For starters, why?

Possibly the most important meeting to have with your team. They provide an opportunity for individual team members to discuss, their work, progress, and any issues they may be facing in a confidential and focused setting.

Managers also gain a better understanding of each team member’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals, and are able to provide guidance and support as needed. They help to build stronger relationships between team members and their managers.

Additionally, 1:1s meetings provide a forum for discussing individual performance and career development, which can improve employee engagement and retention. Furthermore, having regular 1:1s can help identify and address problems at an early stage, before they become bigger issues.

Data proves they are effective! (when done well).

1:1s are ineffective when

• There’s no agenda
• It’s used for status updates
• The manager frequently cancels
• The manager monologues
• Team members don’t know what to expect (anxiety)

📌 1:1s are not working sessions! Avoid using a 1:1 as a working session—that’s a different meeting. This is for relationship building, strategy, and checking in on the team members’ well-being.

Setting up

1. Clone the 1:1 Template to your private workspace.
2. Share it with your direct manager and people x.

Frequency

The frequency of 1:1s is less crucial than ensuring that they occur on a consistent basis. So, it's important to set a recurring schedule.