Purpose:

The purpose of this process is to ensure you have life-changing 1:1 meetings with your direct reports. While the stated purpose is to help them process issues they might be dealing with in their role, the higher level purpose is to model what a good manager looks like, equip them with a toolkit to solve problems, and make an impact in their long-term career.

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Process

Step 1: Scheduling the Meeting

• [ ] Look at your calendar 2 weeks out. Put the invite on the calendar 2 weeks from now, repeating every week or every other week thereafter.
• [ ] Explain in an email, Slack message, or phone call why you’re doing it.
  • [ ] The purpose of the 1:1
  • [ ] Outline the agenda
  • [ ] Tell them you expect them to come prepared, that it's their meeting, and that you plan to take notes.
  • [ ] Let them know that after a few weeks you might change the schedule based on what works and what doesn't.
  • [ ] Allow them to ask questions. It’s okay if you don’t know the answer.
• [ ] Don’t do Monday morning or Friday afternoon. People want to start their day off well, and want to wrap up their week.
• [ ] Some people prefer to have all of their 1:1s on the same day, while others spread them out.
• [ ] As the manager, it’s probably more important that your schedule take priority. You likely have multiple directs and more responsibilities in general.

Step 2: Have the Meeting

• [ ] 5 minutes before the meeting, set your intention. How can you serve this person? Remind yourself to listen more than you talk.
• [ ] Show up to the meeting on time.
• [ ] If you need to reschedule the meeting, do so. Don’t cancel unless it’s a very unusual circumstance. You don’t want to make a habit of it, as it signals to your direct report that they don’t matter. But it’s better to have it on the calendar at a consistent cadence and need to reschedule if necessary.
• [ ] The direct report should be driving the agenda. This is their meeting.
• [ ] Take notes. Let them see you taking notes. You want to signal that you are listening, and that their words matter. It’s also critical to have a paper trail from an HR perspective if you end up having performance management issues.
• [ ] Don’t look at your phone or laptop if you’re in person. If you’re remote, don’t have other browser tabs or Slack open. Give them your undivided attention.
• [ ] If they are at a loss of what to discuss, use the sample questions below as jumping off points for conversation.
• [ ] At the end of the conversation, recap the main todos or action items that came out of the conversation, both for you and for them. Get a commitment for when they’ll be done.