Management lessons from a Magnet

This time it was"Magnet". I was amazed of what can be done with a magnet in a management class. Sir asked us, What is the reason of only a magnet possesses magnetic properties. All engineer cum management students started speaking in term of physics language. The simple answer to the question was "Alignment". A Magnet has its power because it can align innate magnetic forces in metallic atoms. So, magnets (or Physics for that matter) align natural forces.

Atomic structural bonding in magnet 

   Yes in terms of management, a magnet teaches us how to align manpower in proper direction to create the force. Basically what a magnet does is to align all the magnetic poles in one direction i.e. north poles in one and south poles on other. A Manager aligns human forces to get work done. In effect an organization is a force that is aligned. The bigger or better an organization, the more perfectly it is aligned.

Management

   Same is the case with Music and Noise... When a guitar is tapped in unorganized way noise is produced which is irritating to ear, but when tapping is done in a certain organized manner with all the strings working fine , a perfect tune is played which soothes our ear. So it’s very clear that its Organizing matters apart from the work.

  So in management we call such alignments as : MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVES (MBO):

Management by objectives (MBO), also known as management by results (MBR), is a process of defining objectives within an organization so that management and employees agree to the objectives and understand what they need to do in the organization in order to achieve them. The term "management by objectives" was first popularized by Peter Drucker in his 1954 book The Practice of Management.

The essence of MBO is participative goal setting, choosing course of actions and decision making. An important part of the MBO is the measurement and the comparison of the employee’s actual performance with the standards set. Ideally, when employees themselves have been involved with the goal setting and choosing the course of action to be followed by them, they are more likely to fulfill their responsibilities.

According to George S. Odiorne, the system of management by objectives can be described as a process whereby the superior and subordinate jointly identify its common goals, define each individual's major areas of responsibility in terms of the results expected of him, and use these measures as guides for operating the unit and assessing the contribution of each of its members.

Unique features and advantages of the MBO process:

Behind the principle of Management by Objectives (MBO) is for employees to have a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities expected of them. Then they can understand how their activities relate to the achievement of the organization's goal. Also places importance on fulfilling the personal goals of each employee.

Some of the important features and advantages of MBO are:

1.    Motivation – Involving employees in the whole process of goal setting and increasing employee empowerment. This increases employee job satisfaction and commitment.

2.    Better communication and coordination – Frequent reviews and interactions between superiors and subordinates helps to maintain harmonious relationships within the organization and also to solve many problems.

3.    Clarity of goals

4.    Subordinates tend to have a higher commitment to objectives they set for themselves than those imposed on them by another person.

5.    Managers can ensure that objectives of the subordinates are linked to the organization's objectives.

6.    Everybody will be having a common goal for whole organization. That means, it is a directive principle of management.