Some of the basic guidelines to make the control process more effective and acceptable by employees are:
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1. Set meaningful and attainable standards:
The standards should be realistically set and the control system would work more effectively if there has been an appropriate input from workers who are expected to meet these standards in setting up these standards.
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Also, the control standards should be relevant to the job and the reasons for a particular control system should appear justifiable to those who must implement and to those who must comply. The workers work harder, for example, to produce a better quality unit (a control process), if such improvement would get future contracts for the company which would mean more profits for all.
Furthermore, while administering controls, management should recognize and take into account feelings and attitudes of individual employees. In other words, management should humanize administration of control.
2. Establish an effective, accurate and timely two-way communication:
For any control system to be effective, information regarding any deviations must be communicated to management and workers as quickly as possible. This information and feedback must be accurate because the outcome is dependent upon the accuracy of informational input.
It is equally important that the information about the deviation be gathered quickly because some time elapses between the occurrence of the deviation and taking of a corrective action.
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This time lapse is due to the fact that managers have to gather control related information, make an investigative analysis, develop and prepare necessary reports, choose a course of corrective action and actually employ this corrective decision. This entire time period should be minimized as much as possible.
3. Reward attainment of standards:
The control system would work much better if the employees directly responsible for attaining the set standards are recognized for their contribution because such a recognition would boost their morale and induce them to move even more positively towards attainment of higher goals. This recognition could be in the form of financial rewards or other forms of status improvement.
4. Get the workers involved:
The best means of effective managerial controls are the development of voluntary cooperation, participation, sense of responsibility, self-control and self-discipline. Self-control adds higher value to a person’s self, resulting in higher internal satisfaction and self-actualization which further induces personal involvement in work and the employees take personal pride in effective work performance.