Directing
Directing means instructing, guiding, motivating, leading and supervising people to work toward organisational goals. The exam tests the elements of directing, motivation theories, leadership styles and communication.
Core rules
- Elements: supervision, motivation, leadership and communication.
- Maslow’s hierarchy runs physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualisation needs; a satisfied need no longer motivates.
- Financial incentives include pay, bonus and profit sharing; non-financial incentives include recognition, responsibility and career growth.
- Leadership styles: autocratic (leader decides), democratic (participation) and laissez-faire (group decides). Communication can be formal or informal; barriers include semantic, psychological, organisational and personal barriers.
Worked example
A sales team misses targets after a product change. The manager finds that staff do not understand the new pricing and feel ignored. A democratic style plus a clear communication session addresses the knowledge gap; public recognition for early adopters addresses esteem needs. Raising salary alone would be weaker because the main problem is not physiological or safety need.
Traps
Do not treat directing and controlling as the same: directing energises action; controlling compares performance with standards. Motivation is not the same as morale. Leadership is not identical to management. Do not label all informal communication as gossip.