Like planning, organizing and staffing- controlling is one of the major managerial functions undertaken by a manager. The basic activities of managerial control include establishing a benchmark quality of the output, comparing the actual work done with the benchmark and taking necessary action to improve the process of action to meet the benchmark if needed. Depending on the type of the company and the role of the manager, a manager can do all these activities within days or weeks or even months.
The new and old concept
According to the old concept of controlling, a manager had to improvise or edit the course of action of his employee only if there was a major error made. The reason behind such practice was that, in the past, there was no MIS (Management Information System) to provide real time data about the company’s performance in an instant manner. So, a manager had to take necessary corrective measures when things went almost out of hand. But now days, thanks to developed information system, managers can monitor the performance of his/her employees in an instant manner and take necessary action to make sure that his/her company fulfills the benchmark criteria with success.
Elements of managerial controlling
Controlling consists of four different elements.
Characteristics of elements to be controlled. Characteristics of elements to be controlled means the attributes of the object that needs to be controlled. No matter if it is the production level, level of selling or employee behavior; for perfect controlling it needs to be specified in a clear manner.
Sensory system. The sensory system refers to the measurement tool by which the actual result and the benchmark result would be measured in. For example, sales level can be measured in the amount of product or by selling revenue, no matter what it is; it needs to be made clear.
Comparator. Comparator refers to the activity how a manager compares the actual result with the benchmark. According to the managerial workflow, the comparison could take place on per week or per month basis.
Activator. Activator is the triggering activity a manager uses to correct the current condition of his employees or the company workflow to correct their workflow and bring them to a new process that would help them to achieve the benchmark. To have a perfect activator, when to take action and what would be the corrective measure needs to be pre-planned by the manager.
