ManagerSpring Blog - Articles and Insights

It Was All Coaching—Until It Wasn’t
In my first few weeks as a manager, most of my 1-on-1s felt energizing. They were filled with coaching, brainstorming, and strategizing. I got to help people think through challenges, pitch ideas, and grow their confidence.

But I knew the day would come when I’d have to switch gears.
When I’d have to give real, uncomfortable, negative feedback.

And when it finally...

It’s Just a 1-on-1—Until You’re the Manager

There’s a moment most new managers don’t forget. You walk into a familiar setting—a 1-on-1 meeting—and sit down across from someone who reports to you. But this time, the roles are reversed.

You’re not the one getting direction or feedback.
You’re the one giving it.

And suddenly, everything feels different.

What felt casual or even routine before is now fill...

Feeling tongue‑tied as a first‑time manager? Learn why leadership works like learning a language—and how practice, not theory, builds real‑world fluency.

The “Foreign‑Language” Feeling of Leadership

Being promoted can feel like landing in a country where you ...kinda speak the language - but you stumble under the pressure of face-to-face conversations. I still remember my first French class conversation: a simple “Where are you from?” froze me in awkward silence. New managers face the same blank‑mind moment in real meetings, only the stakes are their team’s trust and careers.

After months of tinkering, prototyping, development and testing we finally launched Managerspring!

This journey started back in late 2024 with a simple insight: Most new managers are thrown into the job with little training and no experience. Learning to manage is like learning a new language: you’re suddenly an authority figure (!) that’s expected to speak with clarity and empathy… to exercise s...