Remember the old rule of schoolteachers? Start off very strict and then, after the students come to expect, accept, and adapt to the strict regime, you can relax a bit. As long as the students continue to act as if they are still in the strict regime, you don't have to be quite as strict. The same basic rule applies to managing employees. Start out intensely hands-on and you'll figure out immediately how closely each person needs to be managed and how you need to calibrate your management approach.

Your first task is to gather information so you can start answering for yourself those six key questions: Who is this person at work? Why do I need to manage this person right now? What do I need to talk to her about? How should I manage her? Where? And when?

From the outset, alert the employee that you have high expectations and, as she delivers on those expectations, you can gradually back off. If the employee keeps delivering, back off some more. But keep meeting regularly to review priorities; clarify expectations; and monitor, measure, and document that person's performance.

If the employee's performance falters in any way, tighten the reins for a while. If an employee slows down, starts missing details or deadlines, or engages in unacceptable behavior, be more hands-on for a while. If there is a big change in circumstances, such as the employee is assigned a new role, task, or responsibility, be more hands-on for a while. Be more hands-on until you have things under control. Then you can back off just a little bit again. And then back off some more.

Stay flexible: Revise and adjust as needed. After you start managing an individual closely for a few weeks, the nuances of your management challenge will become increasingly clear. Your meetings will start to feel like standard operating procedure. Continue to fine tune your approach every step of the way.