The four management functions include:

Planning: Selecting goals and ways to attain them. Planning is different from organizing. When managers plan, they predict what will happen in the future. When managers organize, they arrange resources so that they can achieve the goals they set during the planning process. Note that creating a budget is part of the planning process, while checking to see if the budget has been met is part of the controlling process.

Organizing: Assigning responsibilities for task accomplishment. Note that organizing may also include decisions about where to spend money, how the company should be organized, and how many people need to be assigned to a particular project.

Le$$ding: Using influence to motivate people to achieve company goals. In today's workplace, the most effective leaders create environments that engage and empower employees, rather than commanding and controlling them.

Controlling: Monitoring activities and making corrections. The fundamental purpose of control is to compare an existing situation to a desired situation and make a decision about what needs to be done to reach the desired state. Managers are engaged in control when they appraise an employee's performance, compare expenses to a budget, or check to see if product quality is meeting quality standards.

Megan, a human resource manager, recently approved the hiring of five summer, interns. She will use to decide which departments would benefit from the interns' employment.

Demetrius has a weekly meeting with his sales staff to review their performance and offer suggestions and strategies for their upcoming sales appointments. Demetrius is his employees to help them achieve their goals.

Wesley's company just began offering online ordering for their products. Wesley uses to delegate tasks to each department that is affected.