Did you know Salesforce's manager training is free for anyone in the world to implement immediately? The “Manage The Salesforce Way” trail on Trailhead, our learning and development platform, is a plug and play, self-paced, fun, guided management development journey. This month, we're releasing brand new content on the trail (with more updates to come shortly), and you're invited to check it out.

The trail includes 12 modules of content including everything from coaching and feedback, running effective 1:1s, how Salesforce built our Ohana Culture (“Ohana” is the Hawaiian word for family), and more.

We've seen incredible demand from people both inside and outside Salesforce who have taken the trail. Many of them have shared their experiences on Chatter, Salesforce's enterprise social network. Now we'd like to share with you four of our favorite management tips that employees have picked up while navigating the trail.

Be Vulnerable (Tom, Staines)

Being a trusted leader is the result of great communication. A manager should share what they can about company performance, changes in the team, direction, and priorities. They should be direct and transparent and always share what they can while remaining positive, even when the message is tough. If you don't share what you can, you run the risk of your team making assumptions about what’s going on. It’s okay to say “I don’t know,” but add “when I can share more I will.” (Trust and Influence module)

Gather Feedback (Erica, Indianapolis)

All managers have strengths, and all managers have things to work on. As an employee, it can be hard telling a manager about those things they think their manager could work on; sharing honest feelings can be tough. Your priority, as a manager, is to create a safe environment, so your manager, peers, and direct reports feel comfortable giving you constructive feedback. (Great Management module)

Create Alignment With A V2MOM (Sanae, Tokyo)

After drafting a V2MOM (or whatever you call your goal plan), it can be tempting to just hit publish, but it should be a collaborative, feedback-driven team effort. That's how to make sure that everyone is clear on their priorities and that they buy into the team priorities.

It's important to share your V2MOM with your manager, so that you can make sure you're aligned on its focus, and that the Methods and Measures look good to her/him. You should also share it with your peers, because they are going to help you achieve your V2MOM. You should also include your team in the process, so that everyone is on the same page and feels ownership of the goal plan. (Organizational Alignment [V2MOM] module)

Run Engaging One-On-Ones (Allison, Herndon)

As a manager, one of your most important responsibilities is supporting your direct reports’ career growth. One way to do this is to encourage them to lead the 1:1s. That includes creating the agenda and sharing it in advance of your meeting via email, Quip, or any other collaborative tool. This gives you a sense of what’s on their minds, and it gives your direct reports an opportunity to work on communication, planning, and prioritization. No matter where they want to go in their career growth, these skills are vital for being effective in any role. (One-On-One Meetings module)

Interested in more tips and tricks? Listen to what other managers have to say about the value of the trail, take the “Manage the Salesforce Way” trail, and share what you think with us on social with #imanagethesalesforceway.

Angela McKenna is the SVP Global Talent Development at Salesforce. With more than 15 years in the field, she leads Salesforce's talent development team, driving learning and development within the company. She earned a bachelors degree from the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, an MBA from the University of Birmingham and a Professional Certificate in Coaching from the Henley Business School.