In a business environment where managers and leaders struggle with overwhelm and burnout, it can be easy to trim the “to-do” list by skipping 1:1 meetings with direct reports. But as challenging as it is to make time for these meetings, ignoring them or taking a superficial approach to conducting them can lead to poor accountability, lack of trust, and employee dissatisfaction.
In fact, a good employee experience can depend on a history of good 1:1 meeting experiences. People who meet at least once a week with their bosses report greater job satisfaction and higher levels of trust in their organizations, and they are more likely to stay with the company.
What Should a 1:1 Meeting Include?
A recent study referenced in MIT’s Sloan Review found six key topics that are critical to employee success:
- Checking in on tactical details or prioritization
- Discussing feedback and how to learn from it
- More context about what’s happening in the team/company
- Discussing long-term development goals
- Life outside of work and feelings overall
- Celebrating a recent milestone or job well done
The study also found wide discrepancies between managers and direct reports in the importance of some topics. For example, while 38% of managers consider “life outside of work and feelings overall” a critical topic, only 18% of direct reports agree. And while 50% of managers think “more context about what’s happening in the team/company” is essential to discuss in one-on-ones, a whopping 72% of employees believe it should be a top priority.
While all these topics are essential to the manager/employee relationship and the overall employee experience, managers need to weigh topics according to what each direct report needs. Each person can vary weekly; should a direct report experience a significant life change one week, it might be more important to discuss life outside of work. Should the company experience a major change, such as a sale or purchase, direct reports might have a lot of questions about their roles in the new enterprise.
For leaders who need to carve efficiency out of every encounter, here are six ways to make 1:1 meetings more effective.
Six Ways to Improve 1:1 Meeting Effectiveness
1. Set goals
Before the meeting, set concrete, measurable goals to help guide the conversation. Ensure both participants agree on these goals by getting input from the direct report. Goals can be as simple as “Discuss status of Important Project” or as complex as “Review career goals.” Prioritize the goals together so that expectations are aligned. Before the end of the meeting, set the goals for the next meeting so you can follow up with them.
2. Take individual needs into account
Some direct reports may not need much supervision or guidance in their roles, and a 1:1 can be more about building a relationship, discussing career goals, or assigning future projects or tasks. Other employees may be adapting to their roles and require more coaching or feedback to execute well. Likewise, people take feedback differently; some like more direct feedback, and others need nuanced conversations. Adapt the meeting style to each team member.
3. Include time for connection
One advantage of setting an agenda is that it can streamline check-ins and leave time for more personal interaction. Don’t skip this time! It’s still essential even if employees don’t see it as the highest priority for a 1:1 meeting. A personal connection allows managers and leaders to develop better emotional intelligence and empathy and improve team trust.
4. Respect time limits
Managers and leaders aren’t the only people balancing competing priorities and duties; direct reports and team members also have obligations on either side of a 1:1 meeting. Whether it’s a thirty-minute check-in or something longer, respect the time limits, and if possible, try to give a few minutes at the end to allow a breather before the next task. Especially in remote and hybrid environments, meetings are often stacked back-to-back with not even five or ten minutes between them. When a meeting ends just a few minutes early, that time is welcomed by both parties.
5. Be flexible about methods
With people working remotely, more and more 1:1 meetings will occur via phone and video. Team members who spend a lot of time in video meetings may experience great fatigue from constant visual stimulation. If 1:1 meetings take place via video platform, permit direct reports to turn off cameras if they need to. Set the tone by leaving cameras off by default or asking whether they need to be on. Better yet, just move the 1:1 to a phone call. Voice only is much less mentally taxing than voice and video.
6. Ask the right questions
Leaders can calibrate questions to be less stilted or awkward and more conversational. For example, instead of checking off status reports on specific projects, leaders can ask questions such as “What’s going well right now?” or “How can I support or help you?” Ask open-ended questions that invite direct reports to talk about their significant concerns or interests. It’s always possible to drill down or narrow the focus if necessary, but open-ended questions can give better insight into how direct reports think and feel about their efforts.
One-on-one meetings may feel like a burden, but they are vital to the overall success of team members, leaders, and the entire organization. Download our guide to effective 1:1 meetings for more effective and productive meetings
SELF CHECK:
- On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), how would I rate my commitment to keeping regular 1:1 meetings with direct reports?
- On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent), how would I rate the effectiveness of my 1:1 meetings with direct reports?
- What is one question I could ask to improve 1:1 meeting outcomes?
