Mastering the 1:1

We have all been there sat in the meeting room waiting for your manager to come in only to be notified the meeting is cancelled. Or worse it actually happens and the conversation and meeting is over within 10 minutes of a 30 minute meeting.

As a new manager this can be really hard to navigate, you have urgent priorities to be covering and things you need. You may well feel this is a waste of time to gather more information than just the day to day items.

Having either of these views is missing the overall point of 1:1s and the power that they have for you as a manager. These are the most important times you have with your direct reports to understand more broadly what is going on but more importantly that opportunity to connect with your team directly.

Being able to master purpose of and do these well will either help you develop your team and improve performance or impact the long term growth of the team.

Purpose of 1:1

Before we can jump into some good formats with templates for 1:1’s it’s really important to master and understand the purpose of 1:1 meetings. I personally believe that you understand the why of things it will help you overall with implementation.

The key purpose for you as a manager when running 1:1 meetings are:

1. Build Trust

2. Give and receive feedback

3. Ensure there is alignment and claitry

4. Find out early for any issues and challenges

5. Develop great employee engagement

Having these points in mind whilst you are in and preparing for 1:1’s gives you the right re-frame from just and understanding of the day to day tasks or project updates. Fundamentally these meetings are for your direct reports and not you. This is great time to build that rapport with the team individually, by deepening the relationship with the individual you will be able to support and guide more effectively.

How to run great 1:1 meetings

Now that you know the purpose of 1:1 meetings what about actually running these well.

For me there are two very big things when looking at structure of the 1:1 to be doing this well are:

• Preparation

• Structure

Added bonus: Consistency.

Preparation

We all know for any meeting you go to being prepared is a key part to ensuring the meeting goes well. Just because you are the manager there is no excuse in not being prepared for the meeting.

At the outset of when you start the 1:1 ensure that there is an agenda. Work through and discuss with the individual what would they like to cover and discuss within each 1:1. Understand from them what that agenda format should look like.

Always make sure you review the prior weeks 1:1 and whether any action items were needed or follow ups for this meeting.

Structure

The structure of the meeting is really important and ensures that as you flow through the meeting you cover off the key topics and points. From my experience and view this structure works pretty well, this can be played around with for sure and certainly some 1:1s may well focus on critical needs but by and large this is good structure to focus on.

• Start with a check-in: understand how they are doing and feeling. Good to get a mood sense of the employees and how things are currently. Worth looking at both personal and work for a broader sense and opportunity to see whether things are going on that could impact work that you may want to see how best to support.

• Dive into progress and challenges: understanding what is going well and where things stand is important. Also important to understand where blockers or challenges are for you to jump in and help move things along.

• Coaching & Development: Use this space to run through some coaching or development opportunities. Spend some time understanding goals and whether current objectives align with this.

• Feedback: Use this as an opportunity to provide and seek feedback. Ensure that you cover both positive and constructive feedback too. Always ask for feedback on your management style and how things could change. Doing this will really help you to build a culture of trust which is hugely important in team cultures.

• Actions and next steps: Summarise everything and any action items, who the owner is and when update or this is to be completed by will be done. Add this as a follow up for review in the next 1:1.

Tips for running 1:1

1. Consistency is Key:

   • Schedule 1:1 meetings regularly and stick to the timing to build trust and routine. If meeting needs to be cancelled reschedule for later that week.

2. Be an Active Listener:

   • Focus on what the team member is saying, showing empathy and understanding.

3. Encourage Openness:

   • Create a safe space where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns.

4. Stay Present:

   • Avoid distractions during the meeting. Give your full attention to the conversation.

5. Follow Up:

   • Document action items and follow up on them in subsequent meetings to ensure progress and accountability.

Top 10 questions to ask

Here are some questions that can help you during your 1:1 meetings within your direct reports:

1. How do you feel about your current workload?

2. What achievements are you most proud of recently?

3. Are there any obstacles preventing you from achieving your goals?

4. What skills or areas would you like to develop further?

5. How can I support you better in your role?

6. What recent challenge did you find most rewarding to solve?

7. Are there any resources or support you feel you need but aren’t getting?

8. How do you prefer to receive feedback?

9. What is one thing I can do better to support you?

10. Are there any processes or tools you think could be improved?

Templates

To help you with running better 1:1 there is nothing better than having some really great templates.

Here for free are a number of templates that you can leverage and use.

Book Recommendation

"Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" by Kim Scott

This book provides valuable insights on building strong relationships with your team through honest and empathetic communication. Scott emphasizes the importance of regular 1:1 meetings, offering practical advice on how to give constructive feedback, show genuine care for your team members, and foster a culture of open dialogue.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of frequent and structured 1:1s.

• Techniques for giving and receiving feedback.

• Building trust and rapport through genuine care and direct communication.

That’s a wrap for this week.

PS If you enjoyed this content then you will love my First 90 Days as a manager mini-course. You can get this here.

PPS Coming Autumn 2024 ManagerOS Course. Sign up or follow me on LinkedIn to be kept in the loop.