Controlling: Controlling Involves Ensuring Performance Deviate Standards.

¶ … Controlling: Controlling involves ensuring performance deviate standards. Controlling consists steps, include establishing performance standards, comparing actual performance standards, taking corrective action.

Controlling: A function of management

The controlling function of management is both a forward and backward-looking process. On one hand, it is an end function, as 'controlling' processes involves confirming that plans have indeed been carried out. However, on the other hand, it also has a forward-looking element, as plans must be adjusted to the needs of the moment. It is dynamic, because materials must be reviewed and altered, to reflect the current market environment. Controlling is ongoing in nature. While managers may confirm that end goals have indeed been achieved, new goals are continually being set and readjusted (Controlling function of management, 2012, Management study guide).

Controlling: Processes

Controlling is said to consist of three steps: establishing standards of individual and organizational performance; comparing the performance as it takes place in the real world against ideal performance standards, and finally taking corrective action to ensure that goals and performance are more closely aligned (Controlling function of management, 2012, Management study guide). 'Controlling' often has a bad reputation in the colloquial understanding of the world in the sense of being a 'control freak' or stifling creativity. But controlling is vitally necessary for an organization's survival and enables it to ensure that ideals reflect reality. "Regardless of the negative connotation of the word 'control,' it must exist or there is no organization at all" (McNamara 2000). Organizations must have goals, or functions they must fulfill, and strategic planning is required to meet those goal-oriented objectives. Controlling the performance of component members means ensuring that organizational actions and output achieve the necessary performance objectives.

Methods of controlling begin with delegating, or assigning responsibility to ensure that there is shared accountability to make sure the task is completed. "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" (McNamara 2000). Another method includes using performance reviews, or keeping track of data on employee performance to verify goal alignment. "Performance reviews provide an opportunity for supervisors and their employees to regularly communicate about goals, how well those goals should be met, how well the goals are being met and what must be done to continue to meet (or change) those goals" (McNamara 2000). Utilizing the 'controlling' function does not mean micromanaging employees, but rather giving employees opportunities to communicate.

All aspects of organizational performance should be periodically evaluated in a systematic fashion, to track progress over time. "Organizations often use standardized documents to ensure complete and consistent information is gathered" (McNamara 2000). Financial and quality metrics should also be used to ensure that performance can be verified in a data-driven fashion.