From colleague to manager: The 5 best tools for new managers

As a subject matter expert, you were paid for your own work. As a manager, you are paid for your team’s work. The biggest risk for new leaders is micromanagement.

The Eisenhower Matrix helps you radically prioritize tasks and learn to delegate. It divides tasks into four quadrants:

• Important & Urgent: Do it yourself immediately (crises, deadlines).
• Important & Not Urgent: Schedule and plan (strategy, employee development). This is where good leadership focuses!
• Not Important & Urgent: Delegate (emails, some meetings).
• Not Important & Not Urgent: Eliminate (distractions).

Pro Tip: Don’t just use this tool for yourself; teach it to your team. When employees know what’s a priority, you’ll have less to manage.

Leadership today means coaching, not giving orders. But how do you conduct an employee review that truly makes a difference? The GROW model is the gold standard for structured development discussions.

• G (Goal): What is the goal of the discussion or project?
• R (Reality): Where are we now? What’s working, and what isn’t?
• O (Options): What options are there to move from the current state to the desired state?
• W (Will/Way Forward): What specific actions will be taken, and by when?

This model prevents you, as the manager, from immediately dictating solutions. Instead, you ask questions that empower the employee to find the solution themselves. This significantly increases their sense of ownership.

Many new managers think, “I see my team all day, so why do I need formal meetings?” This is a misconception. Informal chats are no substitute for structured leadership.

The weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meeting (approximately 30 minutes per employee) is your most important tool for building trust.

The agenda for a good one-on-one meeting:

• 10 min: Employee topics (How are you doing? What do you need?)
• 10 min: Manager topics (Feedback, status updates)
• 10 min: Future & Development (Where do we want to go?)

Important: Never cancel these meetings lightly! That sends the message: “Everything else is more important than you.”

How do you align your team toward a common goal without micromanaging every step? OKRs are the navigation system of modern businesses (made famous by Google).

• Objectives: What do we want to achieve? (Qualitative, inspiring).
• Example: “We offer the best customer service in the industry.”
• Key Results: How will we know we’ve achieved the goal? (Quantitative, measurable).
• Example: “Email response time drops below 2 hours” or “Net Promoter Score rises to 60.”

OKRs create transparency. Everyone on the team knows how their work contributes to the bigger picture. This reduces conflict and increases motivation.

The most common mistake new managers make is trying to treat every employee the same. Fairness, however, doesn’t mean treating everyone the same, but rather treating them appropriately.

The situational leadership model distinguishes four styles, depending on the employee’s level of maturity for a specific task:

• Direct (Direct): High directives, little support. (For beginners or in crises).
• Persuade (Coach): High directives, high support. (When questions arise and motivation drops).
• Participate (Support): Low directives, high support. (Employee is capable but lacks confidence).
• Delegate: Low directives, little support. (Employee is a pro).

As a new manager, you need to learn to act like a chameleon: changing your style depending on the employee and the task.

Becoming a manager from colleague to boss isn’t a promotion, it’s a career change. Technical expertise takes a backseat, while interpersonal skills become paramount.

The five tools – Eisenhower Matrix, GROW, 1:1s, OKRs, and Situational Leadership – provide a solid framework. However, they don’t replace the most crucial ingredient: authenticity! Stay human, admit mistakes, and listen. Leadership is a service to the team, not a privilege.