Management 101
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Management 101
Employee Development

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Running Effective 1:1s

Holding regular 1:1 meetings with your employees is one of the simplest and most impactful things you can do as a manager to connect regularly with your direct reports. Whenever you have a new employee join your team, one of the first things you should do is set up a regular 1:1 meeting, and let them know what they can expect out of that meeting.
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Set a Schedule and a Shared Document
When a new employee joins, be sure to establish a regular weekly meeting with them (we recommend 30 minutes to 1 hour). To support your 1:1s and track agenda items and notes, create a shared collaboration space to accompany it. Some easy tools to use to support regular 1:1s are:
Create a 1:1 Slack channel, and post agenda items and follow up items in that channel each week
Create a shared Google Doc to add agenda items, follow up items and notes each week
Add this 1:1 to the calendar and allow your employee to modify the event
Your 1:1s will likely begin as a meeting (whether virtual or in person), but over time, consider changing the format to a walking 1:1, phone 1:1 (no video), or even grabbing coffee. Changing the environment from time to time may yield a different kind of conversation, or help break up the day and video-fatigue.
Set Expectations
Ideally, this is the employee’s time to discuss whatever is on their mind with you, not the other way around. As a manager, we have lots of avenues to be directive with employees, so it’s equally important to carve out time for employees to set the agenda and surface items to discuss — such as career development, roadblocks or feedback. This is their time to tell you what’s important or top of mind. Of course, it’s okay to ask for updates on items or track progress, but be sure to communicate this to your employee up front. Set the expectation with your employee that this is their meeting, and that they should primarily be the one setting the agenda.
Items Typically Covered in 1:1s
While your employee is setting the agenda, here are some of the most common areas covered in 1:1s, including items that you may want to push your employee to think about from time to time.
Check In: Spend the first five minutes of your 1:1 checking in with your employee — ask them how they’re doing and how their week is going. Even quick check ins such as this signal to your employee that you’re invested in their wellbeing, not just their work output.
OKRs, Goals, and Roadblocks: If you are in a practice of setting OKRs or Goals at your company, 1:1s are generally a good time for updates on progress toward goals, or results, and particularly to work through any roadblocks that your employee is encountering
Feedback: Make it a habit to ask your employee for feedback in 1:1s — they don’t necessarily need to be prepared to give you feedback in that very moment, but you can request it in advance of the next 1:1. Similarly, 1:1s are a great time to offer positive reinforcement, or surface constructive feedback (but ensure that the employee is prepared in advance to receive feedback).
Career Development: At least once a quarter, or even once a month, carve out time in your 1:1 to discuss career development with your employee. This can be as simple as discussing professional development opportunities or areas they want to grow and develop in over the next 1-2 years. Creating regular touch points with an employee to focus on their career development will contribute to long-term engagement over time. Feel free to create a separate document or channel to document these ideas and conversations.
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Next Section:
Employee Offboarding
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Previous Section:
Managing Burnout
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