The Management Process As stated above, the management process involves five aspects – planning, organising, implementing, controlling and evaluation. (a) Planning: It is the first step in any management process. It helps us to visualise the path to reach our goals. In other words, to plan is to produce a scheme for action to achieve specified goals by using the available resources.
Planning involves selecting the course of action. To plan effectively to achieve a goal, you must ask the following four basic questions. The answers to these questions will help you to develop a plan. .
What is our present situation? This involves assessing the present situation, analysing what one has at present and what one would like to have in future. . Where do we want to reach?
This involves setting specific goals or targets which we desire to achieve keeping in mind the present and future needs. . Gap. This is the difference between our present situation and the desired situation.
We need to cover this gap in order to achieve our goal. . How can we reach our desired goals? Answering this question will help you to decide how to cover this gap.
This involves making a plan to achieve goals. [Current Status] . What is your present situation? [Future Image Goal] .
Where do we want to reach? . Gap? .
How can we reach the desired goals? Steps in planning : The basic steps in planning are– . Identifying the problem . Identifying different alternatives .
Choosing between alternatives . Acting to carry out the plan/Putting the plan into action . Accepting the consequences For example, there is only one month left for your annual examination and you have not completed your revision (present situation); your aim is to score good marks (goal). To achieve this goal you need to study five subjects in the specified time period (gap).
You would think of a way of achieving this goal (prepare a plan of action), which will include the number of hours you will devote to each subject, prioritising subjects, curtailing other activities and so on. List the resources you would need in order to secure good marks and study well. Compare your list with others.