How Technology Can Help You
Improve Your Management Skills
See also: Project Planning
Being a manager can be difficult, and the almost limitless range of different circumstances you could find yourself facing every day in the role makes it even harder. Whether you’re new to a management position or have been in a senior role for years, there are always tricks and tips to pick up to boost your skills and help things run more smoothly.
Technology can be hugely beneficial when it comes to up-leveling your management skills, from helping to streamline project planning to dealing with rota and staff absence issues.
Keep reading to find out how tech can give you the management edge, no matter which industry you’re in.
Project Management Tools
Project management software can give you the tools you need to plan every element of a project or assignment from start to finish. The software comes equipped with features that allow you to allocate tasks and monitor their progress, view potential log jams in the system, and makes for effortless file sharing and team communication.
This type of tool also usually comes with sophisticated analytical and reporting tools so that you can see at a glance how every stage and component of a project is progressing and can also assess the success of every element of the assignment at its culmination. This is especially valuable in identifying where resources could be better used or saved next time around and for amending projected timescales on subsequent similar projects. Look for options that allow you to save projects as templates so that you can use them again when a similar assignment next comes up. With so many available options, you can find a tool that fits your needs.
For example, solar project management tools can help you manage field operations, track installations, and ensure compliance with industry standards if you’re in the renewable energy industry. These are just one of many specialized solutions out there, so no matter your field, there’s a tool to help you stay organized and improve your management skills.
Ensure Employees Feel Valued
Managing the people within your organization is likely to be a key part of your role, and ensuring that staff feels valued and their work recognized is vital. This can boost motivation and productivity and help to promote a positive atmosphere in the workplace.
To this end, consider using an employee reward platform to help develop a high-performing and happy team. Choose software that allows for peer-to-peer, as well as management recognition, to help every single person within the organization to be seen and recognized for their contribution.
Managers who use these platforms regularly find that they’re a great tool to promote a culture of continuous improvement and transparency and to create a strong professional community. They’re also a great way to gauge the general mood and to identify any problems brewing early.
Use a Time Management App
If you oversee a small team, then a time management app could be perfect for you. This type of tool allows you to manage and track both the time that you spend on an individual task as well as monitor the productivity of your employees. Some apps incorporate invoicing tools that can automatically generate these documents based on the hours and hourly rate you have specified, saving you staff time and helping to ensure nothing gets missed.
You could consider choosing an app that features reminders, can integrate with other tools your business uses, detects idle time, and can issue notifications if required, to further streamline your processes and allow you to identify where staff time could be better spent without the need to hover over your employees’ shoulders.
Opting for a cloud-based app means that, even when you’re not in the office or you’re on leave, you can quickly check in to satisfy yourself that everything is going well and that no one is falling behind on their workload. Cloud-based time management apps also allow employees to manage and track their own time, which can help staff to feel empowered as well as giving your employees the ability to prioritize tasks more effectively.
Incorporate Staff Rota Software
If you manage a larger business, then staff rota software is a great way to help improve your management skills; this tool will allow you to both oversee the rotas your company uses and track absences, for example. Look for software that offers intuitive reporting tools that can be customized so that you can view and interrogate the data you need.
Digital scheduling makes use of new tech, such as geofencing and biometric tools, that enable managers to see exactly which members of the team are on shift and who is on leave at a glance.
Interestingly, businesses that incorporate rota software into their processes often report a drop in staff turnover rates as a result. This is due to the team, generally, being happier with a rota system that works effectively and, as far as possible, is able to work around their lives and other commitments.
Improve Communication
The best managers are great communicators, able to engage their team and maintain an ongoing two-way conversation to both disseminate information and listen to any issues or new ideas.
Using tech can boost your communication with staff, and collaborative software can help. Look for software that allows for simple file and/or screen sharing and that is flexible enough for non-office-based staff to use so that you can be assured that everyone is on board and in the loop. Some of the most innovative collaboration tools are focused on allowing users to create a digital headquarters and a host of tools that enable team members to sync their devices and apps to work together from wherever they are in the world.
Take a Leadership Assessment Test
Finally, to identify where your strengths are as a manager and where there are areas to work on, you could consider using a leadership assessment tool to gauge your skills. Many of these tests can be undertaken online and incorporate personality tests alongside emotional intelligence analysis as well as rating your skills at communication, for example.
There are many free, intuitive leadership assessment tests available online, such as the Skills You Need one, or there are paid-for options that incorporate a wider range of questions, and an in-depth analysis of the results at the end to help managers find any leadership blindspots and take the action necessary to fill in the gaps.
Use some, or all, of the above tech and tools to fine-tune your management skills. By focusing on productivity, communication, engagement, and openness to continually improve, you will put yourself on the best footing for ongoing success.
Further Reading from Skills You Need
The Skills You Need Guide to Leadership eBooks
Learn more about the skills you need to be an effective leader.
Our eBooks are ideal for new and experienced leaders and are full of easy-to-follow practical information to help you to develop your leadership skills.
About the Author
Eddie Davis: Having produced content in a number of technical fields, it's fair to say that that my experience in these markets is superior to most. Whether it's cybersecurity, editing software or anti-virus products (and many other areas) I've worked and written for some of the key players in the industry and as such my work comes from a place of experience. I try to inform and educate, while making sure not to alienate those with less know-how: it's a tricky bridge to cross but it's one I've journeyed on for some years.