Managers must be leaders and models, all with the goal of employee and business development. Simply put, management is both art and science.

But within these broad responsibilities are the practical skills, the backbone of effective management--analysis, vision, planning, communicating, and performance.

How are unit projects envisioned, developed, and assigned? Who tracks unit progress toward outcomes, and who is responsible for improvement goals? Is the workflow efficient? What about budgets, priorities, and delegating? Managers face these and many more concerns daily.

Strong managing is a skill, and as such, it is something that one can improve with study and practice. This section of the Manager's Toolkit offers guidance for sharpening the day to day, Practical Management skills.