Simple Conversations, Stellar Results: The One-on-One Advantage
Over the course of my career, I’ve been a part of countless one-on-one (1:1) meetings as both a team member and leader.
As a leader, I believe they are essential to providing dedicated time and space for direct reports for feedback, support and alignment. In the process, our conversations and follow-ups build trust and encourage open communication. They help me stay connected with what’s going on with my team members, allow us to proactively address issues, and allow us ongoing discussions related to their professional growth.
What Are 1:1 Meetings?
These are regularly scheduled conversations between a leader and their team member. Ideally, these meetings happen on a weekly or biweekly basis. They may be 30 minutes or one hour in length and are dependent on the person’s role, accountabilities and leader preference.
The meetings serve the purpose of aligning around goals and priorities, discussing progress toward goals, providing feedback on performance, as well as providing time for the team member to ask questions, seek/receive guidance, and address any concerns. Let’s not forget that these are great opportunities for you (the leader) and your team member to connect and build relationship.
Why 1:1 Meetings?
I can already hear you saying – I already have enough meetings! I don’t need one more! I would argue that 1:1’s are among the most important tools you, as a leader, have with your team members. It’s a place for the leader to hold space and give attention to each individual and is often a place for both expressing appreciation and nipping issues in the bud before they become major distractors.
Also consider, if you have regularly scheduled meetings, both you and the team member can hold questions and feedback for your scheduled time together rather than sending multiple emails or having rushed “disruptions” across the day. Knitting it all together in one meeting can be far more effective than “fly-bys” that can disrupt the flow of work that do not allow for thoughtful consideration in context of a larger picture, if needed.
Some benefits of 1:1s include:
Strengthening relationships: Regular check-ins help create connection and build trust, making team members feel valued and heard.
Clarifying expectations: Conversations can ensure leaders and their direct reports are aligned on priorities, that progress toward goals is openly discussed, and allow for clarification around expectations.
Supporting and guiding: These meetings allow leaders to provide individualized and private feedback, address challenges, and support growth based on the team member’s individual needs.
Encouraging feedback: A 1:1 offers a unique and important safe space for the team member to share concerns, offer suggestions, and ask for support.
Driving accountability: These regular updates can help ensure you and your team member stay accountable for follow-through and action items each of you owes to the other, the team, and the organization.
How does the 1:1 work?
During the 1:1, your role – as the leader - is to facilitate open, two-way communication with an eye toward supporting the team member’s success against their individual, team and organizational goals. At the same time, the 1:1 includes time to build relationship and to encourage the individual’s personal and professional development. Important elements of the 1:1 include:
Building relationship: Learn about their lives and be interested in what is happening for them outside of the workplace. Follow up on personal events that you have learned from them, ask them how they are doing, recognize special events in their lives. Leaders should never be afraid of having a personal connection with their team members and seeing them as whole individuals.
Listening actively: Create a safe space for your team members to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback. This allows you to build trust and helps you understand any issues they may be facing.
Providing feedback: Because these are private, individual conversations, they are a great place to offer coaching as well as to express appreciation or praise for work well done.
Setting and aligning goals: A key component of the 1:1 is to review progress on current goals and set clear expectations for what is coming up next.
Problem-solving: If the team member is facing a challenge or a speedbump, this is a great space for problem-solving and brainstorming while also encouraging them to try possible solutions.
Supporting development: Weaving discussion about career aspirations and development opportunities into the 1:1 ensures you are continually investing in their personal and professional growth, defining training, projects or mentoring opportunities to support their growth.
Who Owns the 1:1 Meeting?
Opinions may vary on this topic, but what seems most effective from my experience is that the team member owns the agenda while the leader provides the structure of the 1:1 conversation to ensure the effectiveness of the meeting. Specifically:
Agenda Ownership: The team member should own the agenda and the specific topics to cover during the 1:1. It is appropriate for you to ask that the team member populates and shares the agenda with you a day or so in advance, so you also have time to contribute to the topics and to prepare for the conversation. Asking the team member to own the agenda gives them the space to address their needs, goals, and any challenges they want to discuss. And – consider this – having them own the agenda is a development opportunity for the team member!
To be the most effective, the team member should:
Come prepared to discuss their goals and action items, to provide ideas and suggestions, and to discuss their personal and professional goals.
Share insights and updates about their progress against their goals, and any challenges they are facing.
Actively participate in problem-solving identified challenges. The purpose of the meeting is not for the team member to dump problems and ask the leader to solve them. Rather, these are opportunities to problem-solve together.
Follow up. During each meeting you will identify follow-up items. The 1:1 is a check in (for both you and the team member) on follow up items identified in prior meetings.
Leader Contributions: Leaders should provide the agenda structure to ensure a consistent flow to the meetings and that appropriate topics are discussed during each meeting. You should add agenda items especially for performance updates, alignment with team goals, or feedback. Finally, don’t forget any follow-up items you promised to complete in the prior 1:1. You need to also be prepared to close out those follow-ups with the team member during the meeting. Completing your promised action items builds trust between you and your team member.
The “Flow” of the 1:1
Let me reiterate, an agenda is a necessary tool for these meetings! Missing that step will lead to ineffective meetings that will cause you to regularly cancel them. Don’t miss the opportunity to place some expectations and structure to your meetings to ensure the health of the conversations.
1:1s are intended to address immediate needs, long-term growth, and alignment with goals. While the specific topics will vary from meeting to meeting and by management style, it’s important to create a general structure that applies to every discussion.
Remember at all times that these are interactive discussions. It’s not a “report out”, but an opportunity for dialogue, coaching, guiding and problem-solving. If an update requires more time than can be accomplished during your 1:1, set aside another meeting time to go further into the details.
Here is an example of the flow of a 30-minute 1:1 meeting:
Check-in (5 minutes)
This is your opportunity to connect on a personal level. Ask open-ended questions that create an open listening environment. Check with the team member on how they're doing, what their energy level is like, and what's top of mind. Follow up on their personal life. Ask how their partner, kids, pets are doing!
Team member work update (10 minutes)
This is where your agenda pivots to work priorities.
Previous action items: Allow the team member to update you on the status of any action items from the last 1:1 meeting. Discuss any roadblocks preventing them from completing a particular action. You – the leader – should also provide updates on follow up items you may have committed to in a previous 1:1 meeting.
Project and goal updates: You may not cover every goal or project here – focus on what’s most important right now to achieve short term as well as long term goals. Take time to ensure you know where critical projects are, what’s working and what is impacting progress.
Leader update (10 minutes)
Now it’s your turn. Use this time to:
Share important information and updates: This could be follow ups to organizational announcements to check for understanding or questions, as well as changes to procedures that have a direct impact on the team member.
Provide coaching or Feedback: This is an opportunity to set general performance expectations or offer general constructive feedback. Also, offer praise, appreciation and support!
Establish goals, objectives, or responsibilities: A 1:1 is a good time to discuss the future. This includes any changes to the team member’s goals and career aspirations, role, or responsibilities. Be sure to get their thoughts.
Wrap Up (5 minutes)
Always allow some time at the end of the meeting to summarize action items or follow ups, including communication steps that have been discussed during the meeting.
1:1 Meeting Best Practices
Let me end by wrapping some best practices around your 1:1 meetings. The effectiveness of these meetings serves to create consistency, efficiency, openness, and trust.
Set a consistent schedule: Keep meetings regular (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly) and honor the time commitment to show its importance. Your consistency is extremely critical to demonstrating how you value and honor each of your team members. However, it’s okay to skip sometimes if both you and your team member agree there is nothing to discuss. If a conflict is unavoidable reschedule rather than cancel.
Create a comfortable and safe space: Provide a safe, confidential space for honest communication free of distractions and interruptions. 1:1s are a place for building rapport and trust, so try to keep the vibe relaxed and make time for general chit chat.
Always have an agenda: While the team member owns the agenda development, you should ensure their accountability to consistently developing the agenda and support their efforts by honoring their agenda items and doing your promised follow-ups.
Focus on listening: Let the team member speak openly and prioritize understanding their perspective before responding. Be in tune with your own emotions and ensure you are actively promoting dialogue, not giving orders or shutting down ideas.
Celebrate wins and give constructive feedback: Give praise where it’s due and offer specific, actionable feedback when necessary.
Encourage two-way feedback: Invite feedback on your leadership style and any suggestions for team or workflow improvements. Ask the team member what you can do better for them or if there is anything they specifically need from you.
Discuss their professional growth and development: Talk about career goals, learning opportunities, and areas for skill development to show commitment to their growth.
Follow up on action items: End with clear next steps and commitments. Be sure you and the team member consistently complete the action items you committed to during these 1:1s.
If you are ready to “say YES” to 1:1 meetings, but don’t know where to start, click here to receive an agenda template to help you start to structure simple, but meaningful conversations with your team members!