Directing

By REKHA RANI

The managerial function of directing is like the activities of a teacher in a classroom. In order to teach, a teacher has to guide his students, maintain discipline, inspire them and lead them to the desired goal. It is a very important function in the management of any enterprise. It helps the managers in ensuring quality performance of jobs by the employees and achievement of organisational goals. It involves supervision, communication and providing leadership to the subordinates and motivating them to contribute to their best of output.

objective of directing:-

state the meaning and importance of directing function;

identify the elements of directing;

describe the meaning and importance of communication;

state the different types of communication;

explain the meaning, functions and importance of supervision;

describe the meaning and importance of motivation;

state the various ways of motivation;

explain the meaning and importance of leadership; and

identify the qualities of a good leader.

Importance of Directing

·         Direction initiates actions to get the desired results in an organisation.

·         Direction attempts to get maximum out of employees by identifying their capabilities.

·         Direction is essential to keep the elements like Supervision, Motivation, Leadership and Communication effective.

·         It ensures that every employee work for organisational goals.

·         Coping up with the changes in the Organisation is possible through effective direction.

·         Stability and balance can be achieved through directing.

Elements of Direction

supervision

"Guiding and directing efforts of employees and other resources to accomplish stated work outputs"

- Terry and Franklin.

Supervision is an element of direction.

"Day-to-day relationship between an executive and his immediate assistant and covers training, direction, motivation, coordination, maintenance of discipline, etc."

- Newman and Warren.

Supervision denotes the functions performed by the supervisors.

Motivation

"Motivation is the complex force starting and keeping a person at work in an organisation. Motivation is something that moves the person to action, and continues him in the course of action already initiates."

- Dubin.

Motivation is the core of management. Technically, the term motivation can be traced to the Latin word movere, which means 'to move'. Motivating is a term which implies that one person induces another, to engage in action by ensuring that a channel to satisfy the motive becomes available to the individual. Motive is energizer of action, motivating is the channelisation and activation of motives, motivation is the work behavior itself. Motivation depends on motives and motivating. It is a complex process.

Leadership

"Leadership is essentially a continuous process of influencing behaviour. A leader breathes life into the group and motivates it towards goals. The lukewarm desires for achievement are transformed into burning passion for accomplishment"

- George R. Terry.

Leadership is the process of influencing the behavior of others to work willingly and enthusiastically for achieving predetermined goals. It is an essential ingredient for successful organisation.The successful organisation has one major attribute that sets sets it apart from unsuccessful organisation that is dynamic and effective leadership.

Communication

"Communication is the transfer of information from one person to another person. It is a way of reaching others by transmitting ideas, facts, thoughts, feeling sand values."

- Newstrom and Davis.

Communication is regarded as basic to the functioning of the organisation, in its absence, the organisation would cease to exist. It is the process through which two or more persons come to exchange ideas and understanding among themselves.

Direction has got following characteristics:

1. Pervasive Function - Directing is required at all levels of organization. Every manager provides guidance and inspiration to his subordinates.
2. Continuous Activity - Direction is a continuous activity as it continuous throughout the life of organization.
3. Human Factor - Directing function is related to subordinates and therefore it is related to human factor. Since human factor is complex and behaviour is unpredictable, direction function becomes important.
4. Creative Activity - Direction function helps in converting plans into performance. Without this function, people become inactive and physical resources are meaningless.
5. Executive Function - Direction function is carried out by all managers and executives at all levels throughout the working of an enterprise, a subordinate receives instructions from his superior only.
6. Delegate Function - Direction is supposed to be a function dealing with human beings. Human behaviour is unpredictable by nature and conditioning the people’s behaviour towards the goals of the enterprise is what the executive does in this function. Therefore, it is termed as having delicacy in it to tackle human behaviour.