How to properly manage a company. How an enterprise should be run. Contract for performing the functions of the sole executive body

Ashridge Business School boasts graduates becoming successful leaders of large companies in various fields of activity. Of course, not everyone can afford to study at schools of this level, but everyone understands that a lot depends on the ability to properly and effectively manage their company.

Here are five tips from one of the best teachers at Ashridge School Roger Delves.

Importance of priorities

As you run a company, you will have to solve many problems and tasks on a daily basis. It is imperative to be aware of the degree of their importance, and to be able to prioritize. Tasks related to crises, conflicts and unforeseen problems should always be of the highest priority. Cases that do not affect the company's success in any way should be relegated to the background.

How do you prioritize each task? You need to ask yourself how important it is for the main goals of the company. An important point What you need to pay attention to in time management is the difference between the concepts of importance and urgency of tasks. Every important task (for example, a large project) must be started in advance so that in the last days it did not become urgent and did not become a "destroyer" of time that you could spend on other important things. But helping a colleague is often urgent matter, but not always important (for the purposes of the company).

Knowing how to plan your time will help you learn to pay enough attention to important tasks and keep up with urgent tasks on time. Be sure to lead calendar plan, where you enter all tasks according to their priority, indicating the deadline for completion.

Become a "guru"

Employees should see their supervisor as a mentor. Many managers make the mistake of trying to win the respect of subordinates - they provide their staff with ready-made answers to all their questions and give a clear plan for completing a particular task. Thus, you will not become a real "guru" for your team.

But if, under your guidance and mentoring, the subordinate himself came to the right decision, then you can be called a truly effective manager. The mentor must create an atmosphere in which the team can think constructively and find the right methods for completing the assigned tasks.

Delegating tasks

Task redirection is very useful in terms of improving work efficiency. You not only free yourself up time to solve other issues, but also allow your employees to develop themselves and reach new heights. However, the main thing here is not to be mistaken. It is necessary to set a goal for the subordinate, which he must achieve by performing a specific task, and not give detailed instructions.

Good manager must understand which tasks can be delegated and which cannot. For example, planning and evaluating the actions of personnel should always remain only under the control of the manager.

Communication

Communication within the team is an important element of any company. Treat building relationships with staff carefully and seriously, because the success of the company largely depends on this. During the conversation, constantly maintain eye contact, use active listening (when your interlocutor speaks, do not just listen, but also ask clarifying questions).

Try to open up to the interlocutor and let him do the same. There are people who listen, and there are those who are just waiting for their turn to start speaking. In a company, all employees must be of the first type, and only then will effective communication be built.

Learn to understand body language and body language, and you will begin to understand even what was not expressed in words.

Situational management

At one time American social psychologist Douglas McGregor formulated the theory of motivation "X" and "Y", which is based on the fact that there will always be two types of people in any company: 1) lazy, trying to avoid work and evade all kinds of tasks. These employees work to get paid; 2) ambitious, ready to take the initiative and responsibility. Such employees work to fulfill their potential and develop.

The essence of this theory is that people will always be led to their goal by different motives, and it is important to be able to find an individual approach to people of different types. The manager can choose one of the types of management - incentive or directive. In the first type of management, the main emphasis is on the comfort of subordinates, in the second - on achieving a result. A good manager effectively combines both the first and the second type of management.

It is important to be able to correctly assess the motivation of a subordinate, and then you will be able to achieve the maximum result from this employee by your actions. Some just need to slightly push on the idea, and they are already ready to take the initiative into their own hands and try to apply different ways achieving the set goal. Others, less active and ready to work, require more thorough mentoring, support and assistance.

Any enterprise that manufactures products, trades or provides services is a complex system that includes: raw materials, materials, fixed assets, labor and financial resources.

These elements of the production system must be used with maximum efficiency. This is provided by the control apparatus. How should an enterprise be run?

In the production cycle, production resources are involved, divided into functional blocks that interact with each other and perform a common task. A separate structure is needed to coordinate and direct these efforts.

Also, this structure determines the directions in which the enterprise develops, its personnel and marketing policy. These functions are carried out by the management apparatus. In the structure of any enterprise, it is located separately from production units.

To manage an enterprise, it has a system of managers at various levels. They are assigned to all departments to provide both horizontal links at the same level and vertical links from lower-level managers to senior management.

How the enterprise is run

Junior, lower-level managers have to work directly with the performers. Their main tasks are: organization, ensuring control over the implementation production plans and tasks, the use of raw materials and the operation of equipment.

This part of the management apparatus is the most numerous. Middle managers provide communication between the leaders of the lower level and senior management.

How to manage an enterprise - the last link is the top management, his responsibilities include making the most important decisions, on which the entire activity of the company or enterprise largely depends.

They bear the highest responsibility for this activity. The decisions that they make to the direct executors are communicated through the managers of the lower and middle and lower levels.

These management and organizational structures are typical for all enterprises in which there are departments and divisions. They allow you to manage the enterprise through the use of management levels of planning, motivation and control.

Video: What a manager should do

Company management methods

Managing a company means finding ways to influence it so that the company achieves its goals in the changing market conditions, while maintaining its stability. To do this, you need to know how to properly manage a company. Usually the strategy of the company, which is set by its owner, is to capture a separate market share, or to make a certain profit. Proceeding from this, management should be such as to maintain performance indicators - labor productivity, trade margins, return on assets, etc. But at the same time, it should also contribute to the growth of other indicators - sales volume, company assets, profits.

For a leader who wants to know how to manage a company strategically, it is necessary to know what exactly these indicators include, and what their intended or minimum values should be. You can achieve the goals set for the company different ways that must be subordinate to the company's management system. The very same system of how to properly manage a company is as follows:

You need to be able to make decisions and organize the labor process.
Be able to regulate or control the activities of the company and employees.
Establish feedback - compliance with the control of the company's activities and work by the employees themselves.
It is necessary to clearly set goals for each stage of work, based on the company's business strategy. These goals must be communicated regularly to all employees of the company. Providing clear guidelines for the team will help your employees make decisions on their own.
You also need to involve your employees in the discussion of the plans and goals facing the company as a whole. Such a discussion will give a sense of collective responsibility for success in achieving these goals.
In how to run a company, it is also important to define the core values of your company that your employees and you should be guided by when making decisions. This will help to rationally expand and improve your business and give it a clear consistency.
You also need to keep an eye on competitors in the industry. And find out if your company will do something differently than most of the companies in this market segment.
You also need to try to analyze whether there will be this business- a strategy to give real returns. You also need to think about one more point - the company and its development strategy must have a certain potential in order to reach a higher level, to another market segment or to the international market, and be capable of growth after a certain period.

Personnel Management

But all good leaders know that making decisions and building a strategy is not everything, and by itself everything will not work. There are situations when a company is so complex to manage that a single control center is not enough to support its activities. Therefore, after the decisions are made, the task of the manager is reduced to the correct division of one case between the deputies. It is also important in personnel management:

The task of each deputy is to divide the execution of tasks between his assistants and other employees, and control this process, down to the actual result. The main criteria for the initial separation of duties are production, supply, sales, etc.
Therefore, in order to achieve goals and how to manage a company, you need to create a functional structure of the enterprise. Responsibility and responsibilities in functional areas are divided between managers - this is how a hierarchical structure appears in management.
The manager's job is to know the roles of each member of the team. This will allow you to successfully manage the process. Once responsibilities have been assigned, it is not worth doing micro - management. Changing something or intervening periodically, employees will not be able to accept independent decisions focusing on you all the time.
Employee initiative should only be supported. When making a team decision, the leader must support him. If you express doubts and the project is not allowed to develop, the team will lose the enthusiasm or confidence needed to take the next steps. If you constantly insist that you alone make all the major decisions, then you can lead your team to a dead end.
There is no need to demand regular reporting from your subordinates, which would be a confirmation of the need for the development of the company. It is necessary to avoid indecision and lack of progress.
The leader is to some extent also a psychologist. It is necessary to create a favorable working environment for each employee, to ensure a healthy climate in the team, to establish strong contacts between the employees of the company. These aspects will only contribute to an increase in productivity and improve the quality of work, will allow the formation of a creative initiative, and will give a significant production effect. It will be even better than the introduction of advanced technologies for labor automation.
You also need to be able to correctly select personnel for successful work and promotion of the company. It is necessary to properly organize the work of employees of all levels, monitor their motivation for effective performance in particular, and the entire company as a whole. You also need to be able to value the time of your wards and your time. To do this, you need to clearly state the goals and objectives, the main ideas that need to be conveyed to the knowledge of all your employees. Also, it will not be superfluous to be able to listen to your opponent, organize your work time and clearly follow the established action plan without unnecessary deviations.

Now you know everything about how to properly manage a company. This will allow you to establish your own business or become a good leader in a large organization. Since everything in the team depends on the leader, and the success of the corporation is based on the actions of the manager.

Reading time 9 minutes

Given the democratization of society, understanding the value of each individual, new methods, principles and styles of team management were needed. The leader of a new type should not only be a good organizer, analyst and psychologist, but also have such personal qualities to earn credibility with subordinates.

The boss and subordinates, how to manage a team and what qualities a leader should have, you will learn in this article. A modern leader must have a high moral culture in order to earn the recognition and respect of colleagues. Required qualities such as honesty, fairness, decency, the ability to understand and listen. Knowledge of etiquette and rules of conduct is no less important for a manager.

Communication between the manager and his subordinates should take place in a business style, but at the same time it is necessary to observe mutual politeness, attentiveness and benevolence. This is a guarantee of a healthy atmosphere in the team and a disposition for cooperation. Team management involves giving orders, making requests, interviewing, firing, motivating, and punishing. How to do it correctly?

Manager and subordinates: Business communication of the manager

When giving an order, the leader must rely on his own authority. In an orderly tone, an order can be given only in emergency situations when it is necessary to solve the problem immediately. In this case, the initiative of the performer is suppressed and he, in fact, is relieved of responsibility. He's just following orders.
Labor efficiency is reduced if you give an order with the threat of punishment.
Effective method an employee's management is an order in the form of a request. Then the employee feels that they trust him, want to cooperate with him and believe in his abilities. Especially if the assignment concerns whatever is his responsibility. Effective management boils down to the fact that employees need to be stimulated, develop their activity and give them the opportunity to take initiative. Only in this case the labor efficiency will be the highest.
The responsibilities of a leader include both punishment and reward and motivation of employees.
Possible sanctions against employees are determined by legislation, but the manager himself should not forget about etiquette. Even when punishing, you need to try to maintain normal relations in the team.

What is the right way to punish?

Under no circumstances punish or criticize a person without the presence of confirmed data of violation;
If the work was performed poorly, you need to find out who entrusted it to the employee, how the control was carried out and determine the degree of responsibility of the employee for poor-quality work. Indeed, there are often situations when a person simply did not have the necessary materials, knowledge or support to do the job;
The leader must be able to admit his mistakes;
It is necessary to talk with the employee and find out his motivation and the reasons for the violation;
Never criticize an employee in public;
The punishment should depend on the severity of the offense. Moreover, the requirements for all members of the team must be the same.

3.Psychological management of a team implies the ability of a leader to properly conduct a conversation with subordinates. Before you start talking about wrongdoing, you need to calm down and start the conversation with the employee's achievements and successes. The conversation should be conducted in a private setting, so as not to create an intra-group conflict in the team. It is desirable that the manager explains to the subordinate what he is dissatisfied with, cites the facts of the violation and listens carefully to the subordinate's explanations. To end the conversation, the leader must emphasize the strengths of the employee and instill in him the confidence that he will succeed in the future.

4. The system of motivation of employees in the question of how to manage a team is of great importance. But even to encourage employees you need to be able to correctly. Material motivation of personnel should be expressed in reward for a successfully completed robot immediately after its completion. The effectiveness of a particular immediate promotion is much higher than the expectation of a premium by the end of the month. Intangible motivation employees can carry more value than material. For example, if a manager publicly praises an employee in the presence of colleagues whose respect is important to him. Recognizing the success of a subordinate on time with the right words is great motivation. Previously, the presentation of certificates and honor boards were often practiced in organizations. Now in some state organizations such methods of team management have remained, but the new generation no longer takes them seriously.

5. The manager's responsibilities include the dismissal of employees. This is a rather painful procedure. The leader should not apologize so as not to give unnecessary hope to the subordinate. Don't get fired before weekends or holidays. The conversation should take no more than 20 minutes, since the employee, being in a stressful state, simply will not be able to hear detailed explanations and the reasons for his dismissal.

The attitude of the manager to subordinates should be respectful in any situation. It is best to refer to employees on "you". When talking to a subordinate, the manager should listen more than talk. Asking questions about what the employee thinks about the quality of his work, what he would like to improve, what he considers to be his strengths. In the process of dialogue with subordinates, a leader who knows how to listen can extract a lot of useful information. In particular, how to improve the management of the organization's personnel.

Until recently, the functions of HR managers were performed by line managers. It was enough just to issue orders for dismissal, admission to work and promotion. This is not enough now. HR managers should deal with the selection of personnel, employee development, motivation and incentives for work.

Personnel management helps to use all the potential capabilities of employees to achieve the goals of the organization. But at the same time, to ensure a normal psychologically healthy atmosphere in the team, to monitor working conditions.

The main tasks of the organization's personnel management:

Determine the needs of employees;
Help to adapt to a new team;
Select personnel;
Promote interest in career growth;
Develop the right motivation system;
Contribute to development, both personal and professional;
Resolve conflicts.

Good governance principles

The leader must analyze the situation, predict the strategy and manage its implementation. The subordinate must implement the manager's decision. Therefore, the basic principles of effective management are certain qualities of a leader - professionalism, organization and decency. Since he has to solve problems from any area of the organization.

The subordinate, in turn, must be executive, proactive, honest, decent and striving for promotion.

Team management styles: personnel management, which management style is better?

There are 6 main styles of personnel management, each of which has both its pros and cons:

Team style - immediate submission of employees, mainly in a commanding tone. This style helps to keep employees under control, motivate them with discipline and sanctions. It is advisable in critical situations when the risks are very high at the slightest mistake. But at the same time, employees do not develop, they do not learn anything, discontent reigns in the team, which will lead to frustration.
An authoritarian style implies building a development strategy and creating prospects for subordinates. The manager behaves strictly, but fairly and clearly directs employees in which direction to develop, showing by his own example what can be achieved. The disadvantage of this style is that if employees do not trust the leader, they simply will not follow him. In addition, subordinates work only on step by step instructions, therefore, are of low qualifications.
The partnership style of managing the work of employees implies the creation of harmonious relationships, the absence of conflicts and motivation Have a good mood... This style works great when combined with other styles. Since the partnership does not increase labor productivity. This style is only good when you need help or advice when resolving conflicts.
The democratic style is designed to involve employees in the work process and maintain mutual understanding in the team. This style is effective when employees work in a team, strive together towards the same goal and have enough experience to entrust everyone with a specific task. The only disadvantage of such an organization of personnel management is that subordinates constantly need to organize, direct, supervise and hold meetings quite often.
Leadership style called “pacemaker” - doing the job as well as the leader himself. This style implies self-organization of employees and a desire to perform work at the highest level, following the example of a leader. Ineffective when third party assistance or additional training and coordination is needed.
Coach style - continuous professional development of employees, inspiration, search and development strengths... It motivates employees, but at the same time, this management style will be useless if people are lazy. Not everyone has the desire and strength to work on themselves every day.

How to manage a team and what style to choose? Most likely, the effectiveness of personnel management depends not only on the style and methods of management, but also on the personal qualities of subordinates. Therefore, depending on different situations, you need to combine different control styles.
The employee management system includes not only styles, but also management methods.

Team management techniques

Personnel management methods are ways of influencing the team. They are administrative, economic and socio-psychological.

Administrative methods affect the awareness of the team, the understanding that it is necessary to maintain discipline, have a sense of duty, strive to work in this organization, comply with the rules and norms established in the organization.
Economic methods - material incentives for employees. Socio-psychological - taking into account the social needs of employees, maintaining a healthy atmosphere in the team.

All methods are interconnected and their implementation in team management is understandable. But there are also innovative methods of personnel management. For example, setting goals for an employee and a manager for the next six months or a year. The employee sets a specific goal for the benefit of the organization. If it is achieved, the manager, for example, promotes him in position or raises his salary.

The method of quarterly reports works effectively. This is how the employee sets goals himself, learns to manage time correctly. As a result, he works more fruitfully and shows initiative. In addition, the need to report to your boss every quarter motivates you to show your best side. None of the employees go unnoticed. Everyone is rewarded for their work.
Structured planning is a wonderful method of personnel management. Each department sets itself a specific goal that complements the goals of other departments for the benefit of the development of the organization. To organize work in departments, use "team management". The groups unite those employees who have a similar view of achieving the goal of the organization.
Contingency management is applied only when problems arise. Functional management - each head of his department is responsible for certain functions.
The comparison method works great when the management system of a given organization is compared with a more advanced organization and the management system is recreated following its example.
The expert-analytical method involves the involvement of personnel management specialists. The expert examines the problems of the organization and gives an opinion on what methods are best managed in this organization.
In practice, the method of functional cost analysis is often used. When experts determine which functions are not being performed and why, unnecessary management functions and the degree of centralization of personnel management are removed.
The method of creative meetings gives excellent results. Experts and managers express their suggestions on how to improve the personnel management system, which generates a lot of creative ideas.

Every manager asks himself the question of how to effectively manage staff? To do this, it is necessary to apply all methods and management styles in an integrated manner. In addition, do not forget that you need to strictly follow the rules of ethics when communicating with employees. The right system of management, motivation, punishment and reward will help create a thriving company. The leader himself will not be able to achieve anything if his employees do not approach work with creativity and initiative. The main thing for a manager is to be able to motivate, motivate and support employees.

How to run your own company

Any organization needs MANAGEMENT. It is precisely the force that unites all elements of a business enterprise and sets them in motion. The essence of management (management) is in the OPTIMAL combination of the organization's RESOURCES - LABOR and CAPITAL - to ACHIEVE the PURPOSE.

A number of basic principles for selecting the optimal mix of resources can be applied to virtually any type of organization, regardless of its size or purpose. As long as people work together to achieve a set goal, someone must take RESPONSIBILITY for deciding who, when and what work will do, as well as what resources should be used.

MANAGEMENT ROLES.

MANAGERS have power over other people, and their position is determined by that power. They maintain relationships with superiors, peers and subordinates, and these relationships can be described as ROLES, or BEHAVIORAL MODELS.

INTERPERSONAL ROLES.

As representatives, managers act on behalf of the firm, performing ceremonial duties at official business events and receiving visitors. As LEADERS, managers can hire, train, and motivate employees, guiding them towards the achievement of the organization's goals. As INTERMEDIARIES, managers connect groups of people and individuals, both inside and outside the company (suppliers, competitors, customers, interconnected work groups).

INFORMATION ROLES.

These roles are among the most IMPORTANT management roles. As gatherers, managers seek useful information by interviewing employees and using other sources to get the most complete information picture possible. As DISTRIBUTORS, managers communicate information to employees and superiors. As CHIEFS, managers communicate information outside the company at meetings with the board of directors, by mail, or through other external contacts.

ROLE RELATED TO DECISION MAKING.

Managers use the information they receive to find the best solutions. As ORGANIZERS, managers try to improve the performance of their unit by looking for new ways to use resources and technology. As EMERGENCY specialists, they cope with unexpected challenges that may threaten the achievement of organizational goals (be it an economic crisis or an employee's disciplinary offense). As RESOURCE DISTRIBUTION specialists, they develop ways of using the organization's resources to achieve planned goals. As NEGOTIATION MANAGERS, managers transact with a variety of individuals and groups, including suppliers, employees, customers, and trade unions.

Managers constantly CHANGE roles, faced with daily challenges and unforeseen situations. However, depending on the organizational level of the manager, one type of role may prevail over others in importance.

HIERARCHY OF MANAGEMENT

In all but the smallest organizations, there is a need for more than one manager to oversee the activities of other workers. Relatively speaking, the company has a management HIERARCHY, that is, a structure consisting of HIGHER, MIDDLE and LOWER links. There are more managers at the lower level of management than at the top. TOP MANAGERS are those at the highest level of management who have the most power and responsibility for the entire company. An example would be the president of a firm, who defines the organization's objectives, develops long-term plans, formulates policy, and represents the company outside of it.

Although senior executives in the same corporation may be called differently - president, chairman of the board of directors - the functions they perform can be completely similar in content. The responsibilities of middle managers include developing plans for the implementation of the general tasks set at the highest level of management, and coordinating the work of lower managers. The middle level of management includes managers of the enterprise, managers of departments and services, as well as other departments. At the lowest level of the management hierarchy, lower-level managers (or managers-controllers) are concentrated. They oversee the work of executors and implement plans developed at higher levels of government. This level unites the following positions: workshop foreman, site foreman, group leader and head of an office-type department.

As more and more companies cut production costs and decentralize their operations, the number of jobs at the middle level of government is decreasing, and at the same time more power is transferred to lower-level managers. A higher degree of responsibility forces lower-level managers to improve their educational level and better master management skills.

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Regardless of the type and size of the organization, managers must possess three basic types of skills: TECHNICAL, COMMUNICATIVE (that is, communication skills) and ANALYTICAL. But the application of these skills varies depending on the level of management. Since managers achieve their goals mainly with the help of other people, COMMUNICATION skills cannot be dispensed with at all levels of management.

ANALYTICAL skills are mainly required by TOP-level managers, and TECHNICAL skills are more required at the LOWER levels of the hierarchy.

A senior executive, such as a company president or chairman of the board of directors, devotes a lot of time to ANALYZING information, such as industry trends and the general economic climate, and making decisions based on that analysis. In addition, senior managers spend a lot of time talking to people to get information from them and communicate their decisions to them. Thus, senior managers rely more on analytical and communication skills and to a lesser extent on technical ones.

Mid-level managers act as INTERMEDIARIES between senior and immediate management. Planning, decision-making and overcoming difficulties that arise are also the responsibilities of middle-level managers and are conditioned by the need to follow the instructions of senior management and solve problems on signals from the lower management level. Middle managers are highly dependent on the ability to communicate with people; they also require technical rather than analytical skills.

The manager at the LOWEST level of the hierarchy directly controls and communicates directly with the technical workers in the organization. For example, a restaurant shift supervisor spends most of his time side by side with service and kitchen staff, showing them what to do, rushing them, communicating the wishes of the owner (or senior management) and the manager (middle management). Thus, the LOWEST leadership applies mainly TECHNICAL and COMMUNICATIVE skills and needs much less analytical skills.

It happens that some people start out without one or more of these three types of management skills — technical, communication, or analytical — but with more or less success, all of them can be acquired over time. However, some skills are more difficult to master than others. For example, many people think that COMMUNICATION is the hardest thing to learn.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

A person who knows how to use any mechanism, is able to prepare a financial document, draw up a computer program, has TECHNICAL skills, that is, he or she is able to perform a SPECIFIC job. A lower-level manager, say a foreman in a production, as a rule, must have TECHNICAL abilities in order to be able to train workers in their duties and provide higher-level managers with information about arising in production process problems.

However, in some companies, it happens that managers who do not have the appropriate technical skills supervise the work of qualified employees such as computer programmers, engineers and accountants.

Regardless of whether they have the technical skills to do the work they oversee, all managers must have “technical” management skills, or ADMINISTRATIVE skills, such as being able to draw up schedules and read computer printouts. And if many technical abilities are not widely used in different industries, then the space for the use of administrative abilities is quite wide. For example, knowing how to work on a fabric cutting machine, you most likely will not be able to use your abilities in restaurant business... But if you were in charge of a sewing company, you will be able to apply your administrative skills in another production.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

All the skills that are necessary in order to understand other people, interact with them effectively and facilitate working together with them in the same team, are COMMUNICATION skills, or the skills of INTERACTION with PEOPLE. Managers cannot do without these skills in a myriad of situations - their job, in essence, is to achieve any goals with the help of people.

One of the communication skills that all managers must possess is the COMMUNICATION skill, that is, the EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION skill. It is communication that contributes to the smooth running of business within the company and the establishment of a favorable relationship between the company and the outside world. Communication success is undeniably a two-way street. A skilled manager is always sensitive to how people react to his words, and - most importantly - listens to what they say in response.

A qualified manager knows how to choose the most suitable MEDIA, or communication channels. Such a manager understands that the form of communication affects the nature of the message that must be conveyed. Thus, their choice of oral form (face-to-face, group meeting, conference call or televised meeting, video recording) or written form (letters, notes, or e-mail) depends on the nature of the message.

You can think of a collection of media as a continuous sequence, from rich to poor, depending on how good they are:
1) transmit multiple information signals: intonation, facial expressions, verbal context;
2) provide quick feedback;
3) adapted for personal communication.
Complex non-standard messages are best conveyed through the richest channel (face-to-face or telephone conversation), while simpler routine information, as a rule, is easily perceived and therefore does not require rich information exchange.

Oral communication

A significant part of any working day is oral communication, the essence of which is to speak to yourself and listen to others. In order to establish and maintain good relationships with subordinates and to be able to find out first-hand the real state of affairs, many leaders use the method of management through "going to the people". Outside the firm, in sales negotiations, meetings, speeches and press conferences, managers also focus on verbal communication to achieve their organisation's goals.

Because of the NON-STANDARD nature of their work, managers often prefer verbal communication over written communication. Face-to-face conversations allow participants to see their partner's facial expressions, and hear each other's voices and intonations. Even in telephone conversations, you can establish quick feedback with the interlocutor and catch minor changes in his tone and voice; however, they lack eye contact, they do not allow one to see a nod of the head, or a posture, or any other signals inherent in sign language and so characteristic of face-to-face communication. The more important and unusual information needs to be communicated, the more likely it is that the manager will resort to verbal communication. Some slippery situations, however, are easier to deal with by using WRITTEN forms of communication that avoid unnecessary emotions.

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Skilled managers use written communication to convey simple and routine messages, as well as in complex and ambiguous situations. In an organization, especially a large one, memoranda, letters, reports, statements about the goals of the company are constantly circulating, job descriptions and other forms of written communication. Company plans should be written in the form of company policy guidelines, summit reports, budgets, mandates, and other written material. At the same time, written communication is very important for representing the organization outside the company. Letters, press releases, annual reports, sales brochures, advertisements — all have a lot to do with building a company's image. The ability to communicate successfully in writing is thus a valuable skill at all levels of management.

Below are some important tips on this topic.

Your message should take into account the SPECIFIC characteristics of the audience to which it is addressed. In outlining, for example, the principles of a windmill, you should use one style if you are writing an article about it for children's magazine and a completely different style if you describe it in a sales brochure aimed at potential buyers.

Write CLEAR and CLEAR. Long, unnecessarily complex sentences can only make it difficult to read and obscure the meaning contained in your message.

Stick to the FACTS. If your message is insufficiently substantiated, it will not succeed with readers who will find your statements biased and unreliable.

ANALYTICAL SKILLS

Managers must have the ability to THINK - to see the organization as a whole and understand the interaction between its individual parts. Managers use ANALYTICAL skills to obtain, process and analyze information, develop fundamental principles, establish relationships, identify both challenges and opportunities, formulate conclusions, make decisions and draw up plans.

Decision making is a key issue in a manager's business and requires analytical skills. Many researchers have studied the decision-making process in detail and have broken it down into six stages.

1. Revealing the need to make a decision.
Managers continually monitor the environment inside and outside the organization to ensure that they do not miss changes that could create problems that require immediate solutions or opportunities that should be taken advantage of.

2. Analysis and definition of a problem or opportunity.
Managers identify their reasons and establish the requirements that the future solution must meet.

3. Study of possible alternatives.
Managers come up with several solutions or courses of action.

4. Selecting the desired alternative.
After considering the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative, managers choose the most promising course of action (which may be a combination of several considered alternatives).

5. Implementation of the selected solution.
After careful planning and taking into account the reactions of those who will implement the decision and those who will be affected by it, managers implement their decision.

6. Evaluation of the results obtained.
Managers monitor the results of their decisions to see if the chosen path led to the achievement of the goal, whether new problems or opportunities arise as a result of that decision, and whether a new decision should be made.

Management decisions belong to TWO types.

PROGRAMMABLE SOLUTIONS- These are repetitive everyday decisions that are made on the basis of pre-developed rules for this.

NON-PROGRAMMABLE SOLUTIONS UNIQUE and generally non-repetitive, so they cannot be adopted based on pre-established procedures or rules. Managers make decisions based on different amounts of information, so the likelihood of a successful or negative result is not the same in different cases.

There are four types of conditions in which decisions are made.

When managers have ALL the information they need, they feel confident of success and make decisions for sure.
When managers have the information they need, but NOT FULL, there is a high probability of failure in their decisions, so they make decisions with some degree of risk.
When managers have INCOMPLETE information, they have to make ASSUMPTIONS, which may turn out to be wrong, so there is uncertainty in their decision.
When managers face UNCLEAR GOALS, poorly defined alternatives and completely or almost completely lack of information, it is very likely that their decision will be unsuccessful, since it was made on the basis of dubious premises - the most DIFFICULT and RISKY conditions for making decisions.

CONTROL PROCESS

All managers, regardless of their position, usually have the same range of functions in any type of organization. Even in the smallest organizations, both at the initial stage of the formation of an enterprise and in the process of its operation, managers are engaged in planning, organizational issues, leadership and control. As you read the following description of the management process, it should be remembered that different levels of management correspond to different sets of responsibilities at each stage of the process.

PLANNING FUNCTION

Scheduling is the BASIC management function on which all other functions depend. The planning manager sets out the PURPOSE of the organization and tries to define best ways their ACHIEVEMENTS. It analyzes budgets, schedules, information about the state of the industry and the economy as a whole, the resources at the disposal of the company and the resources that it is able to acquire. The most important aspect planning is a careful assessment of the SOURCE data. Since the enterprise develops in one way or another in a certain way under the influence of conditions prevailing in the past, insofar as their change necessitates new methods of enterprise activity. This function requires the manager to possess ANALYTICAL skills.

TARGETS AND GOALS

The purpose of an organization is its GENERAL goal. It is embodied in the answer to the question: "What does this organization intend to do?" The motto, or mission statement, is the verbal expression of the PURPOSE of the organization and outlines the scope of its activities, which allows all its employees to concentrate efforts in one direction. "

For example, here's what the Motorola motto looks like: Motorola's goal is to serve the needs of society with dignity by providing consumers with products and services the highest quality at a reasonable price.

In the planning process, the purpose of the company must be supported by the development of appropriate GOALS and TASKS. GOALS are the broad LONG-TERM benchmarks of the organization. TASKS are specific SHORT-TERM benchmarks. However, both terms are often used interchangeably. The system of measures aimed at achieving the set goals and objectives is called PLAN. Goals and plans are subdivided into several interrelated levels.

GOAL LEVELS

To work effectively, managers set specific, measurable, relevant, stimulating, visible goals for the organization for a specific period of time. Developing effective goals strengthens incentives, sets clear standards and benchmarks for performance, and creates a clear picture of expected results.

TOP-level managers set STRATEGIC goals that address large-scale problems and apply to the company as a whole. These goals should cover 8 main areas: MARKET, INNOVATION, HUMAN resources, Financial resources, Material resources, PRODUCTIVITY, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY and PROFIT.

Mid-level managers set TACTICAL goals that address the division's problems and describe the results needed to achieve the strategic goals of the organization. LOWER-level managers set OPERATIONAL goals that are associated with solving CURRENT problems and describe the results necessary to achieve the tactical and strategic goals of the organization.

It should be remembered that the goals themselves are not yet a result, but only the MEANS to achieve it; that is, even if you have fully achieved your goals, it is important whether this will help the higher management achieve its own goals. Achievement of operational goals contributes to the achievement of tactical goals, and this, in turn, contributes to the achievement of strategic goals.

PLAN LEVELS

By setting goals for the organization, managers create the field of activity necessary for their implementation. Without planning this activity, the likelihood of achieving the set goals is very small. Each level of goals has its own level of plans, which outline specific ways to achieve these goals.

STRATEGIC plans are actions aimed at achieving strategic goals. Strategic plans are usually LONG-TERM and define actions for a period of two to five years. They are developed by senior managers in consultation with board members and middle managers.

TACTICAL plans are actions aimed at achieving tactical goals and SUPPORTING strategic plans. They are developed by middle managers who discuss plans with lower managers before presenting them to senior management.

OPERATIONAL plans are actions aimed at fulfilling operational goals and supporting tactical plans. OPERATIONAL plans usually cover a time period of less than a year. They are developed by lower-level managers in consultation with middle-level managers.

ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTION

The organizational function, like planning, requires the manager to be fluent in ANALYTICAL skills. Organizational work (organization) is the process of allocating resources to fulfill plans. At this stage, the manager should take into account all the activities performed by employees - from software computers of the company before the work of truck drivers and sending correspondence - as well as all technical means and equipment used by employees in their activities.

The main problem that a manager faces at the stage of ORGANIZATIONAL work is the choice of the most suitable division of labor for the goals and objectives of the organization and the subsequent staffing, which includes the appropriate positions, that is, the search and selection of people who can cope with specific responsibilities. Other important components of this work are determining the amount of remuneration of workers, helping them to acquire skills and assessing the quality of their work.

More and more companies are using TEAMS rather than individuals as building blocks for their organization. A team is two or more people working together to accomplish a specific task... Teams can be found at any organizational level. They can be formal and permanent (created as part of a permanent organizational structure), can be informal and temporary (created for more active involvement of employees in the affairs of the company), and can be something in between. Teams are a powerful management tool: they foster direct employee participation in decision-making and feedback, increasing the influence of employees in the company by increasing the amount of information flowing from them to managers. By doing so, teams seem to improve employee satisfaction, organizational productivity, and product quality. In addition, expanding employee responsibilities makes the organization more flexible. Some experts point to the success of "impersonal" corporations (firms based on team spirit rather than the outstanding personality of one senior leader), arguing that teams are more valuable to an organization than a lone genius.

Usually at the HIGHEST level of management, the organizational structure of the enterprise as a whole is determined and the staff of the highest level is staffed. Middle management performs the same functions, but usually only within one department. Line managers are rarely involved in organizing, but they nonetheless have a great deal of responsibility for the area of organizational work such as recruiting and training new workers.

The ORGANIZATIONAL process is complex as this area is constantly changing. Old employees leave, new ones take their place. The damaged or outdated equipment is out of order, the existing one needs to be replaced. The tastes and interests of consumers change, so the goals of the organization should not remain the same. Newly emerging political and economic trends can lead to cuts, reorganizations, and possibly expansion of production. Every month (perhaps even every week) any structure presents a new picture, so the organizational tasks of leadership can never be exhausted.

FUNCTION OF THE MANUAL

V certain positions and relationships with people dictated by organizational process, people with different past experience, with individual interests, aspirations and personal goals enter. To unite employees and the organization as a whole into an effective work team, the manager must successfully master the third area management activities- MANUAL. LEADERSHIP is a complex function whose purpose is to get people to work efficiently and willingly. Leading subordinates, managers can give assignments, show how to do work, give orders, evaluate the work of employees and correct their mistakes. In fulfilling the function of leadership, the manager uses his communication skills.

The manual consists of two INTERCONNECTED processes. First, it includes MOTIVATION, that is, creating incentives for employees to work with full dedication. Secondly, leadership includes MENTORING, when the manager acquaints the employee with what and how he should do, showing him specific techniques for doing work, as well as demonstrating his personal attitude and approach to work. Here we dwell in detail on the second aspect of the leadership function.

LEADER'S FEATURES

Practice has shown that the success of any individual as a leader depends primarily on the SITUATION in which he acts. TRADITIONAL view connects management with such actions as 1) IMPROVING employees to work at the intended level, 2) creating such a STRUCTURE in which the roles and tasks of employees are clearly defined, 3) establishing a direct LINK between the REWARD (satisfaction of self-interests) of the employee and achievement GOALS. This traditional approach characterizes the so-called REGULATORY leadership. But effective leadership is not limited to the traditional approach. The most effective leaders encourage employees to do better than expected, inspire employees to take on things that do not directly benefit them (outside their interests), and instill confidence in them that they are capable of doing things. This approach is called TRANSFORMATIVE leadership, and it necessarily contains such traits as charisma, INDIVIDUAL approach and INTELLECTUAL STIMULATION.

STYLES GUIDE

Leadership style is a WAY for a leader to exercise his or her power. Any manager has his own clearly defined leadership style. Although each leader has individual qualities, there are three most common types of leadership: AUTHORITARY, DEMOCRATIC, and NON-INTERFERENCE style.

Authoritative style.
An authoritarian leader concentrates power in his own hands and does not allow others to participate in decision-making. This type of leader uses his power in an overt form and simply gives orders. This approach to decision-making, which excludes consultations with subordinates, is very effective in cases where a decision must be made in a SHORT time frame - naturally, provided that the leader has real power to implement this decision, since it is the leader who has for this with the necessary information. But this style has its drawbacks as well. In specific cases, the leader should be more objective in his decisions, or give employees more effective incentives to work, or be more attentive to the opinions of others. For a long time, this style was considered the norm, and even today many managers prefer it.

Democratic style.
A democratic leader delegates power to all levels of management, involves subordinates in the decision-making process, and encourages the free exchange of information between employees, but at the same time makes it clear that the last word will always remain with him. A democratic leadership style involves relatively little control and is most effective when subordinates are top-notch professionals. But he also has weak sides: the team is often slow to come to a common decision, and as a result, the manager may completely or partially lose control over his employees. This style is now becoming more widespread.

A laissez-faire style.
A hands-off leader acts as a consultant, ensuring that the ideas of their subordinates are brought to life and speaking their views or opinions only when asked to do so. This approach encourages team members to express themselves creatively, but it can be flawed if the team pursues goals that are not aligned with those of the organization. Although this style was generally perceived negatively for many years, today it is gradually reviving under such names as "self-management" or "leadership with the participation of the work collective".

MANAGEMENT APPROACHES

No leader always sticks to only one management style. Every real situation requires its own style. The choice of the best approach depends on the personality of the leader, the professional skills and potential of the employees, and on the problems that the company has to solve at a given moment. A number of unforeseen circumstances (possible events) can change the situation. For example, a firm may launch new products or improve manufacturing methods for previously manufactured products. Adapting the principles of governance to the current needs of the business is called SITUATION or contingency management. This approach is more effective than a firm commitment to one leadership style.

A company that systematically involves its employees in the decision-making process resorts to COLLECTIVE management. This is not an individual leader's style, but rather a general approach taken throughout the organization. This collective management method is considered important tool which have modern companies... It leads to good results when employees have the knowledge and experience and are able to make a positive contribution to the decision-making process. The success of collective management is due to the ability of leaders to engage employees and, during meetings and sessions, fruitfully direct their efforts towards joint problem solving.

It depends on the leader whether he will ask subordinates to make suggestions and whether he will encourage disputes and discussions. Joint participation in management significantly improves relationships in the team, but its main value is that it helps to increase productivity and quality of work and reduce costs.

CONTROL FUNCTION

In management, CONTROL is the observation of how the company is moving towards the set goal, revising its course (if goals and objectives change in response to changing conditions) and correcting deviations from the adopted course (if it is not possible to achieve the set goals and objectives). In exercising a control function, that is, comparing the results achieved by the company with those that it should have achieved, managers use their technical skills. If things are going smoothly, then the control allows you to maintain this acceptable course. If the results are much worse than expected, then control helps to make the necessary adjustments.

Managers judge the state of affairs in the company on the basis of REPORTS received from other employees of the company and from external sources. They develop benchmarks in accordance with the goals and objectives outlined at the planning stage. They then make adjustments as needed through rescheduling, reorganization, or reorientation. Thus, in the process of control, coordination of all three management functions is carried out, since the shortcomings made during their implementation are revealed.

Control is directly related to the PLANNING function. Strategic plans reflect changes both inside and outside the organization, and the control process allows managers to ascertain whether the adopted strategy is working or not. If the company is constantly in control, mistakes can be noticed early and steps can be taken in a timely manner to deal with the problem, thereby preventing possible serious damage.

The control process is a closed loop, covering all levels of management and consisting of four stages.

At the first stage In this cycle, senior managers set standards, that is, criteria for evaluating the performance of the organization as a whole. The standards used for oversight must be closely tied to the strategic objectives, or else it could end up with a firm overseeing the wrong task.

Examples of specific standards include the following indicators:

Profits in 2002 will increase from 17 to 20%;
- This division will produce 1,500 electronic boards monthly with a defect rate of less than 1%;
- Sales agents will contact 20 prospective clients weekly.

At the SECOND stage the control cycle evaluates the performance at all levels of the company in all divisions. Most companies use both QUANTITATIVE (specific, numerical) and QUALITATIVE (subjective) evaluation criteria.

At the THIRD stage actual performance is compared with accepted standards. It is the responsibility of managers to discover the reasons for any discrepancies.

If the performance results meet the standards, then at the FOURTH stage there is no need for any changes. However, if the results of activities for one reason or another do not meet the standards, then at the FOURTH stage certain corrective actions are taken, which can consist either in making changes to the organization's activities itself, or in reassessing the standards.

Another well-known control method is PURPOSE CONTROL. This method is based on setting goals at ALL levels of management. The targeted management program goes through four phases:

General strategic goals organizations are communicated with the utmost clarity to all program participants. These goals are developed by senior management with input from middle managers.
Mid-level managers meet with lower-level managers (and sometimes front-line workers) to work out tasks. After these discussions, each participant determines their own plan of action, consistent with the goals of the organization. These new tasks are fixed in writing and are further revised.
At short intervals, middle managers meet with all program participants to discuss the results of their work in terms of the assigned tasks.
All participants hold periodic (annual, semi-annual, quarterly) meetings to assess whether there is progress in achieving strategic goals. This cycle is then refined and repeated.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT

The most important goal of any business is survival. But no one is immune from serious problems that can threaten the very existence of the company. Dishonest power struggles within the company, the failure of any of its products in the market, disruptions in daily operations (for example, as a result of a fire) - any unexpected event can lead to a serious and destructive crisis. Crisis management, that is, overcoming unforeseen and serious problems, largely determines the future fate of the company.

Companies that do not seriously prepare themselves for critical situations, getting into them, as a rule, make a whole series of mistakes. It starts by ignoring warnings about possible problems at one or more levels of management. Then comes the CRISIS. And in this situation, the company does the worst possible: it denies the seriousness of the problem or its involvement in it. Finally, when a company is forced to face the truth, it takes hasty, ill-conceived steps.

You can act differently. The FIRST day of the crisis is of paramount importance. The first thing to do is to explain to the employees of the company the ESSENCE of the problem. At the same time, the product that caused the trouble should be removed from the store shelves, or the actions that caused the difficulty should be suspended, or, as far as possible, taken under. control the source of the problem, whatever it may be.

All these actions are not difficult if the management prepares itself for crisis situations in advance. Many forward-thinking companies have created dedicated crisis management teams with people capable of responding to emergencies. These teams identify the most vulnerable areas in their companies by analyzing past mistakes made by those companies themselves or by other firms. Also, these commands are themselves. are planning possible ways actions in case of difficult situations. In drawing up such plans, they pay special attention to the smooth exchange of information and, under all circumstances, take into account the strategic goals of the company. Finally, the companies most prepared for critical situations conduct a kind of "training", simulating crisis situations.