Introduction
The control function of management is a critical determinant of organizational success. After organizational strategies are set and plans made, the primary task of management is to ensure that the plans are carried out or even modified depending on the prevalent conditions. This is the control function of any organization. The major part of the control function of management is to make sure that people do what should be done . The basic control process in an organization involves three critical steps which include establishing standards, measuring performance against the set standards, and correcting any deviations from such standards. Thus, a good management control system should stimulate action by identifying the significant variations from the original plan as well as highlighting them for the individuals who can set the things right. The environment in which organizations operate is dynamic, and organizations need to change continuously . As such, leaders must motivate and support employees so that they can continuously adapt to organizational changes. The control function of management plays a significant role in ensuring that employees are focused on achieving the goals and objectives of the organization. This can be achieved by motivating individuals to stay engaged, monitoring performance, and communicating the change process at both strategic and tactical level in the organization. Therefore, effective change management can help significantly in improving organizational performance.
Employee Motivation
The leaders in the organizations should realize that keeping employees motivated and engaged is crucial to every organization’s success. It is important to understand that there are numerous factors that leaders have little or no control over. However, effective leaders can do their best to keep their team motivated as well as engaged. Proper motivation and engagement is good for both morale and productivity in organizations (Ugboro & Obeng, 2000). For employees to be motivated and engaged in the workplace, they should feel part of a team, be valued, and appreciated. Moreover, the leaders should make sure that the vision of the organization is provided as a roadmap for the employees. As such, the employees should be informed about each twist and turn. The employees should also be given what they need when they need. The leaders should not just assume that employees have all the necessary tools to carry out the jobs effectively.
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Training programs for employees can be effective in motivating employees because they provide them with opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills. Organizations should place significant emphasis on employee training programs because of the various benefits that can be achieved by adhering to professional training programs. The benefits associated with effective employee programs include performance improvement, output maximization, skills and expertise upgrade, job satisfaction and top talent attraction (Ugboro & Obeng, 2000). It is important to realize that every employee comes with a different set of skills. Helping employees enhance such skills is the best thing an employer can do. Therefore, the human resources managers should evaluate the training needs of each employee to accurately determine the appropriate training program to subject the respective employees to. It is worth realizing that professional training and development of employees helps them to overcome their weaknesses and shortcomings effectively . Such training programs give them the opportunities to reach higher levels of expertise and gain more exposure necessary to improve their professional skills. Well trained employees are able to make the best use of the available resources in a given organization. This results in output maximization in the organization because adequately employees have the capability to maximize performance with the help of accessible resources. As such, it is clear that effective employee training programs boosts employee efficiency and helps in presenting high-quality output.
The leaders should also promote effective communication within the organization. Additionally, organizational leaders should be able to communicate effectively with employees so that they can clearly present the vision of the organization clearly. Organizations should promote a culture of communication among employees so that they can share common goals and work collectively to meet them. Effective communication is crucial, particularly during times of change. As such, perfect timing is critical, and the leaders should let employees know about anticipated changes to reduce uncertainty. Therefore, leaders should endeavor to obtain commitment to the change, reduce personal anxiety, minimize resistance, ensure clarity of objectives, share the vision , obtain clarity and challenge the status quo.
Organizations should also implement incentive programs to motivate employees. Incentive programs can be beneficial in improving employee productivity. Incentive programs can also help in significantly improving employee engagement in the organization. Moreover, proper incentive programs for employees can significantly reduce turnover rate.
The control function of management can help in ensuring that employees are motivated to enhance organizational performance. Adopting and implementing relevant policies can help in motivating and engaging employees in the organization.
Monitoring Employee Performance
Employee performance monitoring is one of the key responsibilities of the control function of management. Performance monitoring significantly contributes to the effective management of individuals and teams to achieve organizational goals. The main objective of performance monitoring is to review actual performance against the standards set (Stanton, 2000). This will help managers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of employees in terms of both delivering skills and personal attributes. The type of employee performance monitoring system solely depends on the type of workplace in which it will be implemented . It is important to realize that effective organizations ensure that projects and assignments are continually monitored . Effective performance monitoring involves consistently measuring performance and providing continuous feedback to employees and workgroups regarding their progress toward achieving their set goals.
Monitoring employee performance is a continuous process that involves managers and employees working together to plan, monitor and review the work objectives and goals of employees as well as the overall contribution of the individual employees to the organization (Stanton, 2000). For effective employee performance monitoring, organizations should ensure that there are well-designed jobs and well-written descriptions, comprehensive employee training, and a positive and supportive working environment. An effective performance management system should be developed . The employees should be involved in the development of the performance management system. The performance management system will help the managers to monitor employee performance in the organization effectively . Moreover, the managers should be able to communicate the purpose and the process of performance monitoring to reduce anxiety and uncertainty. It is worth noting that monitoring performance does not necessarily mean that the managers have to watch over every aspect of how individuals in the organization carry out their assigned tasks and activities. Therefore, managers need to focus on assessing progress towards achieving performance objectives.
Continuous employee coaching is important as it ensures that concerns and issues related to performance are addressed so that there is a positive contribution to the organization. Coaching involves providing guidance, direction, and support necessary for carrying out the assigned tasks and activities. As such, the managers need to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of employees as well as work with employees to identify opportunities and effective methods to maximize employee strengths and improve weak areas. Additionally, the managers, as coaches, should give employees feedback and reassurance. Good listening skills, as well as the ability to deliver honest feedback among the coaches, are crucial for proper performance monitoring.
Communicating the Change Process
Communication is one of the most challenging issues in organizations. Organizations should develop a well-written communication plan that will help in facilitating the change management process. The change process should be effectively communicated at both strategic and tactical level of management. The change should be communicated frequently and consistently through various channels such as speaking, writing, focus groups, training, video, bulletin boards and intranet. It is also important to communicate what is known about the changes as quickly as information is available.
The leaders should provide sufficient time for people to request clarification, ask questions and provide important input. The leaders should inform the people about the vision, the mission as well as the objectives of the change management effort (van Vuuren & Elving, 2008). The people should be informed on how the change will affect them personally. The communication should be a two-way affair, and it should not be just a presentation. Additionally, the reasons for the changes should be communicated in such a way that the people are able to understand the purpose, the need and the context. As such, individuals should be provided with opportunities to network among themselves, both formally and informally in order to share ideas about the change as well as change management. This involves creating a conceptual framework to underpin the change. Therefore, effective communication of the change process can help to improve organizational performance as employees can adapt to the changes positively. The control function of management can help significantly in monitoring and evaluate change process in organizations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the major part of the control function of management is to make sure that people do what should be done . The environment in which organizations operate is dynamic, and organizations need to change continuously . As such, leaders must motivate and support employees so that they can continuously adapt to organizational changes. Organizations should adopt relevant strategies for monitoring employee performance in order to enhance their productivity. During the process of change, organizations need to ensure that the change is communicated both at the strategic and tactical level. The control function of management plays a significant role in ensuring that employees are focused on achieving the goals and objectives of the organization.
References
Stanton, J. M. (2000). Reactions to employee performance monitoring: Framework, review, and research directions. Human Performance , 13 (1), 85-113.
Ugboro, I. O., & Obeng, K. (2000). Top management leadership, employee empowerment, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction in TQM organizations: an empirical study. Journal of quality management , 5 (2), 247-272.
van Vuuren, M., & Elving, W. J. (2008). Communication, sensemaking, and change as a chord of three strands: Practical implications and a research agenda for communicating organizational change. Corporate Communications : an international journal , 13 (3), 349-359.
