One-on-One Meetings
Regular private meetings between managers and direct reports for relationship building and support.
Also known as: 1:1s, One-to-Ones, 1-on-1s, O3s
Category: Techniques
Tags: management, leadership, communication, coaching, feedback, relationships
Explanation
One-on-one meetings (1:1s) are recurring private conversations between a manager and their direct report. They are a foundational practice for effective people management, building trust, providing feedback, and supporting individual growth.
Purpose of one-on-ones:
1. Build relationship and trust
2. Surface concerns early before they become problems
3. Provide coaching and feedback
4. Discuss career development and growth
5. Remove blockers and provide support
6. Maintain connection in distributed teams
Best practices:
1. Frequency - Weekly or bi-weekly, 30-60 minutes
2. Consistency - Same time, rarely cancelled
3. Their agenda - Direct report drives most topics
4. Private - Confidential, safe space
5. Not status updates - Focus on the person, not just tasks
Effective one-on-one structure:
- Opening: How are you doing? (genuinely)
- Their topics: What's on your mind?
- Your topics: Feedback, context, information
- Development: Growth goals and progress
- Closing: Action items and next steps
Good questions to ask:
- What's going well? What's frustrating you?
- What's blocking your progress?
- How can I be more helpful to you?
- What feedback do you have for me?
- What skills do you want to develop?
- Is there anything we should talk about that we haven't?
Common pitfalls:
- Treating them as status meetings
- Cancelling frequently
- Doing all the talking
- Avoiding difficult conversations
- Not following through on commitments
- Only talking about problems, never growth
One-on-ones are the manager's most important meeting. High-performing managers prioritize them above almost all other meetings because they are the foundation for team trust, engagement, and retention.
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