In a previous article titled ‘Inspired Leaders Don’t Wait for a Budget for Team Development’, I made the case that team development doesn’t start with budget, it starts with safety, respect, feeling supported and feeling they belong. It also requires intention.
Here’s what that kind of leadership looks like day to day. Hint: Look for ways to connect that growth to the work already in front of you. This is where development stops being a program and starts being part of the job.
So, the following are five practices I’d suggest to any leader that they can integrate into their team without a budget and outside of any external program. Together, these five practices spell out a simple framework: A.C.M.F.R. — Ask, Coach, Mentor, Feedback, Recognize.
A — Ask
Development doesn’t begin with a curriculum. It begins with a question. Before you go looking for training to bring in, ask your team where they want to grow, what they need to do their work better, and what trends or technologies they’re noticing that the rest of the team should be learning from.
When you ask you’ll prioritize better, and you’ll signal that their growth is a shared project, not something being done to them. You can also help them see how training ties back to your corporate vision and values… an bonus when it comes to building a shared focus and culture.
C — Coach
One of the most underused and completely free development tools is curiosity. Encourage your team to ask questions, to do their own research, and to think critically instead of waiting to be told the answer.
- When you’re tempted to coach by giving answers, instead, coach by asking:
- “What options are you considering?”
- “What do you think will happen if you take that approach?”
- “What support do you need from me?”
- “What other resources, support or talent also exist on our team?”
- “What will you learn / what will the team learn?”
This shift in approach builds confidence and critical thinking within your team. It encourages your team to strengthen their own ability to assess a situation and apply shared values without waiting for permission. And often they will discover their own answers – generating their own learning. Over time, it builds competency, independence, and pride, which are the real goals of development.
Many leaders default to giving answers. Sure, it’s faster, and it feels helpful. It feels like you’re making a difference in the moment. But be careful. If you’re the only source of ideas, inspiration, or knowledge to your team, you’re creating a dependency, not a capability. That bottleneck lowers creativity, increases frustration, and can drive out some of your brightest people.
And I believe that every development conversation does not need to connect back to a project or a department goal, either. Sometimes it’s about helping someone follow a genuine interest, become a better communicator, or simply become a better person. And sometimes, development should just be fun.
M — Mentor (and tap into peer learning)
I’m not fond of the phrase “think outside the box,” so instead, look for ways to build peer learning into how your team works. Mentoring has been used successfully for years, and with four generations often sharing the same workplace, it’s paying off in both directions with senior teammates mentoring newer ones, and younger teammates mentoring more senior colleagues… often with a real boost to their own engagement along the way.
When you create space for peer learning, people share expertise naturally. Team-led discussions, informal lunch-and-learns, and collaborative problem-solving sessions can be surprisingly powerful and they cost nothing but time. This reflects another idea central to Dr. Christie Smith’s work: people want to contribute, not just comply.
AI tools belong in this conversation too. A teammate can use AI as a low-cost thinking partner to research a new topic, draft and refine a presentation, rehearse a difficult conversation, or get a first pass of feedback on their own writing before bringing it to you. Used well, and with a healthy dose of judgement, AI is another form of peer learning: a resource your team can turn to but never a blind-trust replacement for you or their teammates.
The Explore Day Story
Here’s a practice I quite like: say you have eight people reporting to you, and you have weekly team meetings. Once a month, give one person a day that isn’t quite a day off. Call it a free day to explore. Their only commitment is to learn something new. Anything new. A pottery class. A book on AI. It doesn’t matter, as long as it stretches them.
At the first team meeting the next month they have to give the team a 20-minute presentation: what they learned, and what they learned about themselves. Rotate through the team at random until everyone’s had a turn, then start again.
Does it directly impact their output? Maybe is probably the most honest answer, but in the long run, I think the answer is absolutely yes. It feeds curiosity and builds a closer team that feels trusted and respected. It’s also one of the simplest ways to help people get more comfortable speaking in front of others. And it tells your team, unmistakably, that you’re invested in their growth and wellbeing, not just their output.
F — Feedback
Consistent, meaningful feedback is one of the daily disciplines many leaders avoid and one of the biggest levers you have for building confidence, alignment, and critical thinking on your team. Make giving constructive feedback part of your brand – your reputation. Do not give feedback only once a year, and not only when something’s gone wrong.
Note: Positive feedback is also a thing and it’s called… recognition and it is a motivation driver.
Good feedback does two things:
- Reinforces what’s working
- Redirects what’s not
Delivered well, feedback builds experience and learning. Constructive feedback also builds trust rather than eroding it. In a culture where feedback is normal instead of feared, growth becomes continuous instead of occasional.
R — Recognize
Recognition is one of the simplest, most overlooked development tools there is. And it’s free. When you acknowledge effort, improvement, and initiative — not just results — you reinforce the behaviors that actually lead to growth.
Recognition tells people: this matters, keep going. And most often, they will.
Recognition is an easy way for you to tell your team they are doing well and to help them be proud of their efforts and the results of those efforts.
The Real Constraint Isn’t Budget
Here’s what I’ve come to believe: in many cases the biggest lever for development isn’t budget. It’s intentionality. And you already have what matters most:
- You already control your team’s culture.
- You already influence their day-to-day experience.
- You already shape how they grow.
- You already have a team full of individual experiences and knowledge.
The question isn’t whether you have the resources. You do and your team does. As Simon Sinek reminds us, leadership is a responsibility, not a rank. And as Dr. Christie Smith’s work reinforces, people do their best work in environments where they feel seen, valued, and included.
A.C.M.F.R. isn’t a program. It’s a habit. What can you do to start this week?
Inspired Leaders Don’t Wait for a Budget for Team Development Link