Has your business recently promoted a talented individual based on their skills or high performance in their role? Are they prepared to lead? Most of us have experienced a time where just because an employee was a great salesperson, accountant, or marketer, it didn’t automatically make them a great manager. It takes a different skillset to be able to successfully manage a team and become a great leader. That’s why many businesses—especially SMBs with limited training budgets—face this common problem.  

If you’d like to speak to an HR representative about your business, contact us. 

And yet, it’s an important problem to solve. As an employer, you want that talented employee to be successful from a retention standpoint. But your business also benefits when that manager is able to inspire and lead a great team. According to a 2020 SHRM study, 84% of US workers say poorly trained managers create unnecessary work and stress. Half of the employees believed that their own performance would improve if their manager received training in people management. 

Certainly, training and development is important to all employees. According to a 2019 LinkedIn study, 94% of employees said they would stay with their employer if it invested in their development. While some companies are trying to solve this through bigger and better learning curricula or leveraging technologies like virtual reality to improve the effectiveness of remote training, others simply do not have the budget to offer these programs. How can your business help managers become better leaders when you have a limited budget? 

In this article, we’ll discuss important qualities to look for in a leader whether you’re recruiting from outside or promoting existing employees. We’ll also share practical and budget-friendly ways to develop and strengthen management skills. 

What Does a Great Manager Look Like? 

When your business is trying to a fill a management role, it’s important to look for an individual that prioritizes continuous learning—someone that is always seeking to improve. Here are some additional skills and qualities that managers need to possess to be successful: 

• Communication. It’s important each member of the team understands their role clearly and feels as though they are working in an environment where their feedback is valued.  

• Motivational. Managers should encourage employees to strive for excellence and utilize other team members to achieve goals.  

• Empowering. Strong leaders have the ability to challenge their team to reach their full potential. They promote learning and growth with every opportunity.  

• Mediation Skills. Disagreements are bound to happen. It’s important for managers to know how to appropriately intervene and resolve conflicts to keep the team focused on goals and working together.  

While these are some of the core competencies leaders need to succeed, employers also need to ensure these individuals have new skills to succeed as times change. With everything on a manager’s plate, how do employers ensure that they themselves don’t burn out? Jaime Taets, chief vision officer with Keystone, was quoted in BizJournals stating, “Most leaders are feeling the impact of the last couple years, it’s been hard on the energy and well-being of everyone, especially leaders as they look to keep themselves, their people, and their organizations running strong through prolonged times of uncertainty.” That’s why many organizations are looking to help managers become better equipped to handle challenges, disappointments, stress, and how to manage their own energy levels.  

Practical Ways to Strengthen Management Skills on a Budget 

How can employers help managers become better leaders? The good news is that some of the best ways to make manager training more effective don’t require a huge investment. Here are four low-cost ways that can make a positive impact for your business leaders: 

1. Offer Mentorship programs and peer-to-peer coaching. Help new managers gain the critical skills they need from experienced leaders in your company. These connections also provide a valuable resource for any manager to ask questions, discuss what-if scenarios, and seek feedback and advice. 

2. Share time management best practices and provide support. As a manager, time management skills are more important than ever. Managers need to understand that the needs of their direct reports come before their own needs—and the needs of their manager. Give them the tools to automate routine talent management processes like performance reviews and time-off requests so they can spend more time engaging with their team members and less on paperwork. 

3. Host a guest speaker series. To address topical and timely management issues, hire guest speakers to inspire managers, challenge them to make meaningful changes; or reinforce company views and culture. This is a great way to share thoughtful leadership content outside of traditional course work. 

4. Promote continuous learning and improvement through books. There are a multitude of great resources and guides that teach important management skills and best practices for all types of management needs—whether the individual is new or experienced. Your business could start a book group to discuss a variety of issues, then try out techniques and follow up on what worked and what could be improved.  

Embolden Managers with Continuous Learning and Development Opportunities 

As employers look to develop and retain employees, it’s important to pay attention to the skills needed to make better managers and leaders. The
re are practical, low-cost ways you can ensure your managers are equipped with the resources they need to inspire, support, and nurture great teams. HR professionals can help by setting up continuous learning opportunities in the form of mentorship, time management, guest speakers, and material discussions.  

If you’re looking for tools to automate routine talent management processes and help leaders better manage time, Asure can help. We offer software and HR services, including fully certified HR professionals, to help with performance tracking and much more. With a team of HR experts on your side, you’ll have access to the resources and manpower needed to successfully build a learning and development program that attracts and retains the talent you need to grow your business. If you’d like to speak to an HR representative about your business, contact us.