Directing
Introduction
After plans are made, the structure is created, and people are appointed, the focus shifts to getting the work done. This is where the management function of Directing comes into play. Directing is concerned with instructing, guiding, influencing, and motivating employees to perform efficiently and achieve organisational objectives.
It is the function that initiates action in the organisation. While planning, organising, and staffing lay the groundwork, directing puts the plan into motion. It involves dealing directly with people and ensuring they work effectively towards common goals.
Directing is often called the 'heart' or 'life-spark' of management because it is through direction that all other functions become effective.
Meaning
Directing is the process of instructing, guiding, counselling, motivating and leading people in the organisation to achieve its objectives. It involves supervising employees, communicating with them, motivating them, and leading them towards accomplishing goals.
It has three main elements:
1. Supervision: Overseeing the work of subordinates.
2. Motivation: Stimulating people to action to accomplish desired goals.
3. Leadership: Influencing others to work willingly for group objectives.
4. Communication: The process of exchange of ideas, facts, opinions or emotions from one person to another.
Some authors also include motivation, leadership, and communication as separate functions, but traditionally, they are considered key elements of directing.
Importance Of Directing
Directing is a core function that is essential for the efficient operation of an organisation. Its importance is evident from the following points:
1. Initiates Action: Directing initiates action in the organisation. Other functions (planning, organising, staffing) prepare the ground for action, but directing gets the work started.
2. Integrates Employees' Efforts: Directing helps to integrate the efforts of employees by guiding and supervising them towards the achievement of organisational goals. It ensures unity of action.
3. Guides Employees: Directing guides the employees to fully realise their potential and capabilities. Through motivation and leadership, employees are encouraged to perform to their best.
4. Facilitates Introduction of Changes: Directing helps to facilitate the introduction of changes in the organisation. Through proper communication, employees can be informed and motivated to accept and adapt to changes.
5. Brings Stability and Balance: Effective directing helps to bring stability and balance in the organisation. Managers try to strike a balance between individual and organisational objectives through motivation and leadership.
6. Means of Motivation: Directing involves motivating employees to perform better. A motivated employee works willingly and effectively.
7. Means of Communication: Communication, a key element of directing, ensures that instructions, goals, and feedback are exchanged effectively within the organisation.
Example 1. A team of software developers has been assigned a task to build a new feature. Their project manager holds a meeting to explain the feature's importance, assigns specific parts of the task to each developer, provides technical guidance, and motivates them to meet the deadline. Which management function is the project manager performing?
Answer:
The project manager is performing the function of Directing. This involves instructing (explaining importance, assigning tasks), guiding (providing technical guidance), and motivating the team.
Principles Of Directing
Effective directing requires following certain principles to ensure that the efforts of employees are guided efficiently towards organisational goals.
Key principles of directing include:
1. Maximum Individual Contribution: Directing techniques should help every individual in the organisation to contribute his or her maximum potential towards the attainment of organisational objectives.
2. Harmony of Objectives: The organisational objective and individual objective of employees should be in harmony. Directing should aim at integrating individual efforts with organisational goals.
3. Unity of Command: A subordinate should receive orders from only one superior. This avoids confusion, conflict, and ensures a clear line of authority.
4. Appropriateness of Direction Technique: Appropriate motivation and leadership techniques should be used. Different people require different techniques based on their needs, attitudes, and readiness.
5. Managerial Communication: Effective communication must exist between the superior and subordinate in both directions (upward and downward). Instructions should be clear, complete, and easily understood.
6. Use of Informal Organisation: Managers should understand and use the informal organisation (grapevine) to gain feedback and improve communication, while being careful about its potential for spreading rumours.
7. Leadership: Managers should provide good leadership to their subordinates. Good leadership influences subordinates positively and inspires them to perform willingly and effectively.
8. Follow Through: Directing is a continuous process. A manager should not only issue orders but also follow them up by reviewing the performance of subordinates.
Example 2. A factory worker receives conflicting instructions from his production supervisor and the quality control inspector regarding the acceptable level of defects. This causes confusion and delays. Which principle of directing is violated in this situation?
Answer:
The principle of Unity of Command is violated. The worker is receiving orders from two different superiors, leading to confusion.
Example 3. A sales manager understands that some of his sales representatives are primarily motivated by monetary incentives, while others are more interested in recognition and opportunities for professional development. He uses a combination of sales commissions and public appreciation programs to motivate his team. Which principle of directing is the sales manager following?
Answer:
The sales manager is following the principle of Appropriateness of Direction Technique by using different motivational approaches suited to the individual needs of his team members.
Elements Of Direction
Directing is comprised of four main elements: Supervision, Motivation, Leadership, and Communication. These elements work together to guide and influence employees towards achieving organisational goals.
Supervision
Supervision refers to overseeing the work of subordinates. It involves observing, monitoring, and guiding employees while they are performing their tasks. The person who does this is called a supervisor.
Supervision is the activity of a supervisor. A supervisor is a key link between management and workers, responsible for ensuring that the work is done according to the plan and instructions.
Importance Of Supervision
Supervision is important for several reasons:
1. Ensures Instructions are Carried Out: The supervisor ensures that the instructions are communicated properly to the workers and are carried out according to the plan.
2. Facilitates Communication: Supervisors act as a link between management and workers. They communicate management's ideas to workers and workers' problems and suggestions to management.
3. Maintains Discipline: Supervisors play a key role in maintaining discipline among the workers.
4. Provides Training: Supervisors can provide on-the-job training to workers, especially new employees, to improve their skills.
5. Improves Motivation: Good supervisors provide guidance and support, creating a positive work environment that can motivate employees.
6. Provides Feedback: Supervisors provide feedback on performance to both the workers and the management.
Motivation
Motivation is the process of stimulating people to action to accomplish desired goals. It is the force that drives individuals to achieve a goal. In the context of management, it is the process of inducing employees to perform in a desired manner.
Motivation can be intrinsic (from within, like satisfaction from work) or extrinsic (from outside, like salary, bonus, recognition).
Features Of Motivation
1. Motivation is an Internal Feeling: It comes from within the individual. Needs, desires, and aspirations influence human behaviour.
2. Motivation is Goal-Oriented: Motivation leads people to behave in a way that they can achieve their goals.
3. Motivation Can Be Either Positive or Negative: Positive motivation (e.g., promotion, reward) offers rewards for desired behaviour. Negative motivation (e.g., punishment, demotion) uses fear to discourage undesirable behaviour.
4. Motivation is a Complex Process: Needs and wants of individuals are diverse and change over time. Therefore, motivation is complex and requires understanding human behaviour.
Motivation Process
Motivation is a psychological process. It starts with a need, which creates tension, leading to drives, which result in search behaviour to satisfy the need, achieving satisfaction, and finally reducing the tension.
Need $$ \rightarrow $$ Tension $$ \rightarrow $$ Drives $$ \rightarrow $$ Search Behaviour $$ \rightarrow $$ Satisfied Need $$ \rightarrow $$ Reduction of Tension
Example: A worker feels hungry (Need). This creates discomfort (Tension). He looks for food (Drives/Search Behaviour). He eats food (Satisfied Need). His hunger goes away (Reduction of Tension).
In an organisation, a worker might need more income (Need). This creates tension. He looks for ways to earn more (Drives/Search Behaviour). He works harder or seeks a promotion (Satisfied Need, if successful). His tension regarding income reduces.
Importance Of Motivation
Motivation is essential for the efficient functioning of an organisation:
1. Improves Performance Level: A motivated employee works with full effort and dedication, leading to higher productivity and better quality of work.
2. Helps to Achieve Organisational Goals: Motivation encourages employees to contribute their best towards the achievement of organisational objectives.
3. Helps to Reduce Employee Turnover and Absenteeism: Highly motivated employees are usually more loyal and committed to the organisation, reducing instances of leaving the job or being absent.
4. Helps to Reduce Resistance to Change: Motivated employees are more likely to accept changes in the organisation willingly.
5. Helps to Build a Cordial Relationship: Motivation helps in building friendly relationships between management and employees, creating a positive work environment.
Maslow’S Need Hierarchy Theory Of Motivation
Abraham Maslow's theory is a widely known theory of motivation. He proposed that people have a hierarchy of needs, and they are motivated to satisfy needs in a hierarchical order.
The needs, from lowest to highest level, are:
1. Physiological Needs: Basic needs for survival, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep. In an organisation, these are related to basic salary and comfortable working conditions.
2. Safety/Security Needs: Needs for physical and emotional safety, security, stability, and protection from harm. In an organisation, this relates to job security, stable income, safe working conditions, pension plans, insurance.
3. Social Needs (Belongingness and Love): Needs for affection, belonging, acceptance, friendship, and social interaction. In an organisation, this relates to friendly co-workers, belonging to a team, good interpersonal relations.
4. Esteem Needs: Needs for self-respect, autonomy, achievement, status, recognition, and attention from others. In an organisation, this relates to job title, recognition for performance, responsibility, promotions.
5. Self-Actualisation Needs: The highest level need, the desire to become what one is capable of becoming; achieving one's full potential. In an organisation, this relates to opportunities for growth, challenging jobs, creativity, and achieving personal goals.
Maslow suggested that a person first tries to satisfy lower-level needs before higher-level needs become motivators. Once a need is satisfied, it no longer acts as a strong motivator, and the individual moves to the next level.
Financial And Non-Financial Incentives
Organisations use various incentives to motivate employees. These can be broadly classified as financial and non-financial incentives.
Financial Incentives: These are monetary benefits offered to employees for improving their performance. They are directly measurable in monetary terms.
1. Pay and Allowances: Basic salary, dearness allowance, and other allowances constitute the main part of compensation and are a basic motivator.
2. Productivity Linked Wage Incentives: Schemes linking wages or bonuses to the output or productivity of individuals or groups (e.g., piece wage system, bonus based on production targets).
3. Bonus: An incentive over and above the salary. Can be based on profit or productivity.
4. Profit Sharing: Sharing a part of the company's profits with employees.
5. Co-partnership/Stock Option: Giving employees a share in the ownership of the company, often through ESOPs (Employee Stock Option Plans).
6. Retirement Benefits: Benefits like Provident Fund, Pension, Gratuity, which provide financial security after retirement.
7. Perquisites (Perks): Additional benefits provided over and above salary, such as company car, housing allowance, medical aid, education for children.
Non-Financial Incentives: These are non-monetary incentives that satisfy the psychological and emotional needs of employees. They are equally important, especially at higher levels of the hierarchy.
1. Status: Refers to the rank, authority, responsibility, and recognition associated with a job. Providing higher status motivates individuals with esteem needs.
2. Organisational Climate: The characteristics of an organisation that influence employee behaviour. A positive climate (e.g., employee-friendly policies, trust, open communication) can be a strong motivator.
3. Career Advancement Opportunities: Opportunities for growth, promotion, and development within the organisation are strong motivators.
4. Job Enrichment: Designing jobs that are challenging, interesting, and provide more responsibility and autonomy. This satisfies higher-level needs.
5. Employee Recognition Programmes: Acknowledging and appreciating the contributions of employees publicly. Examples: awards, certificates, displaying performance on notice boards.
6. Job Security: Providing stability and security in the job, reducing the fear of losing employment.
7. Employee Participation: Involving employees in decision making, especially on matters affecting them. Gives them a sense of belonging and importance.
8. Employee Empowerment: Giving employees more autonomy and power to make decisions regarding their work.
Example 4. A sales executive receives a bonus based on the number of sales exceeding a target. She also receives an 'Employee of the Month' certificate displayed on the company notice board. Identify the types of incentives she is receiving.
Answer:
The bonus based on sales is a Financial Incentive (specifically, a Productivity Linked Wage Incentive/Bonus). The 'Employee of the Month' certificate is a Non-Financial Incentive (specifically, Employee Recognition Programme).
Leadership
Leadership is the process of influencing the behaviour of people at work towards the realisation of specified goals. It is the ability to build confidence and zeal among people and to create an urge in them to be led.
A leader is someone who influences others. Leadership is crucial for guiding and inspiring employees to work together effectively.
Features Of Leadership
1. Leadership Indicates Ability of an Individual: It is the capability of a person to influence others.
2. Leadership Aims at Influencing Behaviour: It seeks to bring about a change in the attitude and behaviour of others.
3. Leadership is for the Achievement of Common Goals: Leadership is exercised to achieve shared goals of the organisation and the group.
4. Leadership is a Continuous Process: A leader's interaction with followers is ongoing.
5. Leadership is Situational: The effectiveness of a leader depends on the situation, the leader's traits, and the followers' characteristics.
Importance Of Leadership
Effective leadership is vital for an organisation's success:
1. Influences Behaviour: A leader influences the behaviour of people and makes them work with zeal and confidence.
2. Introduces Change: Leaders act as agents of change, helping employees accept and adapt to new situations.
3. Integrates Efforts: A leader integrates the efforts of employees by guiding them and reconciling their individual goals with organisational goals.
4. Provides Training: Leaders provide guidance and training to their subordinates, helping them develop their skills.
5. Builds Morale: Effective leadership builds employee morale by providing support, recognition, and opportunities for growth.
6. Reduces Conflicts: Good leaders can handle conflicts effectively and maintain harmony in the organisation.
Qualities Of A Good Leader
While there is no single formula for a good leader, certain qualities are commonly associated with effective leadership:
1. Physical Features: Health and physical stamina to work long hours.
2. Knowledge: Possession of required knowledge and competence.
3. Integrity: Honesty and trustworthiness.
4. Initiative: The ability to take the first step, initiate action, and seize opportunities.
5. Communication Skills: Ability to clearly explain ideas and listen to others.
6. Motivation Skills: Ability to understand the needs of people and motivate them effectively.
7. Self Confidence: Belief in oneself to deal with difficult situations.
8. Decisiveness: Ability to make decisions quickly and firmly.
9. Social Skills: Being friendly and sociable, building good human relations.
Leadership Style
Leadership style refers to the leader's behaviour pattern when interacting with followers. Common styles include:
1. Autocratic (Authoritarian) Leadership: The leader makes decisions without consulting subordinates. Commands are given, and subordinates are expected to follow without questioning. Suitable when quick decisions are needed or subordinates are inexperienced.
2. Democratic (Participative) Leadership: The leader consults with subordinates and considers their opinions before making decisions. Encourages participation and involves employees in decision making. Leads to higher job satisfaction and morale.
3. Laissez-faire (Free-rein) Leadership: The leader gives complete freedom to subordinates to make decisions and perform tasks. The leader avoids exercising power and acts more as a facilitator. Suitable for highly skilled and motivated employees.
Example 5. A manager holds regular team meetings where he asks for input and suggestions from team members before finalising project plans. He encourages open discussion and values differing opinions. Which leadership style is he demonstrating?
Answer:
The manager is demonstrating a Democratic (Participative) Leadership style.
Communication
Communication is the process of exchange of ideas, facts, opinions or emotions from one person to another. It is a two-way process involving the transmission and understanding of a message.
Effective communication is essential for all management functions. Without communication, managers cannot direct, motivate, or coordinate employees.
It acts as a link between individuals and departments in an organisation.
Elements Of Communication Process
The communication process involves several key elements:
1. Sender: The person who initiates the communication and has an idea or message to convey.
2. Message: The idea, information, fact, opinion, or feeling that the sender wants to communicate.
3. Encoding: The process of converting the message into a form that can be understood (e.g., words, symbols, gestures).
4. Media: The channel or medium through which the encoded message is transmitted (e.g., face-to-face conversation, email, phone call, memo, report).
5. Decoding: The process of converting the encoded message into a form that can be understood by the receiver.
6. Receiver: The person who receives the message from the sender.
7. Feedback: The response or reaction of the receiver to the message. It indicates whether the message has been received and understood correctly.
8. Noise: Any barrier or disturbance that interferes with the process of communication (e.g., poor network, distractions, ambiguity in language, prejudice).
$$ \text{Sender} \xrightarrow{\text{Encodes Message}} \text{Message} \xrightarrow{\text{Transmits via Media}} \text{Receiver} \xrightarrow{\text{Decodes Message}} \text{Understanding/Response} \xrightarrow{\text{Feedback}} \text{Sender} $$
Importance Of Communication
Communication is crucial for effective management and organisational success:
1. Basis of Coordination: Communication is essential for coordinating the activities of different departments and individuals.
2. Basis for Decision Making: Managers need relevant information (communicated effectively) to make sound decisions.
3. Increases Managerial Efficiency: Proper communication ensures that tasks are understood and performed correctly, leading to efficiency.
4. Establishes Effective Leadership: Communication is the basis of leadership, enabling leaders to influence and guide followers.
5. Helps in Smooth Working of an Enterprise: Continuous flow of information is necessary for the smooth functioning of all operations.
6. Facilitates Public Relations: Effective communication helps in building and maintaining good relationships with external stakeholders (customers, suppliers, public).
7. Basis of Motivation: Communication is necessary to convey incentives, recognition, and feedback, which are crucial for motivating employees.
Formal And Informal Communciation
Communication channels in an organisation can be formal or informal.
Formal Communication
Formal Communication flows through the officially established channels in the organisation structure. It follows the scalar chain and hierarchy.
Types of Formal Communication:
a) Downward Communication: Flow of information from a superior to a subordinate (e.g., instructions, orders, policies, feedback).
b) Upward Communication: Flow of information from a subordinate to a superior (e.g., reports, suggestions, grievances, feedback).
c) Horizontal (Lateral) Communication: Flow of information between individuals or departments at the same level of hierarchy (e.g., coordination meetings between production and marketing managers).
d) Diagonal Communication: Flow of information between individuals in different departments and at different levels of hierarchy (e.g., a factory supervisor communicating with a marketing analyst).
Informal Communication
Informal Communication originates and spreads out of formal channels of communication. It arises from social interactions among employees and does not follow any prescribed path.
The network of informal communication is known as the grapevine.
Grapevine Network
The Grapevine is the informal communication network in an organisation. It is the channel through which informal communication spreads.
Characteristics:
1. Originates from Social Interaction: Not planned or sanctioned by management.
2. Speedy: Information spreads very quickly.
3. Can Carry Rumours: Often carries inaccurate information and rumours.
4. Difficult to Trace Origin: It is often hard to determine the source of information.
5. Used by Managers: Managers can use the grapevine to get feedback or disseminate information quickly, but must be cautious.
Types of Grapevine Networks: Single strand, Gossip, Probability, Cluster (most common).
Barriers To Communication
Communication can be ineffective due to various barriers that distort or block the message. These barriers can be categorised as:
Semantic Barriers
These barriers arise from problems in encoding and decoding messages, usually related to language and words.
1. Badly Expressed Message: Use of inadequate vocabulary, wrong words, omission of needed words, etc.
2. Symbols with Different Meanings: A word or symbol might have multiple meanings, leading to misinterpretation.
3. Faulty Translations: Communication from one language to another (e.g., English to Hindi) or one technical jargon to common language can lead to errors if translation is poor.
4. Unclarified Assumptions: Communication often has underlying assumptions that may not be clear to the receiver.
5. Technical Jargon: Use of specialised language by experts that is not understood by others (e.g., technical terms used by engineers talking to marketing personnel).
6. Body Language and Gesture Decoding: Mismatch between verbal communication and non-verbal cues (facial expressions, gestures).
Psychological Barriers
These barriers are related to the psychological state of the sender or receiver.
1. Premature Evaluation: Judging the meaning of a message before the sender completes it.
2. Lack of Attention: The receiver is preoccupied and does not pay attention to the message.
3. Loss by Transmission and Poor Retention: Information passing through different levels may get distorted or lost. People also cannot retain all information.
4. Distrust: If the sender and receiver do not trust each other, they may not understand the message in its original sense.
Organisational Barriers
These barriers arise from the organisational structure, rules, and policies.
1. Organisational Policy: A policy that discourages free communication (e.g., rigid hierarchy, strict control over information) can create barriers.
2. Rules and Regulations: Rigid rules regarding communication channels can cause delays and inconvenience.
3. Status: Communication between a high-status person and a low-status person may not be free and frank.
4. Complexity in Organisation Structure: A tall hierarchy with many levels can lead to delays and distortion of information as it passes through layers.
Personal Barriers
These barriers relate to the factors within individuals (managers and subordinates) that affect communication.
1. Fear of Authority: Subordinates may hesitate to communicate upward if they fear criticism or punishment from superiors.
2. Lack of Confidence of Superior in his Subordinates: A superior may not seek suggestions from subordinates if they lack confidence in them.
3. Unwillingness to Communicate: A manager may deliberately withhold information if they feel it might adversely affect their position or if they don't want to share control.
4. Lack of Proper Incentives: If there is no motivation or incentive for communication (e.g., no rewards for giving suggestions), subordinates may not be willing to communicate.
Example 6. A manager uses highly technical terms while explaining a new process to his team, which includes employees from different departments with varied technical backgrounds. Many team members do not fully understand the instructions. Which type of communication barrier is this?
Answer:
This is a Semantic Barrier, specifically the use of Technical Jargon.
Example 7. An employee has a valuable suggestion for improving workflow but hesitates to share it with his strict manager, fearing that the suggestion might be criticised or dismissed. Which type of communication barrier is this?
Answer:
This is a Personal Barrier, specifically related to the Fear of Authority.
Improving Communication Effectiveness
To overcome communication barriers and improve effectiveness:
1. Clarify the Ideas before Communication: The sender should be clear about the message.
2. Communicate According to the Needs of the Receiver: Use language and a medium that the receiver understands.
3. Consult Others before Communication: Involving relevant people can make the message more acceptable.
4. Be Aware of Language, Tone, and Content of the Message: Choose appropriate words and tone.
5. Ensure Proper Feedback: Encourage feedback to confirm understanding.
6. Communicate for Present as well as Future: Plan communication for both immediate and long-term impact.
7. Proper Follow-up: Monitor if the instructions are being carried out.
8. Be a Good Listener: Effective communication requires active listening by the receiver.
9. Congruity of Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication: Ensure body language matches the spoken words.