It's important to have regular one on one's with your team members. You should have an hour on a fixed day and time every week or every two weeks to check in how each person in your team is doing. We are a people company and you and your team are our most important asset!
As a team lead one of your core responsibilities is to make sure that your team has every possibility to be the best version of themselves, grow and reach their daily, weekly and monthly target. It is your most important task to facilitate them in order to grow as a manager. A vital aspect of this is building a professional and if possible personal relationship with your team. One on ones are a great opportunity to do exactly this.
One on ones are not meant to be a summary of the work that someone is doing or an update on how someone is performing on a daily basis. Doing it like that is a waste of everybody's time since this can be identified through our reports. Below an outline why one on ones are important and some good other reads.
"People don't leave companies, they leave bosses..."
Why are one on ones important?
Show appreciation
Ensure alignment
Offer support
Exchange feedback
Build a relationship
Three C’s for effective one on one’s and one G... (hold each other accountable!)
Consistency
Regularly scheduled meeting
Clear expectations
Agreed upon agenda
What is the most important thing we need to talk about today? Can be personal etc.
What have you accomplished since we last met?
What are you going to get done before the next time we meet?
What obstacles are you facing right now?
Commitment
Shared agenda (use it to prepare in advance)
Employee owns schedule
Come prepared
Conversation
Listen
Ask questions
How is the family?
What’s on your mind today?
How are you feeling about things at work right now? How could it be better?
What are you working on that’s most exciting to you right now?
Manager can talk max 50% of the time
Give feedback
What needs to be done to make this meeting more effective?
What do you need from your manager to be better at your job?
What are the kind of things that your manager is doing that are really working for you?
What are the kind of things that your manager is doing that are not working for you?
These are great questions to ask during your one on one: