What management process is crucial for aligning company goals with the skills of employees?

The correct choice is planning because it serves as a foundational process in management that directly connects the goals of the organization with the skills and capabilities of its workforce. In this process, managers assess the organization's objectives and then evaluate the existing skills of employees to determine how best to allocate resources and assign tasks. This strategic alignment helps ensure that employees are working in roles that utilize their strengths, ultimately fostering a more effective and motivated workforce.

Effective planning involves setting clear goals, identifying the necessary skills required to achieve those goals, and developing strategies to bridge any gaps. By determining what the organization aims to accomplish in the short-term and long-term, managers can tailor training programs or recruitment efforts to enhance employee competencies in line with company objectives.

In contrast, leading focuses more on influencing and motivating employees towards achieving the set goals rather than aligning skills with goals directly. Organizing involves the arrangement of resources and personnel to implement the plans, which does not directly address the alignment of goals with employee skills. Lastly, controlling is about monitoring progress and making adjustments to keep the organization on track, but it does not initiate the alignment process, which is the primary function of planning. Thus, both leading and organizing are important but serve different roles compared to the specific alignment focus of the planning phase