15 Practical Ways To Strengthen Management Skills On A Budget

Employee training can be a costly endeavor, especially when it comes to those who require higher levels of training. Many companies send their senior leaders on training retreats or use programs created by experts, but these aren't the only effective ways to provide team members with the skills they need to perform well.

From looking within to making use of free and low-cost apps and videos, there are plenty of ways to ensure that senior leadership learns management skills when your company is on a tight budget. Here, 15 members of Forbes Human Resources Council discuss the practical tools they use to strengthen senior leaderships' management skills without spending an arm and a leg.

Forbes Human Resources Council members share their insights. Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Strengthen Communication Skills

Strong communication skills are essential to effective management. While mid-level managers may only need to communicate in a few directions, senior leaders must master 360-degree communication. By ensuring leaders are effective communicators and providing those who aren’t with training, companies can help build trust throughout the organization and reduce employee disengagement and turnover. - John Feldmann, Insperity

2. Reflect On Leadership Framework

Leadership development is not necessarily about how many resources, financial or others, I have to invest in hard training or skills development. Reflecting on what leadership framework to establish is the critical part. It is about who we are as an organization, what behaviors we expect our leaders to embody, and very importantly how we will visibly reward such behaviors. - Pedro Neiva Botelho, Schlumberger

3. Establish A Formal Mentoring Program

A formal mentoring program can be established for little or no direct costs and yield years of benefits. Partnering mentees with mentors (internal or external) who can enhance their skill sets and develop additional experience allows you to be able to positively impact both parties and create teamwork and synergy. Define guidelines and touchpoints so that both parties stay on track with the program. - David Hawthorne, Pacific Bells

4. Tap Into Internal Excellence

Companies can strengthen senior leaderships' management skills on a tight budget by tapping into internal excellence. Gather information about strengths that exist on your leadership team. If the VP of finance is also excellent at communicating clear goals or creating action plans, tap this leader to share quick best-practices training or an open Q&A for the team on what the VP considers best practices. - Niki Ramirez,

5. Create Culture Of Continual Learning

Creating a culture of continual learning is a cornerstone for top leadership. As we know, everything flows from the top. Implement a Standard of Excellence committee supported by top management. Include all generations as well as representatives from all departments. - Patricia Sharkey, IMI A Global People Company

6. Strategize Lines Of Communication

Invest time into creating strategic lines of communication. It’s crucial that information is seamlessly relayed throughout the entire team so leaders can make well-thought-out decisions that are successful for the company and budget efficient. Effective communication can help teams meet their deadlines faster and channel their energies in the right direction, even with a tight budget. - Jason Lee, DailyPay

7. Ask For And Receive 360 Feedback

I think 360 feedback is key. This enables a manager to get an honest insight into how they are perceived. It provides different perspectives from management, direct reports and peers. Working in a senior leadership position is crucial, as to how you interact with others is essentially what motivates your team. This then prompts conversation, enhances self-awareness and in turn increases accountability. - Sarah Skillin, JDX Consulting

8. Balance Strategy, Execution, Culture

Help them realize they are not functional experts. Running their specific function well is the basics. They need to be an executive leader with the whole company in mind. They need to balance strategy, execution, people and culture, all as part of their work. - Erin Lanciani, Sage Therapeutics

9. Offer Bimonthly Training Through HR

One cost-effective way that our company strengthens leaderships' management skills is by offering bimonthly training, taught by the HR team. We address several topics and leadership skills throughout the year. We have collaborative discussions, where we learn from one another and engage in some role-playing opportunities on newly introduced leadership skills. - Sherrie LeCheminant, Blackstone Products

Forbes Human Resources Council is an invitation-only organization for HR executives across all industries. Do I qualify?

10. Make Use Of Podcasts And Websites

A practical and frugal approach to strengthening your leadership skills is to utilize podcasts and websites. These are typically free and include a ton of resources to help. HR professionals know which skills are needed, they can ensure the podcasts and other resources are targeted to those areas. You can either sit down, listen and then discuss together, or you can have them listen to it on their own, and then afterward, sit down with the group and discuss. - Greg Henderson, Whirks

11. Tap Into Peer Learning Circles

When on budget, consider tapping into peer learning circles. Develop an action learning board or cross-functional learning circles. Based on the principles of self-managed agile teams, they regularly set their learning targets and share personal strengths to develop others. An additional benefit to the learning circles is self-accountability and increased leadership engagement in their learning. - Sabahat Bokhari, Mentors

12. Connect With Charities And Nonprofits

Connecting leaders with charities or non-profit organizations to serve as non-exec directors, trustees or critical friends to the board. They will be exposed to great leaders in the organizations, and on the boards, while expanding their 360-degree knowledge of how to make an organization and executive team successful. The added bonus is they get to volunteer their time and expertise to a meaningful cause. - Bontle Senne, Virgin Media UK

13. Set Up Cross-Functional Advisories

Set up cross-functional advisory relationships. Senior leaders hold unique functional knowledge, but all showcase the same competencies that got them to the leadership position they’re in today. By getting leaders to brainstorm and run ideas by someone new, you’re giving them the opportunity to become involved in unexpected relationships and perspectives to be considered and implemented. - Jennifer Rozon, McLean & Company

14. Use The Gallup Training Tool

I have found the Gallup training tool to be a very effective and well-liked training tool that is budget-friendly. Many organizations can offer the Gallup strengths test for managers and supervisors for around $20 per person. An option is to collaborate with a certified Gallup coach to present the material and have occasional training sessions for a coherent, effective and engaging leadership program. - Alden Coffin, Forward Merch LLC

15. Lead A Discussion Group On Skills

There are many great resources out there for no-cost or low-cost skill development. I love leading a book study or discussion group around different skills. Many organizations have internal experts in areas that can lead training but we don't always take a skill inventory to know all the skills our people have. I also recommend using your network to find low-cost experts. - Katie Ervin, Park University

8 Tips To Improve Your People Management Skills

People management is the art of knowing how to manage employees within the organization and to make sure that the work performed by the employee is completed efficiently and professionally. Today we live in a modern society with a diversified culture where people of different backgrounds come together under one roof to work as a team to achieve a common goal. Every employee is unique and possesses a different set of skills backed by a unique mind set. In order for an organization to work towards a common goal they must have managers with a superior skill sets to manage and direct employee efficiently. To do so, the managers must possess people management skills which not only include financial structure and corporate strategies but also maintain the health of the resources.

Key points for improving people management skills are:

Effective decision making

Every organization is constantly making decisions. Decision making in an organization is selecting the right choices to achieve a goal. To perform efficiently and choose the best decision, the leader needs to be cooperative and supportive of his team members. Decision making is a key function in building a team and incorporating unique ideas which can have a positive outcome for the organization. The staff need to feel comfortable sharing their ideas or opinions. Good managers make them feel that they are part of an assignment by listening to them, by giving them the opportunity to pitch their ideas.

Communication

Communication is very important. It helps build relationship with your team members. One of the best ways to communicate with one another is by listening to what the other person is saying. Ask questions to show that you are paying attention. When managers do not communicate with the employees efficiently and professionally, the organization has huge turnover. By encouraging regular morning briefings, each employee can discuss the performance of the organization and add useful suggestions to increase business. An organization can only thrive and succeed in an environment with open communication.

Mentoring employees

A mentor can provide guidance and advice to employees to help them in their professional growth. This will help an employee feel less isolated at work, and encourage them to interact with others in a more efficient manner. Through mentoring the employee becomes more responsible and develop stronger communication and problem-solving skills. This will help both the mentor as well as the mentee to learn from each other which will help to create a more productive and constructive work environment. Mentoring will help employees not only to attain career development but leadership development as well.

This gives employees the ability to voice their feelings, overcome different obstacles, and find solutions. This helps them to be successful and inspires them to perform efficiently.

Developing successors

As managers, we need to realize that when we joined an organization as a fresh candidate we too had someone to train and coach us, and it is our responsibility to pay the favor forward by developing and guiding our successors. We need to teach those we manage and mentor others by applying our own professional successes and failures. We can create effective leaders who will become the future of our organizations. They should be educated in decision-making, leadership, dealing with people (management, employees, and customers), and handling stress – and should be evaluated along the way. As the successor moves through each phase, his or her responsibility should be increased as training and business goals are met and more rigorous goals should be established.

Feedback

Be open to criticism and take them positively. By providing feedback to employees, they will improve their performance and be motivated to accomplish their goals efficiently and accurately. Every organization needs to provide feedback to their employees on a regular basis both when things are great and when they can be improved. Feedback itself is a skill. Leaders not only provide feedback to their team members but also need to provide a solution to improve issues being discussed. This will make employees feel capable of eliminating mistakes. We need to keep in mind that no one is perfect and every individual who makes a mistake would never make them deliberately. Make sure that the feedback you give is clear.

Set an example

Every manager needs to set an example for their employees. They need to be firm with their decision. When you assign tasks, make sure that the goals are completed efficiently. When a goal is given to an employee, it is the manager’s duty to take responsibility for both success and failure and work towards improvement. A manager needs to set an example by taking the blame for all actions made by his employees.

Critical problem analysis and solving

Solving critical problems require both analytical and creative skill set. Employees can think critically and productively, share thoughts and opinions, use good judgment, and make decisions. By utilizing our mind and thinking out of the box to solve a problem, leader gain the ability to explore and expand their knowledge.

Honesty and integrity

Integrity starts with honesty. A good leader will always do the right thing. A manager must address every case and situation honestly and should not be biased. Managers with integrity are not afraid to face the truth. The organization needs to rely on employees who acquire such skills. Managers need to be bold, but they also need to be open to the idea that they could be wrong. By having an open mind, a leader can acquire new and positive thinking. Show employees that you are honest and trustworthy.

Create a positive work environment

Happy employees work harder and more efficiently in an organization. We need to engage them in different tasks. As a manager, we need to be open minded and have a one on one with each employee to figure out their feedback and try to implement on it. Rewarding employees is the best way to motivate and encourage them to perform better. Try connecting with different team members either individually or as a group. Try to appreciate your team members’ effort. As a manager, you need to listen to everyone’s point of view and evaluate their ideas as they can bring in new and innovative ideas that can bring in revenue and increase productivity. Trust every team member. Never be harsh or personal with any employee. Be spontaneous and have fun.

A great organization employs great managers with a diversified mind set and empowers them to work towards the health and growth of the organization. Like they say, “with great power comes great responsibility” to uphold integrity and work with honesty. This is where the people management skills come into play and determine the future not only of the employee and the manager but also determines whether the organization is keeping up with its vision, mission, and values to achieve a common goal in a distinct and disciplined manner to beat out its competition.

How to Be a Good Manager in 2023 — Our Expert Tips

We’ve all encountered a bad manager at some stage of our career. Maybe it was the micromanager breathing down your neck, the absent manager who could never be found, or the workaholic who expected you to be available at all hours of the day and night just like them.

Now that you’re a manager yourself, you might wonder—how do I avoid becoming that manager?

This article is for you. In it, our experts take a closer look at the skills and attributes of a good manager, as well as some actionable tips. If you’re a manager, you can start implementing these into your work immediately. If you’re an HR professional, you might identify what to tell your managers to improve on.

The Power of Good Managers

Aside from the organizational functions managers perform, such as delegating work and overseeing a team, they also have a direct impact on some important, but perhaps less visible elements of the workplace.

Employee engagement . According to Gallup, the quality of a manager accounts for 70% of the variance in team engagement. So even a small improvement in your management skills can have a significant effect on your team’s engagement levels.

. According to Gallup, the quality of a manager accounts for 70% of the variance in team engagement. So even a small improvement in your management skills can have a significant effect on your team’s engagement levels. Job satisfaction . McKinsey has identified that relationships with managers are the main factor in employee job satisfaction. As a manager, you can greatly impact your employee’s workplace experience.

. McKinsey has identified that relationships with managers are the main factor in employee job satisfaction. As a manager, you can greatly impact your employee’s workplace experience. Employee retention. It’s often said that people leave managers, not companies. Given that both poor employee engagement and poor job satisfaction are factors in high employee turnover, it’s easy to see the connection. This was confirmed in a survey conducted by GoodHire, in which 82% of workers said they would consider leaving because of poor management.

These statistics prove that being a good manager makes a relevant difference in the workplace. But what exactly makes a good manager? Our tips below show some great areas of improvement for managers—plus a few common mistakes.

How To Be a Better Manager in 2023: 7 Expert Tips

Here are seven things you can start doing today to improve as a manager.

Get to know your employees.

No two employees are the same. They bring different backgrounds, professional experiences, skills, and personalities to a team. One of the most effective ways to become a better manager is by getting to know your employees at an individual level.

Identifying your employees’ strengths, weaknesses, motivations, and preferred learning styles should be a key priority for a manager. With this information, you’ll know how to motivate them individually and match them with important tasks.

Knowing an employee at this level allows you to capitalize on their uniqueness. Rather than dwelling on weaknesses, emphasize working to employees’ strengths. When each person plays their part in a team, it naturally builds interdependence and strengthens team bonds.

Knowing your employees as individuals is also useful for career planning and development, an important ingredient for creating more engaged, more satisfied employees. What’s more, with a closer relationship to employees, you’ll be able to identify signs of disengagement or job dissatisfaction at an early stage and develop strategies to address them.

Regular individual catch-ups, especially with new team members, are a great way to get to know your employees. Effective one-to-one meetings can increase the odds that an employee will be highly engaged by 430% while also reducing moderate-degree burnout by 58%.

Takeaway tip: Go through your schedule and set up weekly one-to-ones with each employee in your team.

Communication is key.

Managers need to be effective communicators so they can set clear expectations about employees, tasks, and work performance. To perform their best, employees need to understand what is required of them and how their work fits into the bigger organizational picture. Rather than just telling your employees what to do, try to explain both the what—specific details—and why—how it fits into the bigger picture and why it matters.

Open and honest communication also builds transparency and trust with your employees. These qualities are essential when it comes to more difficult situations such as navigating organizational change or understanding internal promotional pathways. Good communication from managers also encourages employees to do the same, meaning they’re more likely to raise issues or concerns so they can be addressed at an early stage.

Remember, communication isn’t a one-way street. It involves actively listening to your employees and taking on board their opinions, views, and concerns.

Management researcher Marcus Buckingham says weekly check-ins are key to improving employee performance as a manager. He identifies two questions to ask during these check-ins.

What are you working on this week? How can I help?

At a practical level, good communication involves using a variety of methods to communicate. This could include instant messaging, emails, phone, and video calls, as well as in-person chats. When it’s not overdone, using multiple communication methods shows your employees that your door is always open.

Takeaway tip: At the next check-in with an employee, ask them two questions—“What are you working on this week?” and “How can I help?”

Make internal comms quick and easy Our leading communication app helps your deskless workers stay in touch, no matter where they are Find out more

Develop your emotional intelligence.

How do you express emotions in the workplace? Do you fly off the handle easily, or instead mask your real emotions and become hard to read? The ability to understand and manage your own and others’ emotions—emotional intelligence, or EQ—is one of the hallmarks of a truly effective manager.

EQ influences how you approach professional relationships. High EQ underpins many skills needed to effectively manage a team with empathy, such as:

Navigating conflict

Managing diversity

Inspiring employees

Giving feedback

Encouraging collaboration

The four components of EQ are self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Developing these can improve the way you interact with your employees, your communication, and your response to stressful situations, as well as your overall leadership quality.

Using EQ in your management approach requires an understanding of how you express emotions, especially in times of stress. Are you an over or under-emoter? Being aware of how you react can help you adjust your behavior to become an “even-emoter.” This improves how you respond to difficult situations and also models the same for your team.

Most importantly, managing with emotional intelligence improves your employees’ well-being. They’ll feel supported and are less likely to experience burnout or leave the organization.

Takeaway tip: Seek feedback on your level of emotional intelligence from trusted colleagues. If you need to make any improvements, find some training, books, or articles about EQ.

Lead by example.

The best way to develop the qualities and behaviors you want to see in your team is to model them yourself. This includes both values—such as fairness, and honesty—and actions, such as creating quality output, communicating effectively, recovering gracefully from failure, or overcoming a setback.

Asking your employees to “do as I say, not as I do” is a surefire way to alienate them and lose their loyalty. Losing your employees’ trust is a quick path to low employee morale, which affects productivity.

If your employees can see that you’re working hard to contribute to the team, they will also want to do so. Practicing what you preach demonstrates your authenticity as a manager and builds a company culture of accountability. This builds trust and respect with your employees, strengthening your team and its performance.

Takeaway tip: Don’t hesitate to roll up your sleeves and show your employees you’re willing to do the same things you’re asking of them.

Build an inclusive and positive work environment.

As a manager, you should foster a culture of inclusivity and positivity in your team. An important aspect of this is celebrating employee differences and how they contribute to the team. This improves collaboration and creativity, leading to greater innovation. It also creates a positive working environment where your employees feel safe, valued, and supported.

Another way to create a positive workplace is through rewards and recognition. When employees feel appreciated, their job satisfaction and productivity increase. A study by O.C. Tanner found that employee recognition alone increases the probability of great work by 18 times.

A rewards and recognition strategy doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. Simply acknowledging or praising an employee’s contribution to the team lets them know their work is valued. You could also consider nominating employees for organizational awards or arranging a team lunch after the completion of a big project.

Gestures like these often boost employee morale far more than a pay raise does.

Takeaway tip: Think of three different ways you can acknowledge your employees’ contributions at the next team meeting.

Be a leader as well as a manager.

The most successful managers are also great leaders. The subtle distinction between the two terms is an important one. While the role of a manager is to have oversight over tasks, a leader’s role involves bringing out the best in your team to produce something of value.

Leadership emphasizes the well-being and growth of employees, both professionally and personally. Leaders assist their employees to set individual and team goals and show them the pathway to success. The most effective managers can align personal and team goals with the overall vision of an organization. Doing this helps employees to understand the value of their work and how it contributes to broader organizational goals.

A leader must motivate and inspire team members. Rather than micromanaging them, they coach their employees to become better at their work. At the same time, effective leaders aren’t afraid to make the tough decisions needed to steer a team through challenging times.

Takeaway tip: When you next meet with employees one-to-one, discuss their goals to understand how you can help them to achieve what they’re aiming for.

Don’t stop learning.

Chances are, as the manager, you’re the most senior person in your team. But assuming you know everything leads to mistakes, missed opportunities, and low team morale.

Gallup suggests that only one in 10 people have the necessary traits of a great manager. This means there are likely a few areas you need to work on. Reflect on your own strengths and weaknesses and work on developing the skills or attributes necessary to be a great manager. Not only does this improve your effectiveness, but it also demonstrates to your team the importance of going through a lifelong learning process.

A good way to do this is by encouraging employees to give you feedback. After all, your team is best placed to let you know what is and isn’t working. Take their feedback into genuine consideration, and if they identify an area of improvement, find a way to build up your skills in that area.

Takeaway tip: Identify three skills you want to learn or attributes you want to develop to become a better manager.

Behaviors to Avoid as a Manager

Do any of these sound too familiar? If so, they might help you to identify areas of improvement for you as a manager.

Micromanagement. Controlling every aspect of an employee’s work is unrealistic and ineffective. Micromanagement can affect employees’ mental health, professional confidence, and productivity. It’s also a contributing factor to employee turnover, with 36% of employees changing jobs because of it.

While you should provide leadership and oversight for your team, you ultimately need to be able to give employees reasonable autonomy in their work while encouraging accountability.

Dodging difficult conversations . Part of your role as a manager is guiding employees through challenging periods, both at the organizational and individual levels. This means you can’t shy away from the difficult conversations that need to be had. Approach these conversations with empathy, while being direct and fair.

. Part of your role as a manager is guiding employees through challenging periods, both at the organizational and individual levels. This means you can’t shy away from the difficult conversations that need to be had. Approach these conversations with empathy, while being direct and fair. Trying to do everything yourself. Some managers—particularly new ones who are keen to make an impression—often fall into the trap of trying to do everything themselves. It’s important to understand that you won’t succeed in management if you don’t have the time to do your job because you are doing everyone else’s as well. Delegating to your team helps you by freeing up your time to focus on your managerial responsibilities, while also empowering your employees.

Don’t Be That Manager

Poor management can be disastrous for employee well-being, morale, and productivity. But you don’t have to be that manager.

With these seven actionable tips, you should have some ideas on how to be a good leader and manager.

Getting to know your employees at an individual level, leading by example, and using effective communication and EQ will set you and your team up for success. By focusing your efforts on building a team that embraces inclusivity and positivity while promoting lifelong learning, you can learn not just to be a good manager, but to be a great one.