Definition: Gathering feedback, evaluating performance against plan, and responding to improve future results.
Three-Stage Structure
| Stage | Question | Example (TSN) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gather feedback | What actually happened? | Viewership data, production costs, ad revenue |
| 2. Evaluate against plan | Did we hit our targets? | Compare actual ratings to projected ratings |
| 3. Respond/Learn | Why? What do we change? | Identify why a broadcast over/underperformed |
Key Insight
Controlling goes beyond yes/no answers. The goal is understanding why performance exceeded or missed expectations. This learning feeds back into planning.
Performance Reports
Primary output of controlling. Compares budgeted data to actual data on a periodic basis (usually monthly). Used to:
- Identify excellent performance to replicate
- Identify unsatisfactory performance to eliminate
- Evaluate and reward employees
TSN Examples
- Comparing actual viewership ratings against projected ratings per program
- Reviewing whether production costs stayed within approved budget
- Analyzing why a particular broadcast exceeded or underperformed expectations
Common Trap
Stopping at the numbers. Controlling isn’t just measurement—it’s the diagnostic work of understanding variance. “Ratings were down 5%” is data. “Ratings were down 5% because we aired against a major NHL playoff game” is controlling.
North: Where this comes from
- What are the Four Management Functions (parent framework)
- Directing and Motivating (what’s being controlled)
- Budgets (the standard for comparison)
East: What opposes this?
- [[Management)](FMGT/Planning (Management|Planning (Management)]].md) (forward-looking vs. backward-looking)
- Set and Forget (no feedback loop)
South: Where this leads
- [[Management)](FMGT/Planning (Management|Planning (Management)]].md) (insights feed next cycle)
- Continuous Improvement (learning loop)
- Variance Analysis (detailed technique)
West: What’s similar?
- Quality Control (also compares actual to standard)
- After-Action Review (military version)
- Retrospectives (agile version)