Directing is a key function of management that ensures employees work efficiently and effectively to achieve organizational goals. It involves guiding, instructing, supervising, and motivating employees through leadership. Directing is critical because it activates plans by converting them into actions and performance. It also improves efficiency by helping employees maximize their potential, ensures coordination among staff, and facilitates change. Directing elements include supervision, motivation, leadership, and communication. Supervision entails overseeing employees' work through functions like planning, issuing instructions, guiding, motivating, maintaining discipline, and monitoring performance. The supervisor acts as a link between management and workers.

1. DIRECTING IN
MANAGEMENT
Grade 12 Commerce
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2. MEANING:
Directing is that part of management process which
ensures that the members of an organization work
efficiently and effectively for the attainment of
organizational objectives.
Concerned with guiding,instructing,supervising and
inspiring employees to achieve predetermined
objectives.
Issuing orders to subordinates, overseeing people at
work and creating a work environment.
Includes motivating subordinates and providing
leadership to them.
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3. IMPORTANCE
 Directing may be considered as the heart of management process.
 Planning, organizing and staffing are merely preparatory functions.
 Without direction, other managerial functions such as plannng,organizing and
staffing remain ineffective.
 It is an indispensable task for achieving organisational objectives.
 Provides the following benefits
 1. Initiates action: All activities of an organisation are initiated through direction.
 The purpose of direction is to activate employees to work towards the
achievement of predetermined objectives.
 Actually the directing function which converts plan into performance.
 2.Improves efficiency: It helps employees to realize their full potential.
 Managers utilize this potential through motivation and leadership which are parts
of directing. It serves as a means of fostering cooperation and commitment among
members of the organization.
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4. IMPORTANCE (CONT.…)
3.Ensures Coordination;
 Helps in creating mutual understanding and teamwork among the members
of an organization.
 Managers use various techniques such as counselling, guidance and
supervision to integrate the efforts of different individuals in the organization.
 It helps to reconcile personal interests of employees with the organizational
goals.
4.Facilitates Change ;
An enterprise must adjust itself to the changes in its environment. (eg: a
computer installed in the office to improve the efficiency of employees)
Employees will be induced to accept changes and challenge of the job
pleasantly.( Information sharing and persuasive leadership enable managers to
bring about necessary changes in the organization.
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5. IMPORTANCE (CONT)
 5.Balance in the organization: Individuals join in the organization to
achieve personal needs such as income, promotion etc.
 But organizations have there on interests and objectives such as
increasing sales, making profits and good public image etc.
 Managers must bring out the balance between individual interests of
employees and organizational interests through direct functioning.(
through guidance ,motivation and leadership)
 6.Helps Stability and growth:
 Efficient directing helps an enterprise to survive and grow.
 Effective supervision, motivation ,leadership and communication
results in the growth of enterprise at faster rate.
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6. ELEMENTS OF DIRECTING
 Supervision
 Motivation
 Leadership
 Communication
 SUPERVISION
 Meaning: consists of two words.
 (a)super and (vision) means seeing things or looking over people.
 It may be defined as overseeing people at work by a superior.
 The person who supervises the workers is called supervisor. Also
known as foreman, overseer, superintendent section officer or gang
chief .
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7. FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISOR
 The supervisor has to perform the following functions:
 1. Planning the work or scheduling activity
 The supervisor will prepares the schedule of activities of his
subordinates to ensure a steady flow of work. And they will ensure that
each activity is performed or completed at the right time.
 2. Issuing orders and Instructions
 The supervisor issues orders and instructions for the execution of work.
 Entrusted with the task of orientation of new workers and providing on
the job training to them.
 3.Guiding subordinates:
 It is the primary function of a supervisor to guide and advise his
subordinates.
 Explain the plans and policies of management to workers.
 Also solves their problems relating to technical aspects of work.
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8. FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISOR(CONT.)
 4.Motivating workers:
 Inspiring workers towards better work performance.
 Creates enthusiasm and team spirit among them.(appreciation and recognition)
 5.Maintaining Discipline
 Enforces rules and regulations among his subordinates.
 6.Handling grievances
 Listens to the grievances and complaints of workers and takes all possible steps
to remove them.
 Also recommends the transfer, promotion and dismissal of workers.
 7.Monitoring Performances
 Checks on the work methods in use and progress of the work against the planned
schedule.
 Continuous monitoring is done to ensure that plans and time schedules are upto.
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9. FUNCTIONS OF SUPERVISOR (CONT.)
 8.Ensuring Safety
 The supervisor ensures that workers use safety devices.
 Regular inspection to ensure that all machines and equipment's are in proper condition.
 9.Reporting/Feedback
 Supervisor prepares and submit reports to the higher authorities.
 It relates to progress of work, fulfillment of targets, performance of the work group etc.
 10. Serving as a Linking Pin
 The supervisor act as a link between management and workers.
 On the one side, he communicates the policies and decisions of management to workers.
 On the other side, he conveys the grievances, complaints of workers to the management.
 This feedback helps management in revising plans and policies and in improving in quality of
decisions.
 In this way, supervisor helps to avoid misunderstanding and conflict between management and
workers.
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