More Than a Training Program: How Oxygen Helped One First-Time Manager Find Her Voice
Manager Success Spotlight: Zoe Romero, Manager at WorkBetterNow
Overview
Zoe Romero had taken management courses before. She'd done the self-paced modules, submitted the assignments, and moved on. But when she was promoted into her first manager role at WorkBetterNow, her colleagues told her that Oxygen's Management Essentials program was something completely different. And they were right.
What Zoe found was a structured, interactive training experience that gave her the confidence to deliver constructive feedback, the frameworks to coach her team through challenges, and a cohort of peers who reminded her she wasn't alone in figuring it all out. Her story shows why the format of manager training matters just as much as the content, and why the best time to invest in it is right at the beginning.
Key Takeaways
Oxygen's interactive, cohort-based format gave Zoe something self-paced courses never could: real practice, real feedback, and real connection with other managers
Starting management training alongside a new role gave Zoe a strong foundation from day one
Learning to deliver constructive feedback was Zoe's biggest breakthrough, replacing uncertainty with a clear, repeatable framework
Confidential one-on-one coaching sessions created a safe space to work through sensitive team dynamics
The six-month program structure gave Zoe time to practice, reflect, and build confidence between sessions
From Day One, Oxygen Was Part of the Plan
Before Zoe even started the Management Essentials program, her colleagues at WorkBetterNow had already set expectations.
"Before I was even promoted to manager, they said, 'You have to take it. You're going to love it. You're going to learn so much.' My manager took it. The general manager took it. Everyone."
So when the opportunity came, Zoe didn't hesitate. She enrolled as soon as she stepped into her new role, which meant she was learning how to manage and learning how to lead at the same time.
That timing turned out to be a gift. Instead of figuring things out on the fly, Zoe was building her management approach on a solid foundation from the start.
The Breakthrough: Learning How to Give Constructive Feedback
Before Oxygen, Zoe knew she needed to give her team honest feedback. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.
"I really wanted to be a cool manager. But when it came to giving constructive feedback, I didn't know how to do it. I was scared of messing up the relationship. I didn't want them to not trust me. I didn't want them to feel like I was micromanaging."
The program gave her a clear framework: describe what happened, explain the impact, and collaborate on a path forward. That structure replaced fear with a process.
"I learned how to say, 'This is what happened. This is why it affects us. And what can we do so it doesn't happen again?' That was really my main struggle, and the program gave me a system for it."
Not Another Online Course
Zoe had taken management courses before on platforms like Coursera and Udemy. But those experiences always felt solitary: finish an assignment, submit it, move on. Nothing stuck, because there was no one to practice with, no one to challenge her thinking, and no way to test new skills in real time.
Oxygen's Management Essentials program was built to solve exactly that problem. The cohort-based format pairs managers with peers from different companies and industries for live group exercises, role plays, and collaborative problem-solving every single week.
"What I really liked is that it was so interactive. I could actually practice it. I could bounce ideas off of other managers. And I really liked the freedom of saying, 'I have no idea how to handle this,' and just feeling less alone in that."
One exercise stood out. Zoe was paired with a manager from a completely different industry and asked to present a challenge with no context. She shared a problem about her team's numbers. He gave her tips without knowing anything about recruiting. She helped him with psychological safety, something that comes naturally to her.
"It was an opportunity for me to show my own skills and help other managers get there. And his advice really helped me think differently, even though he had no idea what my business was."
That kind of exchange doesn't happen in a self-paced module. It happens when managers are in the room together, learning out loud.
Navigating the Hardest Part of Being a New Manager
One of Zoe's biggest challenges was deeply personal: she had been promoted to manage someone who started at the company the same time she did. They had been peers, and now she was his manager.
Her one-on-one sessions with instructor Karen became a lifeline.
"What I really liked were my one-on-ones with Karen, especially because they were confidential. If I felt like I was messing up, I could tell her freely. My job wasn't going to be in danger."
Karen didn't just offer advice. She followed up. Every session, she'd ask how the situation was progressing, what Zoe had tried, and what she planned to do next.
"She would say, 'So how's that situation going? Have you done anything different? What are you going to do this week?' That really grounded me. It made me think about what I was going to report back to her. Am I going to be able to say something of value, or did I just avoid the hard thing?"
That accountability, paired with a judgment-free space, helped Zoe tackle a dynamic that many new managers struggle with: leading someone who used to be your equal.
The Power of a Six-Month Program
One of the things Zoe valued most was the program's length. Six months gave her space to absorb, apply, and reflect, rather than cramming everything into a single intensive week.
"Every time a class would end, the homework wasn't something you had to write down. It was something you had to put into practice with your own team."
Each session opened with highlights from the weeks since the last class, which gave Zoe a reason to celebrate small wins she might otherwise have brushed past.
"It helped me take a pause and say, 'What did I do really well? What did my team enjoy about me?' It motivates you to do the same in the coming weeks, because you want to have something to share. You want to celebrate the smaller victories that have more impact than you think."
Cross-Industry, Cross-Cultural Learning
Zoe's cohort included four WorkBetterNow colleagues alongside managers from tech, event planning, and other industries. But even more meaningful was the cultural exchange. WorkBetterNow's team spans Latin America, and Zoe found that the diversity of perspectives expanded how she thought about management.
"There are ways of working in the States that we don't usually have here. It was really good to see different perspectives and say, 'I actually never would have thought of that.' And also to see that even though we had different industries and different companies, we were all going through the same things."
That shared experience reinforced something Zoe keeps coming back to: management challenges are universal.
"We were all just really learning to be managers and learning how to talk to our team."
What Zoe Tells Other Managers About Oxygen
When Zoe's closest colleague at work was about to start the program, Zoe didn't hold back.
"I told her, 'Be ready for a lot of team discussions. It's very interactive. You have to be there, you have to listen, you have to pay attention. If not, you're not going to get any value out of it.' I encouraged her to schedule the one-on-ones with the instructor. I told her it's a safe space. You can say what you don't know. The other managers are all learning too, and they'll teach you to be better."
Her message was simple: the more you put in, the more you get back.
"The more you focus, and the more you do the exercises and do the work, it's going to feel very rewarding at the end. Because you'll actually feel like a manager, and you'll feel more prepared to face the unknown."
Why Manager Training Matters for the Business
Zoe sees the investment in management training as something that benefits the entire organization, not just the individual manager.
"It gives an extra level of trust. Our CEO knows the program. So if I took it, he knows what I'm capable of and what I've learned. It proves that we are actually trained managers and not just making it up as we go."
For Zoe, the program didn't just teach new skills. It gave a name to the things she and her team were already doing well, while filling in the gaps with practical frameworks and structured support. And it did it in a way that no self-paced course ever could: through real conversations, real practice, and real connection.
"The way WorkBetterNow works is super aligned with the things Oxygen talks about. It's the perfect addition to the way we already work. It's just giving a name to the skills we already have."
Ready to give your managers more than another online course? Explore the Management Essentials program orsee what other managers have to say.
