1. Establish performance standards.

Performance standards give employees an idea of what

is expected of them and tells them how you assess their performance. This is key to
maintain management control.
2. Conduct a job analysis and create a job description for each position within the company.
Give feedback regularly and give annual performance appraisals. This makes the
employee aware of her individual strengths and weaknesses.
3. Monitor and measure performance. Draw up a new business plan and assess current
performance against expectations. Refocus the efforts of managers, employees and
stakeholders as needed.
4. Compare your measured performance against established standards. If anticipated
performance is below average, take preventive corrective actions to ensure compliance to
specified performance standards before a problem occurs.
5. Take corrective action. This is often a difficult aspect of the controlling function of
management. When problems arise, handle the situations fast and efficiently. Ignoring a
challenging situation only makes things worse.
6. Practice preventative methods like coaching in order to avoid corrective action. Coaching
allows for consistent feedback from management. It also helps train employees on a daily
basis and eliminates the need for severe corrective action except in extreme
circumstances.

7. Control (management)
8. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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10. Control is one of the managerial functions like planning, organizing, staffing and
directing. It is an important function because it helps to check the errors and to take the
corrective action so that deviation from standards are minimized and stated goals of the
organization are achieved in desired manner.
According to modern concepts, control is a foreseeing action whereas earlier concept of
control was used only when errors were detected. Control in management means setting
standards, measuring actual performance and taking corrective action. Thus, control
comprises these three main activities.

Definitions

According to Henri Fayol,

Control of an undertaking consists of seeing that everything is being carried out in accordance
with the plan which has been adopted, the orders which have been given, and the principles
which have been laid down. Its object is to point out mistakes in order that they may be rectified
and prevented from recurring.

Characteristics of Control

• Control is a continuous process

• Control is a management process
• Control is embedded in each level of organizational hierarchy
 • Control is forward looking
• Control is closely linked with planning
• Control is a tool for achieving organizational activities

[edit] The elements of control

The four basic elements in a control system — (1) the characteristic or condition to be
controlled, (2) the sensor, (3) the comparator , and (4) the activator — occur in the same
sequence and maintain a consistent relationship to each other in every system.[3]

Relationship between the elements of control and information

Controlled Characteristic or. Condition The primary requirement of a control system is that it
maintain the level and kind of output necessary to achieve the system's objectives.[5] It is usually
impractical to control every feature and condition associated with the system's output. Therefore,
the choice of the controlled item (and appropriate information about it) is extremely important.
There should be a direct correlation between the controlled item and the system's operation. In
other words, control of the selected characteristic should have a direct relationship to the goal or
objective of the system.

Process of Controlling

• Setting performance standards.

• Measurement of actual performance.
• Comparing actual performance with standards.
• Analysing deviations.
• Correcting deviations.

[edit] Kinds of control

Control may be grouped according to three general classifications: (1) the nature of the
information flow designed into the system (that is, open- or closed-loop control), (2) the kind of
components included in the design (that is man or machine control systems), and (3) the
relationship of control to the decision process (that is, organizational or operational control). [3]

Why management control systems fail

A control system is necessary in any organization in which the activities of different divisions,
departments, sections, and so on need to be coordinated and controlled. Most control systems are
past-action-oriented and consequently are inefficient or fail. For example, there is little an
employee can do today to correct the results of actions completed two weeks ago.

Steering controls, on the other hand, are future-oriented and allow adjustments to be made to get
back on course before the control period ends. They therefore establish a more motivating
climate for the employee.
What's more, although many standards or controls are simply estimates of what should occur if
certain assumptions are correct, they take on a precision in today's control systems that leaves
little or no margin for error. Managers would be better off establishing a range rather than a
precise number and changing standards as time passes and assumptions prove erroneous. This
would be fairer and would positively motivate employees. There are three fundamental beliefs
underlying most successful control systems.

• First, planning and control are the two most closely interrelated management
functions.
• Second, the human side of the control process needs to be stressed as much
as, if not more than, the tasks or 'numbers crunching' side.
• Finally, evaluating, coaching, and rewarding are more effective in the long
term than measuring, comparing, and pressuring or penalizing

The control process - consider the effects

Planning and organizing are two management functions that have been popular research areas in
recent years. Control, the third well-known management function, has received surprisingly little
attention.

This is perhaps because the task side of control is noticed and the behavioral or human side is
largely overlooked. But as previously noted, managers should carefully consider the behavioral
aspects of the process when designing a control system if employees are to be motivated to
accomplish assigned tasks.

Management Control Strategies

Managers can use one or a combination of three control strategies or styles: market, bureaucracy
and clan. (Figure 18.3) Each serves a different purpose. External forces make up market control.
Without external forces to bring about needed control, managers can turn to internal bureaucratic
or clan control. The first relies primarily on budgets and rules. The second relies on employees
wanting to satisfy their social needs through feeling a valued part of the business.

Self-control, sometimes called adhocracy control, is complementary to market, bureaucratic and

clan control. By training and encouraging individuals to take initiative in addressing problems on
their own, there can be a resulting sense of individual empowerment. This empowerment plays
out as self-control. The self-control then benefits the organization and increases the sense of
worth to the business in the individual.

Designing Effective Control Systems

Effective control systems have the following characteristics:

1. Control at all levels in the business (Figure 19.1)

2. Acceptability to those who will enforce decisions

3. Flexibility

4. Accuracy

5. Timeliness

6. Cost effectiveness

7. Understandability

8. Balance between objectivity and subjectivity

9. Coordinated with planning, organizing and leading