5 free apps every first time manager needs in their tech stack

Being a great individual contributor is one thing, but managing humans is an entirely different set of skills. And the kicker is, that there aren’t a lot of resources available for first-time managers. According to a survey conducted by Grovo, 87% of new managers wish they’d had more training. But, where to start?

The first step to becoming a new manager: get your tech stack in order.

Here’s a look at 5 tools for new managers that will make your job easier, productive and – dare we say – fun!

1. For communication: Slack

Communicate in real time with your team, stay on the pulse of your remote team members and build a sense of community. One word of warning: clarify how you want your team to use Slack – it can be used in myriad ways, both work-related and otherwise.

2. For one-on-one meetings: Hypercontext

All of your team meetings and one-on-one agendas, notes and action items in one place 🙌. You’ll never have to worry about who knows what’s on the agenda, or if everyone has their notes. 

3. For project management: Asana

Keep track of what your team is working on without having to spend time in your one-on-ones doing a status update. Be strategic about how you want your team to organize their projects so that you can contribute, remove roadblocks and stay in touch with everyone’s workloads.

4. For video conferencing: Zoom

Flexible work schedules? Remote teams? Zoom will keep you building relationships and fuel better conversations. Keep in contact with everyone on your team and put faces to names. They’ve also just introduced Zoom Chat.

5. For your personal to-do list: Evernote

Managing people for the first time is a lot – you’re going to need a simple place to just keep track of your to-dos. Save yourself a few headaches by keep personal notes and to-do lists in one central place.

That’s it! Add these five tools for new managers to your roster, and you’ll be unbeatable! 💪