Tech Tools – A manager’s day is almost always full. Not only must they run here and there to attend meetings with all manner of clients, but they must stay on top of the performance of their teams. They need to communicate with their superiors while tracking all sorts of data that determines whether they are succeeding or failing. Often, managers neglect one responsibility or another simply because they do not have space to address it.
Fortunately, in the Digital Age, managers can rely on technology to manage the tasks they don’t have time for. Here are some of the most useful tech tools that all managers should have available to do their jobs faster and better.
Table of Contents
Project Management Platforms
Many business leaders oversee teams responsible for completing projects, meaning they must be aware of the status of every worker’s contribution while juggling related issues like client demands, budgets and deadlines. Project-based work is difficult but can provide rewarding results — when leaders are able to keep their staff on track.
Thus, project management software is among the most important tech tools for busy managers. Project management platforms help leaders and employees both stay on top of project progress by monitoring the completion of tasks and showing how contributions are impacting the final project. Leaders can use these platforms to separate different projects, outline individual assignments, share resources and establish due dates. Some platforms also have built-in communication tools to improve collaboration with remote workers. In 2022, monday.com is the best project management platform thanks to its open structure that allows leaders to assemble exactly the features they need.
Employee Recognition Platforms
Many leaders overlook the importance of recognition in the workplace, believing that workers who deserve praise will earn it naturally and organically. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case; all employees need their contributions to the company to be seen and appreciated, especially by those in charge. Yet, busy managers often lack the time to track whom they have recognized, how and when.
Enter: employee recognition software. This tech tool makes it much easier to design and implement recognition programs, which allow leaders more control over the who, when, where, why and how of employee appreciation. Among the best employee recognition platforms available, Workhuman is perennially a favorite with big and small brands alike.
Scheduling Applications
Scheduling is consistently among the most frustrating tasks in the workplace, especially amongst business leaders. When most managers within an organization have days jam-packed with tasks and responsibilities, it can be a struggle to find a common time for groups of people — leaders, workers, clients, suppliers, etc. — to meet.
Fortunately, scheduling applications provide the solution. Rather than forcing stakeholders to manually arrange and confirm meetings, scheduling apps identify the best times for meetings by utilizing participants’ existing digital schedules. Some of the most robust scheduling services will automatically send confirmation emails to all parties and facilitate meeting on time with emailed video call links and more. Setmore offers a wide range of scheduling features and its lowest tier of access is completely free.
Leadership Development Tools
Managers must continue growing and improving if they hope to continue pushing their careers forward. Yet, it is not always easy to develop as a leader when there are so many other responsibilities to tackle in the day.
Leadership development software assists business leaders in understanding their own performance in the workplace. These tools tend to show managers their weaknesses, blind spots and biases, which might be interfering with how they lead their teams through tasks and projects. Some leadership development tools also facilitate collecting and analyzing surveys from staff, making it easier for managers to identify and act upon useful feedback. Coaching apps, like BetterUp, can be valuable leadership development tools for every level of manager and executive.
Different business managers prioritize different aspects of their jobs, but most managers neglect similar components that are nonetheless critical to high performance and success. Project management, employee recognition, efficient scheduling and leadership development deserve more time and attention from busy managers — which is why every manager should take advantage of tech tools that make theses responsibilities so much faster and easier.
