Welcome back to our series, “Grown not Born”, where we interview remarkable leaders and managers, gaining insight into their journeys and personal experiences with management. In this instalment, we met with Andréa Mattaliano, Fractional COO & CFO, who runs her own consulting firm Andrea Mattaliano to help "as many CEOs as possible to smoothly transition from a scrappy startup, to a thriving scale-up".

Sarah: Can you tell me about your first few months in a managerial role?

Andréa: I first saw myself as a manager when I was responsible for managing projects. I had to juggle different stakeholders’ expectations while making sure the project succeeded. Being a people person, I was really excited when, over four years ago, I got the chance to step into a formal management role. I loved contributing to someone’s growth journey.

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"I loved contributing to someone’s growth journey".

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Sarah: Can you share a significant learning experience from a mistake or failure as a manager?

Andréa: Early on, I had an experience where I was being micromanaged. It was frustrating, and it taught me a big lesson in what not to do. That experience shaped how I manage today. I make sure to trust my team and give them the space to own their work. I know firsthand how important it is to feel trusted. I’m all about empowering my team to take initiative and make decisions, but with clear goals and accountability.

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"I'm all about empowering my team to take initiative and make decisions, but with clear goals and accountability"  

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Sarah: How do you assess performance within your team?

Andréa: I make sure that expectations are crystal clear from the start. We set measurable goals together so everyone knows what we’re working toward. I track progress closely to keep the team accountable. —I’m also big on recognizing and rewarding the team when they do well. Genuine recognition goes a long way in keeping everyone motivated.

Sarah: What unique challenges have you faced with remote or hybrid work settings, and how have you addressed them?

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Andréa: One of the big challenges with remote work was getting people to connect beyond their daily tasks. To tackle this, we started doing weekly virtual coffee chats and monthly team activities. Now, with our hybrid setup, we have set days in the office, which helps us collaborate better and keep those connections strong.

Sarah:  How do you balance the needs of individual team members with those of the team as a whole?

Andréa: It’s all about understanding what drives each person while keeping the team’s goals in focus. I spend time getting to know my team members individually—their strengths, their challenges, what motivates them. With that understanding, I can tailor my approach, so they feel supported. But I also emphasize the importance of the team’s collective success. When everyone sees how their contributions fit into the bigger picture, it creates a sense of shared purpose.

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"When everyone sees how their contributions fit into the bigger picture, it creates a sense of shared purpose"

Sarah: How do you recognize and address signs of stress or burnout in yourself and your team members?

Andréa: I know I’m stressed when I start feeling anxious about work on Sunday nights or annual leave. For my team, I pay attention to how often they work overtime, how they’re acting, and how they’re communicating. I check in with them regularly, and I’m lucky enough to easily get a sense of when something is wrong. If I spot signs of bad stress or anxiety, we address it right away by discussing how to reprioritise, divide and conquer. Maintaining high performance is important, but so is making sure the team is sane. A burnt-out team can’t sustain excellence, so I’m proactive about keeping an eye on everyone’s well-being.

Sarah: How do you ensure that your team’s work aligns with the broader goals of the organization?

Andréa: We set team OKRs that everyone is involved in creating. This way, our work ties directly into the company’s goals, and everyone feels like they’re contributing to the wider organisation’s objectives.

Sarah: What strategies do you use to prioritize tasks when everything seems urgent?

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Andréa: Modern tools are my best friends.  I also often use the “Important - Urgent” matrix to help sort things out. When everything feels urgent, I look at what’s going to have the biggest immediate impact, like making sure payroll is on time. That helps me stay focused on what truly needs to get done first.

Sarah: What tools or technologies have you found essential in managing your team effectively?

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Andréa: Notion / Google Sheet.

Sarah: Are there any tools you wish you had access to or you wish existed?

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Being a manager, especially when the team starts growing, can feel very admin heavy. I wish there was a tool that could take care of the admin work around performance management, reviews and OKRs, all in one place. It would free up more time for meaningful conversations.

Sarah: Thank you so much for your time!

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