Hello, I wanted to share with you a few thoughts on 1:1 meetings. In my work, I cover a lot of territory with clients. And one area that seems to continue to show up is the 1:1 meeting. It is either how to conduct them as a manager or what to expect as a direct report. I want to share with you how they could be conducted so each one can be productive and impactful.
Let’s do a reenactment. Bear with me this is a longer thread today.
Manager: Kick off with a quick recap. What have been the Major highlights for you since our last chat?
Employee: Give them 1-2 key updates and share 2-3 wins that showcase your effectiveness in the role.
“Absolutely. So, I’ve successfully closed two major deals this month, exceeding our targets. Additionally, the streamlined process we implemented has improved efficiency by 15%, contributing to our team’s overall effectiveness.”
Manager: Great to hear! Now, let’s talk about Alignment and Prioritization .
Employee: Are there things you’re working on aligning with our department and company goals? How are you feeling about your priorities? Anything that needs to be deprioritized or new things on the list that require prioritization.
“I’ve been reviewing my tasks, and they seem aligned, but I’m wondering if we need to adjust any priorities to better match the overall goals. Are there specific areas you think I should focus on more, or perhaps things that can be moved down the priority list?”
Manager: Good question. We’ll dive into that. Next up, Support.
Employee: Don’t forget to ask for what you need. The manager’s goal is to remove any barriers preventing you from excelling. What support do you require, and are there any obstacles hindering your performance that we can address together?
“I could use some additional resources for the upcoming project. Also, there are a few bottlenecks in the approval process that we should address. Any guidance or support in those areas would be immensely helpful.”
Manager: Thanks for sharing. Now, let’s talk about Feedback
Employee: How you feel you’re doing? And, you want to emphasize that development is crucial. Any specific areas you want to focus on, or are there opportunities for growth that you’re keen on exploring?
“ I feel good about my performance, but I’m eager for feedback on areas where I can improve. I’m particularly interested in opportunities for professional development that align with our team and company goals.”
Manager: Excellent. Let’s talk Follow-Up
Employee: Remember, this is the year to ask for what you need. You drive your career. Lastly, for our follow-up, let’s make sure to cover any outstanding items and discuss your progress on the goals we’ve set.
“I’d like to revisit the progress on the new project and discuss potential adjustments to our strategies based on the market trends. Also, if we could touch base on my development plan, that would be fantastic.”
Manager: Absolutely, we’ll cover those in our next meeting. This is a partnership, and I’m here to support your growth and success. Keep up the good work!
I hope you all found this to be helpful. The goal is to make these meetings count for both parties.
Please reach out to me if you need more support in this area.
-David
