Some employees do not have regular one-on-one meetings with their Managers and some do, but many complain that they are unstructured, not useful or leave them feeling lost. That leaves a lucky, smaller group of employees having useful, structured 1:1’s with their managers that give them direction and allow them to move forward with the decisions that were discussed. 1:1 meetings should be energy-boosters for both parties and should be something we look forward to!
One-on-one’s are a formal and regular opportunity in which a Manager and their team member can invest their time to communicate in a structured manner.
They:
- create context for managers and their team members to perform better
- set expectations
- provide guidance to employees in their roles
- help both employee and manager solve tough challenges
- are the optimal setting for two-way communication streams
- are an excellent relationship builder
- may catch problems early
- give managers the opportunity to recognize their talents and develop their skills, knowledge and ultimately their careers
Content
When I’ve asked employees or managers in the past what they cover during their 1:1’s, I’ve been surprised and disappointed to hear them say “we have a general chat about how things are going” or “mainly just updates” or “we don’t need an agenda, we know each other very well and we talk all the time” hence “we don’t need 1:1’s”. Unfortunately, if managers and employees are to progress, develop and grow as professionals, they need to take a planned, structured and objective approach to these meetings. Otherwise they are wasting each other’s time.
First, before the meeting goes ahead, make sure both manager and employee share their input on the agenda items (what to cover). The input should be balanced and both parties ought to feel responsible for owning a part of the meeting’s content.
Here below a high-level overview of what one-on-ones should cover and how often:
- Employee’s current challenges (weekly)
- Manager’s specific updates (weekly)
- Tracking + measuring progress on goals (weekly)
- 2-way performance feedback (monthly)
- Coaching (monthly)
- Growth within current role (every 1-2 months)
- Career development / future role (every 2-3 months)
- Extra projects and opportunities (regularity subject to context)
- Employee motivation and happiness (regularity subject to need)
Based on the identified agenda items, you are likely to find that your 1:1 sessions will not cover all of the above areas, every time. So you may want to dedicate a whole, separate session to some of the more long-term items (those that, if you are running out of time “can wait”, but shouldn’t).
5 basic but essential rules around 1:1’s
- Avoid talking about your “day-by-day” or giving a “status update”, but if you have to cover it, don’t stay on the topic for very long, as updates can be given via email or other means. Status updates should be discussed however, if some form of Manager/Employee alignment needs to come from it.
- Make sure you have identified an actionable follow-up with time-lines for each item you discuss, otherwise they were not worth discussing (@Manager, you may want to take some of those actions for yourself, too 😉 )
- Ensure you set up regular 1:1 sessions in your calendars that are 100% respected by both manager and team member. Do not cancel your session: if you cannot make the time or day postpone the meeting and try to keep it within a week.
- It may seem obvious but ensure you have a closed, pre-booked meeting room as this sets you up for a potentially difficult conversation you may find yourself having.
- Apply a no-interruptions rule as this will demonstrate mutual respect.
A message to the Employee
It is quite typical (and very tempting) for managers to drive your 1:1 meetings, but it is better for both if you proactively own a part of it too. The more constructive you are during these meetings the more your manager will value you as a team member.
Consider bringing to the table:
- your own ideas on how to solve or improve something, a way of working or a process
- your own objectives that make sense within the context of your role (especially in environments where objectives setting are sluggish)
- a forward-thinking approach – show that you are looking around corners
- facing your demons: talk openly if you are worried about something
- energy and desire to learn (ask a lot of questions)
- clarity on your commitments
A message to the Manager
Think about your high-level approach to your 1:1’s with your team member. (S)he is likely to rely on your verbal and non-verbal input, be influenced by your behavior and react according to the results of the conversation (both its content and general “mood”). Give yourself clarity on the below points:
- What is the likely overall tone of the conversation?
- How is the employee performing against their goals?
- What can you do to improve their performance?
- What is your vision?
- What is the main message you want to convey?
Lastly but perhaps most essentially; whether you are the manager or their direct report, make sure you use your Active Listening skills as much as possible to make the most out of your 1:1 meetings.
To gain a deeper insight into some interesting data around how managers approach 1:1 meetings see Soapbox’s results on their 2019 survey.