8 Managing Performance and Integrating the Fundamentals Free Online FlashCards

What is management?

Management is the coordinated use of people and other resources to achieve organizational goals.

How do the four management functions relate?

Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling form a repeating cycle: managers set direction, coordinate work, guide execution, review results, and adjust.

What does planning do?

Planning defines the result to achieve and how to pursue it, including priorities, constraints, and possible actions.

How does organizing turn a plan into work?

Organizing turns a plan into coordinated work by assigning responsibilities, providing resources, clarifying authority, and establishing communication.

What is the manager's role in leading?

Leading guides people through communication, listening, collaboration, and support as they carry out the work.

What are the main steps in controlling performance?

Controlling means setting standards, measuring actual performance, comparing it with expectations, investigating gaps, and deciding what to adjust.

Why should managers pair performance measures?

Pair measures that capture important trade-offs, such as response speed with resolution quality, so improving one measure does not hide harm to another.

What should accompany delegated responsibility?

Delegated responsibility should be matched with the information, tools, time, and decision authority needed to complete the task.

What should a manager do when results miss expectations?

Diagnose why results differ from expectations before acting; the cause may involve unclear instructions, scarce resources, an unrealistic target, changing conditions, or execution.

Why might performance problems require a system-level change?

Performance depends on roles, procedures, coordination, and resources as well as individual effort. Corrective action may therefore involve changing the work system, not just coaching an individual.

How can managers connect organizational goals to daily work?

Translate broad aims into specific responsibilities and near-term actions so employees can see how their work contributes to team results.

Why is timely feedback useful?

Timely, relevant feedback helps people respond while there is still an opportunity to improve.