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Wiki › People › One-on-ones

1:1 Meetings

Not status

Sometimes people walk in and give me status reports, but that’s not what I want. It’s really about stepping back from all the urgency and having a strategic and interesting conversation. I’m like, “Hey, what’s going on? What’s the hardest thing on your plate right now?” You do this for a year, and people start to depend on that time to share what’s going on, on a more personal level.
Michael Lopp

1:1’s are the employee’s meeting. They shouldn’t be a status report, and you should set the expectation that they drive the meeting themselves. That said, have prepared material in your back pocket to keep the meeting running smoothly.

1:1 Structure and Rules

Who do you have 1:1’s with?

  • Direct reports
  • Peers
  • My boss

Cadence

  • Do not cancel 1:1 meetings; however, if you must, reschedule them at the same time
  • 30 minutes
  • Start weekly, back off to every other week if you both struggle to fill the time

Discussion Points

  • What are 1 or 2 things in our team that could be done more efficiently?
  • What is one thing that I, or the company, could do to support you in achieving your goals?
  • Share any up-leveled info, so details from leadership meetings, your bosses, etc.
  • Review all hands info

Be present

  • bring a notebook (in person)
  • put the notes online (in lattice)
  • practice active listening
  • put your phone away / close slack

Format

  • Start Positive - ask about them and their lives, and small talk for a minute.
  • What’s front of mind? or What’s on your mind?
  • Ask Questions, don’t just listen
  • Ask questions about career plans
  • Give employees the time and space to think about what they want to express
  • Ask direct but open-ended questions
  • Express Gratitude
  • Wrap up and name action items

Lara Hogan’s context questions

It’s important to get some context on the person you’re working with. In an ideal world, you’ll get along with and enjoy this person; that said, it’s not always possible or may take more time to build a relationship. To give you some understanding of the person, here are a few high-level things are worth understanding about them (see Lara Hogan )

Grumpiness

  • What makes you grumpy?
  • How will I know when you’re grumpy?
  • How can I help you when you’re grumpy?

Feedback & Recognition

  • How do you like feedback - the medium (IRC, email, in person, etc.)
  • How do you like feedback - routine like in 1:1s, or as-it-happens
  • How do you prefer to receive recognition? (public or private)

Goals & Support

  • What makes 1:1s the most valuable for you?
  • What are your goals for this year? And for the next 3 months?
  • What do you need from your manager? (You might ask, can you tell me about the best managers you’ve had in the past, and how they were helpful to you?)
  • From your team? (this one is good if the 1:1 is with someone who manages people, but is typically relevant for IC’s, too)
  • From your peers? (outside the team)

I often ask follow-up questions to the answers to these questions to help me clarify and understand.

The Most Important Question

  • What’s your favorite way to treat yourself?

Task Relevant Maturity

Task Relevant Maturity is the idea that everyone is more skilled in some areas than others. In areas of high skill, delegate and verify. In areas of low-skill, provide coaching, support, and review. This allows you to trust and delegate where appropriate and grow team members where they need support.

You can adjust the frequency of your one-on-ones based on their current responsibilities.  The more comfortable you are with their TRM, the less often you’ll need to check-in.

Meanwhile, when you promote them or give them a new challenge they lack experience in, this is the time you should meet more often (every 1-2 weeks), no matter how busy your schedule is. This is when they need you most and will be set up to fail and be frustrated otherwise.

Skip-levels

Jade has written about skip levels.

Skip-level 1:1’s are how you can orient yourself to the department and what problems your team is dealing with. Skip-level meetings don’t take the place of your middle managers doing their 1:1’s, and they don’t work at the same scale as a department-wide survey but can be an effective tool to keep me grounded on actual problems that need solutions.  Among the many benefits, skip-level 1-1s help build a stronger relationship with your organization, understand how your managers are performing, and gain first-hand accounts of how your decisions affect the people in your organization. (source )

The Rules

  • Let your managers know you are doing it; no one wants to be surprised by your boss.
  • Let your entire team know. Receiving an unexpected meeting invite from a senior leader can produce anxiety. Make sure the meeting invite shares your intent, agenda, and expectations. Don’t scare people with blank meeting invites.
  • Establish rules of confidentiality. Reiterate the purpose of the meeting. Be a great active listener
  • If you are aware of a recent achievement of this person, congratulate them.
  • If you find yourself getting negative feedback in this skip-level meeting or disagreement about your decisions, do not get defensive about it. Stay curious and try to get as much understanding as you can from their perspective
  • Do not preempt your manager. This is an opportunity to coach the IC in navigating the problem

Troubleshooting

The Vent

  • Don’t problem solve. Don’t redirect. Don’t comfort.
  • They want to be heard
  • It’s done
  • Break a rant

Giant 1:1 Question List

(Source uncertain)

  • Tell me about one coworker that you feel does a particularly good job.
  • List three things that motivate you to do your work each day.
  • What is a mistake you made recently that you learned a lot from?
  • Are there any areas of your job that you would like additional training in? What is the biggest challenge we will face this year?
  • Tell me about your long-term career goals.
  • What part of your job do you wish you didn’t have to do?
  • What are your top 3 superpowers?
  • How could your working hours be adjusted to better fit your schedule?
  • When were the last time you got stuck and needed help at work? Who/what helped you get unstuck?
  • What part of your job do you enjoy the most? And which part do you enjoy least?
  • What is one thing we aren’t currently doing but could be doing to grow the business? What are 1 or 2 things in our team that could be done more efficiently?
  • What is one thing that I, or the company, could do to support you in achieving your goals?
  • When have you had the most fun at work? (And it doesn’t have to be this company! It can be past roles too.)
  • Generally speaking, are you happy being employed here?
  • From a resources standpoint, is there anything that would help you do your job better? Speaking honestly, what is one criticism you would have for me?
  • If the need should arise, do you feel comfortable filling roles other than your own in the office?
  • Have you been asked to do anything as part of your job that pushed you out of your comfort zone?
  • List the top three things that you feel waste time during your day.
  • Without naming anyone specifically, do you know of anyone in the office that is unhappy?
  • What makes for a great day at work?
  • If money were no object, what would you do every day?
  • Do you feel like you receive feedback often enough?
  • Who do you admire?
  • What is one thing we could do to make the office more comfortable/enjoyable/fun (or just better) without spending much money?
  • How well do you feel like you relate to your coworkers? Do you view them as friends? On a scale of 1-10 what level of loyalty do you feel to the company?
  • Name the first two things you would do if you were in charge for a day.
  • What goals do you feel like you have accomplished professionally since you began work here?
  • In what ways could we improve communications around the office?
  • Do you enjoy office functions (parties, dinners), or would you rather be rewarded in another way?
  • How well-received do you feel your opinions are when you offer them up?
  • Sometimes an organization gets so focused on the tactical and day-to-day that they forget to take time to focus on being creative and fostering innovative ideas. What can we do to be more creative and innovative?
  • How often do people ask you for help? What do they ask for, and how long does it take you?
  • What are you doing well that is moving you toward your career goals?
  • What parts of the business would you like to be more involved in or learn more about? Are you happy that you left your previous job for this one?
  • How long can you see yourself working here?
  • List 3 things you would like to see when you come to work daily.
  • Is this job fitting in well with your life as a whole?
  • In your opinion, is the staffing level in the office sufficient to keep up with the workload? What about the physical arrangement of the office do you like? What would you change?
  • If you were to give yourself a rating (1-10) today, what would it be?
  • List 2 things that you see being done inefficiently around the office. Is it worth making them more efficient? Why or why not?
  • If you sat in on an interview for a prospective employee, what one question would you ask them?
  • Do you think the salary possibilities within this company are enough to satisfy your long-term needs?
  • Tell me about a recent situation you wish you would have handled differently.
  • What is something we could do as a team to improve the company?
  • What is an example of a “little thing” that really impressed you recently? (For example, great customer service or a well-designed product.)
  • Do you feel the work is evenly distributed across the team? Is there anyone carrying too much? What are some ways we could even things out?
  • Are you uncomfortable giving any of your peer’s constructive criticism? If so, why? What is one thing that could be done to make you feel more ‘at home’ in the office? Who in the office do you think has knowledge that you could benefit from?
  • Do you see any market opportunities the company is not taking advantage of? What changes would you like to be given to feel more a part of the decision-making process?
  • In general, do you feel you are given enough opportunities to advance your career? If not, what more could be done to help move you toward your goals?
  • What is your personal opinion of the long-term outlook for this company?
  • List three things that you think the company as a whole should do to be more competitive.
  • What specific functions would you train a new employee on first?
  • Do you want to be more involved in decision-making, or do you prefer to enact the decisions of others?
  • Present me with a situation that you would like to know my response to.
  • Is there someone in the office that you would like to work more closely with?
  • Name something you do daily at work that you feel does not get enough attention or credit.
  • Describe in detail the first hour of your normal work day.
  • Describe in detail the last hour of your normal work day.
  • What would it take for you to leave this job for a new position?
  • Have you thought of any special projects you would enjoy working on if given the opportunity?
  • What three simple things could make your work days more enjoyable?
  • Describe a scenario in your job that you don’t feel you have the proper tools to handle effectively.
  • As managers, what can we do to give your workday more direction?
  • If you receive a compensation increase, would you prefer higher pay or more benefits?
  • On a scale of 1-10, how much time do you feel is wasted in your day? What could we do to be more efficient?
  • Do you feel obligated to participate in office activities that you would rather not be a part of?
  • How much longer will you be satisfied in your current position before receiving a promotion?
  • How can we change our staff meetings to make them more productive?
  • Tell me about your greatest accomplishment while employed here.
  • Do you feel like your education is being put to its maximum use in your position?
  • Are you proud of your work? What could we do to make you feel more pride in your job?
  • Is this job providing you with a good overall work/life balance?
  • Tell me your thoughts on my management style.
  • Do you feel competitive with your coworkers, or is it more of a teamwork environment? Is there anyone within the company that you look up to, and why?
  • Is there anyone specifically that you have a hard time working with for any reason?
  • Do you feel challenged on a daily basis?
  • List three items you would like to have for your desk if the budget was not a concern.
  • Is there any topic that comes up during the day that you feel confused or unclear about?
  • On a scale of 1-10, rate your overall satisfaction with your employment at this company. What is the number one reason you get out of bed in the morning and come to work?

Additional 1:1 Question List: https://jasonevanish.com/2014/05/29/101-questions-to-ask-in-1-on-1s/

Thank you

Most of this content is from Matthew Finlayson’s 1-1 notes.