Management of My Community Service Project Essay

Planning is the first and the most important function of management of a community service event. It defines the goals and objectives of the group and assigns specific duties to the individual members for completing the event within stipulated deadline (Even Education, n. d. ). For my community caring project, planning was given the topmost priority, and the team leader had called all the individual members for a meeting to prepare a strategic plan for completing the project within 3 days. The various activities were prioritized and assigned according to the timings available for each one of the three days. On day 1, the leader of our Fun Activities Unit divided the work into 4 divisions. For each division, a coordinator was assigned the responsibility to oversee the working of the team members. So there were 4 coordinators- 3 game coordinators, and 1 decoration-cum-refreshment coordinator. I was one of the game coordinators. Each game coordinator was assisted by 2 members, while the decoration-cum-refreshment coordinator was assisted by 3 members. The leader had clearly stated the goal of the project was to cultivate an interactive learning environment among the students of the orphanage through playing games. Every coordinator and member was assigned duties and told to communicate effectively with one another to prevent misunderstanding. Besides, all of us were told to work with a positive attitude and ask questions from the leader in case of any ambiguous situation. The leader also mentioned that children often learn by observing the seniors, and hence, we must behave professionally and work with collective responsibility. We had spent almost half of the first day in careful planning our activities for the 3-day event. All the necessary paraphernalia, such as the games equipment were assigned to the 3 game coordinators. We were reminded that among the four functions of management, planning shall occur throughout the event to help us achieve the goals and prevent any unexpected casualty. The activities were planned for the latter half of the 1st day and for the 2nd day as well. The task of distribution of munchies was kept for the 3rd day since it involved loading the munchies and chocolates into the truck for carrying to a rural area that had rough roads and adverse climate. Since everything was clear to us, the team leader gave the green signal to carry on with our assigned duties. The team leader also mentioned that we should keep the premises clean at all times. Besides, all the games equipments should be put back into their respective bags, while the leftover food should be thrown into the garbage bins. We were encouraged to retain high energy levels and serve the children with a smile as successful personal management yields to effective organizational management. However, in case of difference of opinions, we were told to immediately meet the leader to avoid the possibility of any conflict. Controlling To achieve the goals and objectives of the project, the task has to be effectively controlled while adhering to the other three functions of management i. e. planning, organizing, and leading. According to Management Study Guide (n. d. ), â€Å"Controlling consists of verifying whether everything occurs in conformities with the plans adopted, instructions issued and principles established. † For our community service project of inculcating a positive and fun-filled learning environment in the school for orphans, the team leader had managed an effective control over the 3 game coordinators, 1 decoration-cum-refreshment coordinator, and 9 members. The leader was a great communicator who patiently listened to the problems of the crew and suggested efficient solutions to overcome the anticipated obstacles. The leader interacted with the coordinators and members, which also provided enthusiasm to each one of us. Since it was my first volunteering experience, the leader helped me to develop the confidence and problem solving skills. The leader was not a dictator-type of manager but a real team leader who approached the crew members individually to take the progress report and ensure that all of us were carrying out the assigned duties according to the plan. At the end of each day, the leader called us for a short meeting to openly discuss the progress of every crew member. Besides, on the second day, the leader called for a short meeting of 5 minutes after every 2 hours for suggesting the necessary changes in the initial plan. The leader ensured that all of us were enjoying the event and were not stressed due to a different kind of experience, which many of us had never faced earlier. I noticed that our team leader had a great sense of humor, which also helped to ease out the tension that built on few occasions. Controlling is a continuous process that ensures delivery of quality and achievement of the goals within the deadline, and I must assert that the first two days of the community care project were highly successful. I must also reiterate that a leader is also a human who is unaware of a natural disaster, which had posed problems for us on the 3rd day. However, by effective control of the entire operation, we were able to bring the children to safety. It was quite a difficult time for us, but the leader had nerves of steel and a cool temperament. I and my associates saw the efficient management style of our leader, and we also joined hands to face all the hardships for saving the lives of children from a flood-like situation. By keeping control over anger and maintaining cool, our leader had shown exemplary skills in controlling an adverse situation. I need to assert that the control function of management enables the successful execution of a well-organized and carefully led plan as was appropriately demonstrated in our 3-day community care project. References Event Education. (n. d. ). Event Planning Tips. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://www. eventeducation. com/event-planning. php Management Study Guide. (n. d. ). Controlling Function of Management. Retrieved June 6, 2010, from http://www. managementstudyguide. com/controlling_function. htm