1)          Conduct Research on the topic of controlling in a healthcare setting and prepare a 1-2 page document with your findings, please also include the research you cited using APA format, etc.

(2)       Provide 2-3 specific examples of how controlling plays out in the healthcare environment

Controlling

The process of ensuring that activities are accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviations from the plan. nd – remember- your audience is new managers!

Controlling refers to the act of ensuring that activities are accomplished as planned and correcting any significant deviations from the plan. While controlling may be among the least exciting principles of management, it is arguably the most critical because, when done well, the manager can identify a problem and take action before the problem becomes uncorrectable. It is directly related to the planning function, in that controlling measures whether the planning has been effective; it differs from the planning function, however, in that controlling requires managers to react quickly and appropriately to unexpected deviations from the plan and to correct any planning errors previously made. Managers perform the controlling function by identifying the types of controls to be used, setting standards, and monitoring performance.

Types of Controls As a general matter, managers employ any or all of three types of controls in the workplace: input controls, process controls, and output controls. Input controls are designed to  338 339 anticipate problems and prevent them from occurring. Examples include employing routine maintenance on costly equipment at periodic intervals to avoid equipment failure or downtime and employing internal inventory control systems to ensure that supplies needed to support daily operations are readily available. Process controls are designed to measure and evaluate work in progress. Examples include formal and informal assessments, through periodic checking or sampling, of employee performance according to established standards for quality and timeliness. Output controls are designed to evaluate final results. Output controls are not designed necessarily to correct past work but are designed to serve as guides to future activities by highlighting problems in work efficiency or effectiveness. A classic example of an output control is an employee performance appraisal. Most employee performance appraisal systems measure past performance against established standards. Therefore, the content of an employee performance appraisal cannot change past performance, but it can serve as a feedback mechanism for improving the employee’s future performance by identifying areas of solid and weak performance and opportunities for improvement.

   Implementation of any of these controls varies according to individual situations and circumstances. Some controls may need to be used continuously, such as standing plans for use in emergency or disaster situations. When developed, standing plans are considered input controls. When implemented, standing plans become process controls. Other controls, such as audits or budget reviews, should be employed on a periodic basis. Still other controls should be used only when needed, for example, when a special report is necessary to identify the cause of a problem and an attendant solution or to identify an opportunity and the mechanism to take advantage of it.