has to provide leadership to his group. A manager has to perform all five functions to achieve goals, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, and Controlling. Leadership is a part of these functions. Leadership as a general term is not

related to managership. A person can be a leader by virtue of qualities in him. For example: leader of a club, class, welfare association, social organization, etc. Therefore, it is true to say that, All managers are leaders, but all leaders are not managers. A leader is one who influences the behavior and work of others in group efforts towards achievement of specified goals in a given situation. On the other hand, manager can be a true manager only if he has got traits of leader in him. Manager at all levels are expected to be the leaders of work groups so that subordinates willingly carry instructions and accept their guidance. A person can be a leader by virtue of all qualities in him.

Leaders and Managers can be compared on the following basis: Basis Manager Leader

Origin

A person becomes a manager by virtue of his position.

A person becomes a leader on basis of his personal qualities.

Formal Rights

Manager has got formal rights in an organization because of his status.

Rights are not available to a leader.

Followers

The subordinates are the followers of managers.

The group of employees whom the leaders leads are his followers.

Functions

A manager performs all five functions of management.

Leader influences people to work willingly for group objectives.

Necessity

A manager is very essential to a concern.

A leader is required to create cordial relation between person working in and for organization.

Stability

It is more stable.

Leadership is temporary.

Mutual Relationship

All managers are leaders.

All leaders are not managers.

Accountability

Manager is accountable for self and subordinates behaviour and performance.

Leaders have no well defined accountability.

Concern

A managers concern is organizational goals.

A leaders concern is group goals and members satisfaction.

Followers

People follow manager by virtue of job description.

People follow them on voluntary basis.

Role continuation

A manager can continue in office till he performs his duties satisfactorily in congruence with organizational goals.

A leader can maintain his position only through day to day wishes of followers.

Sanctions

Manager has command over allocation and distribution of sanctions.

A leader has command over different sanctions and related task records. These sanctions are essentially of informal nature.

Understanding Communication and the Communication Process Lisa works as a Brand Executive with a reputed multinational firm. She was asked to deliver a presentation on her assignments and achievements. Her appraisal was due that month, and she did not get her promotion. No points for guessing, her presentation played

the culprit. Her thoughts were not at all clear and she could not express her views in front of her boss and the top management. Such is the importance of communication or to be very precise effective communication. Let us first try to find out what communication actually is ? Understanding Communication A famous quote says - The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives The process of passing any information from one person to the other person with the aid of some medium is termed as communication. The first party who sends the information is called the sender and the second party who receives the information, decodes the information and accordingly responds is called the receiver or the recipient. Thus in simpler terms communication is simply a process where the sender sends the information to the receiver for him to respond. Sender -----------------------------Receiver ----Information

Communication process is a simple process where a message is being transferred from a sender to the receiver. The receiver after receiving the message understands the message in the desired form and then acts accordingly. The Process of Sending the Message The first party or the sender first thinks of information, whatever he intends to communicate or transfer to the others. Then he puts the information or the message in words or prepare a content. The process of putting the thoughts in words is called encoding. Finally the content after being ready is transmitted to the receiver. The process of receiving the Message The message reaches the sender, who then decodes the message or in simpler terms breaks the information, understands it and responds to the receiver. The sender also gives feedback to the receiver after he has understood the complete information. Communication in simpler terms is a process of passing the information from the first party (sender) to the second party (receiver). Communication plays a vital role not only in organizations or ones professional career but also is essential in day to day life. Different Types of Communication

Verbal communication Verbal communication is a type of communication where the information flows through verbal medium like words, speeches, presentations etc. In verbal communication the sender shares his/her thoughts in the form of words. In organizations, individuals communicate verbally among each other in the form of dialogues, speech, presentations, discussions to name a few. The tone of the speaker, the pitch and the quality of words play a crucial role in verbal communication. The speaker has to be loud and clear and the content has to be properly defined. Haphazard and unorganized thoughts only lead to confusions and misunderstandings among individuals. In verbal communication, an individual must understand the importance of words and how to put them across. While speaking the pitch ought to be high and clear for everyone to understand and the content must be designed keeping the target audience in mind. In verbal communication it is the responsibility of the sender to cross check with the receiver whether he has downloaded the correct information or not and the sender must give the required response.

Role of Effective Communication in Organization and Personal Life

Effective communication plays an important role not only in organization but is equally important in personal life. Role in Organization It is rightly said that the success of an organization depends on the transparency between the team members and clear understanding of ideas between them. How does anyone has clear understanding of ideas? The answer is effective communication. Let us go through the following example: Parry works with a reputed firm with two members directly reporting to her. She wanted to complete an assignment by the day end with two files being made where one file would have the complete company profile, SWOT Analysis and the other file would brief about the competitors activities and how to improve her companys position in the market. She called a team meeting in the morning and simply told the team members to prepare a report. She never mentioned the deadline. The team members took their own sweet time and failed to prepare the report in Parrys desired format. No point in guessing that they were severely criticized by Parry. Was it their fault ? Not at all, it was Parrys fault, she did not effectively communicate to her team. Effective communication plays a very important role in achieving organizational goals. The role of effective communication in an organization starts from the day an employee joins the firm. It is the prime responsibility of the human resources department to clearly

inform the employee the rules and policies of the organization for him to perform efficiently. Effective communication is important at all the levels in an organization. Every individual should be on the same platform and the clarity of ideas, messages is mandatory for smooth flow of work. The team leader must make it a point to effectively communicate what he actually expects from his fellow workers. The details, the important deadlines, must be made very clear to the employees to expect productivity from their side. The team members should also be clear about their goals and can work accordingly. Instead of verbal communications e-mails are a better option for effective communication.Dont just speak, use whiteboards, diaries and the recipients must note the information in notepads to prevent loss of data and enhance the output. Role in Personal life It is not only the organization but also the personal life where communication plays an important role. Please go through the following example. Maddy to Doctor - I want a painkiller The poor doctor would never come to know whether Maddy has a headache or is suffering from shoulder pain or injury in any other part of the body. This is how effective communication is important in personal life. Maddy forgot to make his point clear leading to confusion. The child has to make clear whether he wants to have pizza or pasta or simply would prefer cornflakes in breakfast. He has to effectively communicate to his nanny about his choice otherwise the poor nanny would never come to know what the child wants. There should be clarity of thoughts between the husband and the wife and here effective communication plays the magic. One goes to a market and if he doesnt know what he wishes to buy, the shopkeeper would never understand. The sender must have clarity of thoughts, must express his ideas in the best possible way and also cross check with the receiver. No matter how brilliant your idea is, you need to effectively communicate. A husband would never have a clue what his wife wants from him unless and until she effectively communicates. A child will be unaware of his parents expectations from him unless they effectively pass on their message to him. Effective communication also reduces the conflicts and results in a better understanding among individuals. Thus speaking only is not important, you need to take care that your information is passed on correctly and received correctly.

Strategies to Improve Communication

Effective communication is the process of successful transmission of the message from the sender o the receiver. If the receiver is able to download the message in exactly the same way as the sender intended to do, communication is effective. The receiver must understand what the speaker wants to convey and accordingly must give his valuable feedback or simply respond. If any of the participants whether the sender or the receiver

is not clear about the content of the conversation, the communication is said to be ineffective. Effective communication not only plays a key role in organizations but also in ones personal life. An individual is not born with an effective communication, it comes with due course of time and of course through lots of practice and dedication. Let us try to understand how one can improve communication skills in day to day life. The golden rule to an effective communication in day to day scenario is to listen attentively. A good listening power goes a long way in improving the communication skills of an individual. Dont just speak, also listen. Try to grasp new words, correct pronunciations from your friends and other people. If you feel you are pronouncing a particular word in not the desired form, dont hesitate or feel shy, instead, learn from others the correct way. Remember there is no limit and age to learn new things. One can do it almost everyday. Gone are the days when television was considered an idiot box. Who says one cant gain anything while watching Television? While watching any talk show, or an interactive program on television, dont simply stare at the pictures only, instead keep your ears and mind alert and try to follow the participants accent, selection of words, the flow of words and gain as much as you can. In any conversation, listen carefully what the other person is speaking and then only respond. Try to understand what the speaker wishes to convey. Never stop the speaker in between and rush with your questions. The question answer round must come at the end of the conversation. During any conversation, if you are not clear with any word, dont just ignore, immediately refer to a dictionary or any other vocabulary site. Read a lot as reading also helps in improving the communication skills. Cant find a book, simply pick up the newspaper and read. It enriches ones vocabulary and one would never fall short of words and ideas while communicating. Practice also helps in improving the communication skills. The more you speak, the more confident you are, and more effective your communication is. Never speak at a noisy place. Avoid communicating at overcrowded buses, market place, construction sites, railway stations, busy streets as noise overpowers the actual content at all such places. Mike and Jackson were at a construction site, where the labours were howling and screaming and the machines were making all kind of noises. Mike had to convey an urgent message to Jackson. How do you think Mike should have communicated ? The ideal way to communicate in such a scenario is a text message as verbal communication would have been ineffective as Jackson would never be able to hear the message properly leading to wrong interpretations and misunderstandings. If the facility of text message is not available, its better to wait for the right time.

Speaking clearly and properly is the mantra to an effective communication. Never keep your thoughts within yourself, instead put your ideas in a sensible and meaningful content after carefully selecting the words. Remember selection of words is of utmost importance as any wrong word can distort the message and change the meaning of the sentence completely. Dont keep half of your thoughts in mind, always speak clearly. If you want to order a Chicken Burger, please do specify your preference. If you dont want to accompany your friends to a party, make them very clear. The pitch and tone of the communication must also be kept in mind for an effective communication. Never speak in between two individuals as it would always lead to confusions and misunderstandings and no one will be clear what the other person wants to convey. Always try to understand the mood of the second party before communicating . If the other party is in a fowl mood, prefer to convey your message later. Dont just immediately start with your message, instead first break the ice by some warm words, pleasant greetings and compliments. Make sure to make an eye contact with the other party for the desired effect. Basic Idea of Presentation Preparation, Content and Delivery Michael was working as a Brand Promotions Manager with a reputed firm. He was doing very well and was the apple of his bosss eye. One day, he had to deliver a presentation on his achievements and contributions to the organization in the past few months and also include his future plans in front of the organizations board of directors. Michael was tensed as he was not too good in making presentations. Professionals generally rely on presentations to share their responsibilities, achievements or any other important information with a wider audience. Through presentations, an individual can actually collate and summarize all his reports, important data and effectively communicate to the desired recipients. A presentation is ideally made on Microsoft Office PowerPoint with the help of slides. The number of slides to be used in the presentation is directly proportional to the content of the presentation. Ideally the number of slides should range between ten to fifteen. The slide design, the font style, background colour all depend on the individuals taste and choice. It is always advisable to keep the slides simple for corporate presentations. How to prepare a presentation ? Whenever a topic is assigned, the first and foremost task an individual must do is to jot down all the points he wishes to cover in the presentation. Always first be very clear what all you want to include in your presentation and what all can be left out. Avoid flowery English, stylish fonts as they are considered unprofessional, instead use bullet points. Do keep in mind the time limit allotted to you for the presentation and try to finish your presentation within the time limited allocated to you. Remember a presentation can either make or break your as well as your organizations image. A presentation is actually a mirror of an individual or an organizations performance and achievements and what all he intends to do.A bad and an ineffective

presentation can tarnish your organizations image completely. You have to cover each and every point and just cant afford to miss a single point as it might result in an ineffective presentation. Be very careful about the content of your presentation. Carefully choose the words, use short sentences and cover as much information as you can. Support your content with piecharts, graphs, diagrams, tables or pictorial representations to make the presentation self explanatory. Try to include examples from real life situations for better understanding. Dont add many slides or repeat the content and make the presentation too long. A long presentation is not necessarily an effective presentation. Your presentation must not exceed the time limit assigned to you as it would lead to boredom. Always begin your presentation with a slide including the title of the topic assigned to you, your name as well as your organizations name. The presentation should end with a Thank You Slide to thank your audience for being patient enough to listen to you till the end. Also dont make the presentation too complicated or else the audience might not understand what you intend to convey. Keep it simple and self explanatory and do keep your audience in mind while preparing your presentation. Understand their educational, cultural background as well as their thought process to design your presentation. Highlight the important points in the slides for an effective presentation. All the above tips will help you in preparing a presentation, but the presentation will not be effective unless and until you deliver it efficiently. Delivering a Presentation Always begin your presentation with a warm smile. It actually works! Greet your audience well to create a friendly ambience. These gestures go a long way in breaking the ice. Start your presentation by introducing yourself as well as your organization. Remember it is not just a mere introduction but actually a trailer of your complete presentation. The first impression is the last impression and the five minutes of introduction has to be very effective and powerful to capture the interest of the audience so that they are with you till the end. Prepare your introduction well and do practice it once or twice before the final shot. Come to the slides one by one and explain them confidently and convincingly. Dont be in a rush to finish your presentation. Include instances from your personal experiences as it would help the listeners to relate themselves with the presentation. Dont feel nervous at any point of the presentation or else the listeners will also loose their interest. It is absolutely okay to read the presentation but dont forget to make the eye contact with your audience. Eye contact creates the magic and the listeners start believing you Do take pauses after each slide and invite questions from the listeners. More questions indicate an attentive crowd. Never include anything which you yourself dont know. It becomes really embarrassing if you fail to answer your listeners. Stay calm, composed and comfortable. No need to panic as no one will bite you. Maintain a tone audible to one and all even to people sitting on the last rows. Also do consult your IT Engineer or the concerned department before the presentation to ensure proper functioning of your system (desktop or laptop) as well as the microphone.

The mike quality has to be good otherwise your voice will tend to crack in between and fail to create the desired effect. Take care of your hand movements, posture, facial expressions to make your presentation interactive. One can actually walk away with all the credit if he has the ability to deliver the presentation in an effective and impressive manner. Presentation is no rocket science, you just have to be very clear about the content, design template of the slides and give your best while delivering it. Do practice it well in front of the mirror and be your own critic. Understand the purpose of the presentation, the need of the presentation and how it can benefit you and your organization. Adopt a positive approach and believe in yourself to deliver an effective presentation and win the applauds of the audience.

Role of Communication in Presentation and Speech

To deliver an effective presentation or speech, an individual has to take care of his communication and it has to be really impressive and effective. No one will really take the pains to listen to your ideas unless and until your communication is effective and impressive. Only speaking is not the solution, how you deliver your presentation or speech is more important and thus should be taken good care of. Before delivering any presentation, make it a habit to read your presentation aloud once or twice as it will definitely give you the needed confidence. You must be clear with each and every slide. Never deliver your presentation in a noisy area as it would distract the audience and they would never be able to concentrate on your presentation and thus nullifying its effect. Prefer a conference room or the board room with pin drop silence for the same. It is the prime responsibility of every member in the audience as well as the speaker to keep their mobiles in the silent mode. The speaker must also be very careful about his dressing. Your dress code must be formal with light colours. Wear a formal tie, shoes must be polished and avoid wearing bracelets or any other jewellery as the clattering sound can act as a disturbing element. Never be shabby or adopt a casual approach. Look your best on the day of the presentation. Speak clearly and convincingly and do take care of your accent. Communicate in the most convincing and impressive way. Carefully convert your thoughts into content. The content has to be very sensible, related to the topic and above all convey your information in the best possible way. Your words have to instantly hit the audience and have a long and a lasting impression on them. Take care how you speak. Dont keep half of your words in your mouth or stammer. Dont forget to take pauses in between slides. You can also include some light jokes in between to break the monotony. The best possible way to keep the last bench audience awake is to reach out to them also. Dont just speak for the person sitting under your nose. The tone has to be loud enough so that everyone is able to hear you properly and above all understand you well. Speak slowly with the desired expressions. Dont rush. Keep your presentation interactive and ask lots of questions from the audience - a very simple way to find out whether they are attentive or not. The pie charts, graphs, tables might be very simple for you, but can be

complicated for the others. Make it a point to explain the pictorial representations properly preferably with the aid of a scale or a pointer. It is not only the verbal communication which is important but also the non verbal communication which should never be ignored. Your facial expressions must be in tune with the content. If your slides indicate that you have overachieved your target a particular month, smile. Never smile if there is a dip in your performance in the next slide. Look positive and promising. Learn how to keep a check on your emotions. Take care of your postures, hand movements as well. Stand straight and never fiddle with a pen or play with your tie. It reflects your nervousness and works against you. Dont chew nails in between or yawn. It is a strict NO-NO in presentations or any formal meetings. Maintain an eye contact with your audience for that BANGON Effect. Always keep some time for the question answer round in the end. The listeners must also not jump in between with their questions as it can spoil the momentum of the presentation. Wait for the right moment. You must appreciate the hard work the speaker has put in preparing the presentation. Jot down your questions and always ask them once the presentation is over. The speaker must not ignore the smallest detail before the presentation, but if he is unable to answer any question he should handle the situation very smartly. Dont start sweating, be confident and answer them later. The listeners should also never criticize or make fun of the speaker. He is also a human being and can make mistakes. Give the speaker a proper feedback and do applaud him once he is through with his presentation. He will feel elated. The content and your communication skills go hand in hand to create an effective presentation. Dont be too conscious, just be yourself, practice well and give your best and you will never fail to create wonders.