Management Functions and Principles

Overview Management POCDC Planning Organizing Coordinating Directing Controlling

Management The Air Force Defines management as “the process of organizing and using resources to accomplish predetermined objectives” Management is different from technical proficiency Set Goals and Create the conditions for reaching them

Management Thoughts Traditional School of Thought o Straight line chain of command that places the responsibility on one person with authority to give orders to subordinates Behavioral School of Thought o Emphasizes people are its most valuable resource, and that individual efforts must be recognized and rewarded

Management Thoughts The Mathematical School of Thought o Requires that decisions be based on precise analytical data The Systems School of Thought o Emphasizes flow charts and flow diagrams to plot and analyze internal and external factors and how they effect mission achievement

Management Philosophy Management is an inherent responsibility of command Management policy must assure progressively achieving general goals Achieve the greatest effectiveness possible with available resources Local control of operations essential to their best use

Management Philosophy Central control of resources is essential to their best use Maximum effectiveness can be achieved only if people are recognized and respected as individuals Confidence in the organization is maintained by demonstrated managerial ability and individual integrity

Planning High echelon planning is broad and general; detailed planning is done at lower echelons Operations are always changing, you must plan all the time Planning comes before Organizing, Coordinating, Directing, and Controlling Planning efficiently goes beyond dollars and work hours; it includes individual and unit satisfaction

Step to Planning Define and Analyze your Objective o Break the mission into parts o Analyze each objective to learn what you need to achieve it o Find the steps necessary to finish the job Evaluate the situation o Decide the roles of other parts of the unit o Determine how they fit into the scheme of the operation, what contribution can they make, and what are the relative priorities of these contributions

Steps to Planning Consider Possible Courses of Action o Get you people together, explain the objective, tell them what resources are available, and ask them to “brainstorm” for ideas Select the Best Course of Action o Is it suitable,feasible, adequate, and acceptable Develop an Alternate Plan o Things change o Your alternate plan must be as carefully selected and a fully developed as your primary plan

Steps to Planning Test Both Plans for Completeness o The plans should tell “who, what, when, where, and how” o Question not only the general plan, but each detail

Organizing Unity of Command o This means that only one person has control of, and bears responsibility for, the activity o Keeps responsibilities from overlapping with each other Span of Control o This is how many cadet NCOs and officers you can effectively supervise o The number of people assigned to the job, the time required by you, and the distance between the activities are factors in determining what that number is

Organizing Logical Assignment o Sometimes called homogeneous assignment or functional grouping; meaning grouping related functions to improve operational efficiency Delegation of Authority o Giving others the authority to make decisions, take action, and to give orders on your behalf o No one person can do everything necessary to achieve the unit’s objectives

Unit Organizational Structure Line o Oldest and simplest form of organizational structure o Vertical line along which you lead subordinates o Each position along the line has general authority over the lower positions

Unit Organizational Structure Line and Staff o The line member still maintain primary control o Staff consists of specialists that act as advisors and allow the commander to make sound decision even when he/she may not be versed in i.e. ES, Aerospace etc.

Unit Organizational Structure Functional o Allows each staff specialist to make routine directives relating to their area without the commander being directly involved o Relieves you as the commander from having to make decisions that call for specialized knowledge

Coordinating An exchange of information Internal and External Coordination Internal Coordination deals with with elements that are directly or indirectly under your control. Three types of Internal Coordination: vertical, lateral, and informal External Coordination is communicating with other units outside of your own to get their cooperation achieve a common objective

Internal Coordination Vertical Flow o Is the upward and downward movement of communication through the formal structure of your unit o May be written or oral, directive or non- directive, formal or informal, or even gestures or facial expressions

Internal Coordination Lateral Flow o Allows supervisors on the same organizational level coordinate their activities without referring every matter to the commander o Improve understanding, increases the speed of information, and relieves superiors from having to handle all matter of coordination o Make sure subordinates keep from making policy changes or commitment beyond their authority, and that they keep you informed of all interdepartmental coordination and activities

Internal Coordination Informal Flow o Unofficial verbal or written communication that follows the informal channels rather than formal ones o It is a “grapevine” o Information sometime get distorted

Communication Media for Coordinating Written o Coordinating can be done through written instructions, reports, memoranda, and other types of printed material o While information can be transmitted precisely, written communication is often slower than verbal

Communication Media for Coordinating Verbal o Helps create a friendly and cooperative attitude, and stimulates individual and group morale. o Allows question to be asked and answered on the spot o Verbal communication includes conferences, staff meeting, and seminars

Directing Four Qualities of directing o Focusing on the objective, stimulating cadets toward accomplishing the mission, supervising, and directing the procedure o Directing is putting the plan into action and using resources to get the mission done o Directing has two aspect: people and procedures o You not only supervise people but resources as well

Essentials of Directing The Four Essentials of Directing o Let your cadets know what you want them to do o Establish work practices and resolve conflicts that arise, o Make decisions and issue orders that will assure efficient use of resources and keep to procedures o Implement methods to improve operations

Types of Directions There are four types of directions o Demand  Most effective when you must keep strict control o Request  Most often used in day-to-day directing  No less binding that a demand type order, but treats cadets with more respect o Suggestion  Best used with fully competent workers who readily accept responsibility o Volunteer  Rarely used, and only to request something you cannot order

Controlling Controlling is deciding if an action is carrying out a plan, and periodically checking to see that it does Controlling must have a method for measuring performance, and correcting the deficiency to meet that standard Controlling is intervening, when necessary, to bring the task back into line with the general plan

The Process of Controlling Establishing the Standard o Set standards that are to be met o Decide what the results should be or what you expect them to be o Standard give you a yardstick to guide and evaluate your unit’s production or activities o Standards also describe the desired quality of products and processes, as well as expected qualifications and appearance of your cadets.

The Process of Controlling Detecting Deviations from the Standards o Possibly the most difficult of all steps as there is no foolproof way to forecast when a deviation will occur o Collect data using personal visits, staff meetings of personnel involved, committee meetings, briefing by experts in the field, and special reports regularly o Trend Data shows what changes have occurred from one point in time to another, and it will usually project whether the current performance will meet standards if the trend continues

The Process of Controlling Measuring the Deviation o When you detect a deviation, find out to what extent the deviation has occured o Measure it without interfering with normal operations unless it is a matter of personal safety.

The Process of Controlling Taking the Necessary Corrective Action o Change the work method without changing the plans, or change the plans or goals without changing the work method o Reassign or clarify duties, get more analysis of why things went wrong o Explain the job more fully o Be more directive in your leadership until your cadets learn the job

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.--Theodore Roosevelt

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