How to Improve One-On-One Meetings

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗮 𝟭:𝟭 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗼-𝗱𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁? You're not alone. Let's transform these sessions from mundane task updates to meaningful career conversations that drive growth and engagement. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝟭:𝟭 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 As a professional who's experienced both sides of the managerial coin, I've come to realize the immense value of well-structured 1:1 sessions between managers and their direct reports. Unfortunately, I've also encountered my fair share of managers who viewed these precious moments as mere task update meetings, missing out on the true potential of these interactions. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙠 One often overlooked aspect of 1:1 sessions is the importance of small talk. Starting the meeting with a casual conversation about non-work topics can help reduce tension and create a more comfortable atmosphere. This simple act can open the door for more honest and productive discussions. 𝘾𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧 An effective strategy I've learned is to begin by asking your manager what's at the top of their mind. This approach serves two purposes: it allows your boss to offload any pressing concerns, enabling them to be more present for your discussion, and it gives you valuable insight into their current priorities and challenges. 𝙎𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡𝙨 Each 1:1 session should have a clear purpose. While flexibility is important, having a general theme or goal for the meeting can help guide the conversation and ensure that both parties get value from the interaction. Some key topics to consider include: ✅ Career development: Discuss your long-term aspirations and how your current role aligns with those goals. ✅ Performance: Review recent accomplishments and areas for improvement, focusing on constructive feedback and actionable steps. ✅ Goals and progress: Evaluate your progress towards set objectives and adjust strategies as needed. ✅ Employee engagement and satisfaction: Share your thoughts on your current work environment, team dynamics, and overall job satisfaction. ✅ Skill development: Identify areas where you'd like to grow and discuss potential learning opportunities or projects that could help you acquire new skills. If you find your 1:1s consistently devolving into task updates, don't be afraid to speak up. Suggest a new format or propose specific topics you'd like to discuss. Remember, these sessions are as much for your benefit as they are for your manager's. #CareerDevelopment #EffectiveManagement #1on1Meetings #EmployeeEngagement #ProfessionalGrowth #LeadershipSkills #WorkplaceCommunication

If your one-on-ones are primarily status updates, you're missing a massive opportunity to build trust, develop talent, and drive real results. After working with countless leadership teams across industries, I've found that the most effective managers approach 1:1s with a fundamentally different mindset... They see these meetings as investments in people, not project tracking sessions. Great 1:1s focus on these three elements: 1. Support: Create space for authentic conversations about challenges, both professional and personal. When people feel safe discussing real obstacles, you can actually help remove them. Questions to try: "What's currently making your job harder than it needs to be?" "Where could you use more support from me?" 2. Growth: Use 1:1s to understand aspirations and build development paths. People who see a future with your team invest more deeply in the present. Questions to explore: "What skills would you like to develop in the next six months?" "What parts of your role energize you most?" 3. Alignment: Help team members connect their daily work to larger purpose and meaning. People work harder when they understand the "why" behind tasks. Questions that create alignment: "How clear is the connection between your work and our team's priorities?" "What part of our mission resonates most with you personally?" By focusing less on immediate work outputs and more on the human doing the work, you'll actually see better performance, retention, and results. Check out my newsletter for more insights here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju #executiverecruiter #eliterecruiter #jobmarket2025 #profoliosai #resume #jobstrategy #leadershipdevelopment #teammanagement

Next Up: Manager Engagement - From Status Dumps to Strategic Partnership Navigating the relationship with your manager at any level can present its challenges. I've had managers that are new to leadership, new to the company, new to the org, or simply have a different style – you'll encounter a million scenarios. What I've learned is to focus on what I can control in these important manager syncs. In my early roles, I used to treat my 1:1s like a "status update dump." I'd share everything I was working on, but it was disorganized. It was rarely clear when I needed their help, if I needed them to remove blockers, or if I wanted to discuss career development. I'd intermingle everything without a clear structure, and often, I wasn't even sharing updates on what was most critical to my boss or skip-level manager. I'd sometimes leave my 1:1s more confused than when I walked in, which led to another week of trying to figure things out alone. It wasn't because my managers weren't supportive; it was because I wasn't clear on my asks for them. So, I made some adjustments: Created a Dedicated 1:1 Agenda Doc using Google Docs: This became my SOT for 1:1s. I used it every week to track discussion topics, feedback, and action items. Structured the Agenda: I broke out the agenda into clear sections: - Areas Where I Need Your Help: This was for specific blockers or decisions where their input was essential. - FYIs: Items I knew were on their or my director's radar, giving them a heads-up on potential future discussions. - General Status Updates: These didn't have to be covered in the sync but were there for them to review on their own time if needed. Proactive Prioritization: This structure quickly allowed us to focus on the most critical topics. If I was spending time on items no longer top priority, we could discuss it in the meeting. My manager also got a quick view into areas where they might get looped in, allowing them to stay informed. They quickly knew exactly where I needed them to jump in and provide support. These changes made my 1:1s incredibly more effective and helped me operate with so much more clarity throughout the week. It changed our syncs from transactional updates to a more collaborative/partnership engagement. What's one thing you've changed to make your 1:1s with your manager more effective? Share your tips below! #ManagerTips #CareerDevelopment #Leadership #CommunicationSkills #1on1s #CareerLessons #MyJourneyToTech #IndividualContributor

The most broken meeting in most companies? The 1:1. Most managers cancel them because they feel inefficient. But the problem isn’t the meeting. The problem is the prep. Instead of: - Showing up unprepared - Last minute conversations - Recapping project status Have each direct report send a simple pre-read 24 hours before every 1:1: - 3 wins from last week - 3 priorities for the current week - 1 new idea to explore This keeps conversations strategic. It also protects the meeting from being skipped entirely. I’ve been using this pre-read strategy for a while now. It has made my 1:1s much more productive and focused. Your best managers already do something like this. Their teams perform better. Retention improves. Burnout risk drops. If you want better outcomes, fix the meeting that matters most. What structures are your teams using to make 1:1s more effective?