SESSION 5 FUNCTIONS OF A SUPERVISOR- BEING PERSONALLY EFFECTIVE

YOU THE SUPERVISOR IS IN CONTROL

DEFINITION Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities 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

WHY ARE CONTROLS NEEDEDIf all personnel always did what was best for the organization, control and even management would not be needed. But, obviously individuals are sometimes unable or unwilling to act in the organization's best interest, and a set of controls must be implemented to guard against undesirable behavior and to encourage desirable actions

CONTROLLING HAS TWO PURPOSES

It facilitates co-ordination It helps in planning

FEATURES OF CONTROLLINGControlling is an end function- A function which comes once the performances are made in confirmities with plans. Controlling is a pervasive function- which means it is performed by supervisors and managers at all levels and in all type of concerns. 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. Controlling is a dynamic process- since controlling requires taking reviewal methods, changes have to be made wherever possible. 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.

CONTROL OR COORDINATE OR MONITORStaff react strongly against the phrase "management control". The word itself can have a negative connotation, e.g., it can sound dominating, coercive and heavy-handed. It seems that writers of management literature now prefer use of the term "coordinating" rather than "controlling.

IMPORTANT FUNCTIONRegardless of the negative connotation of the word "control", it must exist or there is no organization at all. The organization must have some goal. Identifying this goal requires some form of planning, informal or formal. Reaching the goal means identifying some strategies, formal or informal. These strategies are agreed upon by members of the organization through some form of communication, formal or informal. Then members set about to act in accordance with what they agreed to do.

This form of ongoing communication to reach a goal, tracking activities toward the goal and then subsequent decisions about what to do is the essence of management coordination. It needs to exist in some manner -- formal or informal.

WHERE DOES IT BEGIN?After strategies are set and plans are made, management's primary task is to take steps to ensure that these plans are carried out, or, if conditions warrant, that the plans are modified. This is the critical control function of management. And since management involves directing the activities of others, a major part of the control function is making sure other people do what should be done.

KEY ROLE OF SUPERVISORSSupervisors act as both Judges and Problem Solvers in an Organisations CONTROL PROCESS.

PURPOSE OF A SUPERVISORs CONTROL FUNCTION To keep things in line and to make sure your plans hit their targets. Controls tend to be the donts of an organisation, the rules and regulations that set limits of acceptable behaviour.It helps to guide you and your department to production goals and quality standards.

THE CONTROL PROCESS

THE CONTROL PROCESS1. Establish Objectives & Standards2.Measure Actual Performance3.Compare Results with Objectives &Standards4.Take Necessary Action or Corrective Measure

FORMS / TYPES OF CONTROLS

FEED FORWARD CONTROLS Feedforward control focuses on the regulation of inputs (human, material, and financial resources) to ensure that they meet the standards necessary for the transformation process.Feedforward controls are desirable because they allow management to prevent problems rather than having to cure them later.

CONCURRENT CONTROLSConcurrent control takes place while an activity is in progress. It involves the regulation of ongoing activities that are part of transformation process to ensure that they conform to organizational standards. Concurrent control is designed to ensure that employee work activities produce the correct results.Since concurrent control involves regulating ongoing tasks, it requires a through understanding of the specific tasks involved

FEEDBACK CONTROL This type of control focuses on the outputs of the organization after transformation is complete.

VARIOUS ADMINISTRATIVE CONTROLS

Organizations often use standardized documents to ensure complete and consistent information is gathered. Documents in the form of REPORTS e.g., financial reports, status reports, project reports, to monitor what's being done, by when and how.TECCHNOLOGY - MIS, HRIS

DELEGATIONDelegation is an approach to get things done, in conjunction with other employees. Delegation is often viewed as a major means of influence and therefore is categorized as an activity in leading (rather than controlling/coordinating). Delegation generally includes assigning responsibility to an employee to complete a task, granting the employee sufficient authority to gain the resources to do the task and letting the employee decide how that task will be carried out. Typically, the person assigning the task shares accountability with the employee for ensuring the task is completed.

PERFORMANCE APPRAISALSPerformance appraisal (PA) is a formal system of review and evaluation of individual or team task performance. A critical point in the definition is the word formal, because in actuality, managers should be reviewing an individuals performance on a continuing basis.

EVALUATIONS

Evaluation is carefully collecting and analyzing information in order to make decisions. There are many types of evaluations in organizations, for example, evaluation of marketing efforts, evaluation of employee performance, program evaluations, etc. Evaluations can focus on many aspects of an organization and its processes, for example, its goals, processes, outcomes, etc.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (BUDGETS)

Once the organization has establish goals and associated strategies (or ways to reach the goals), funds are set aside for the resources and labor to the accomplish goals and tasks. As the money is spent, statements are changed to reflect what was spent, how it was spent and what it obtained. Review of financial statements is one of the more common methods to monitor the progress of programs and plans. The most common financial statements include the balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement. Financial audits are regularly conducted to ensure that financial management practices follow generally accepted standards, as well.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES (TO GUIDE BEHAVIORS IN THE WORKPLACE)

Policies help ensure that behaviors in the workplace conform to federal and state laws, and also to expectations of the organization. Often, policies are applied to specified situations in the form of procedures. Personnel policies and procedures help ensure that employee laws are followed (e.g., laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, etc.) and minimize the likelihood of costly litigation. A procedure is a step-by-step list of activities required to conduct a certain task. Procedures ensure that routine tasks are carried out in an effective and efficient fashion.

QUALITY CONTROL AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

The concept of quality control has received a great deal of attention over the past twenty years. Many people recognize phrases such as "do it right the first time, "zero defects", "Total Quality Management", etc. Very broadly, quality includes specifying a performance standard (often by benchmarking, or comparing to a well-accepted standard), monitoring and measuring results, comparing the results to the standard and then making adjusts as necessary. Recently, the concept of quality management has expanded to include organization-wide programs, such as Total Quality Management, ISO9000, Balanced Scorecard, etc. Operations management includes the overall activities involved in developing, producing and distributing products and services.

SOFTENING EMPLOYEES RESISTANCE TO CONTROLEmphasise its Value to EmployeesAvoid Arbitrary or Punitive StandardsBe Specific Use Numbers if Possible Aim for Improvement Rather than PunishmentMake the Penalty for Nonconformance Absolutely ClearBe Consistent in the Application of Controls

EXERCISEWrite on a piece of paper a target or plan that you have to achieve as a Supervisor.