Effective one-on-one meetings are an opportunity for feedback, coaching, rapport building, and talking about all the things that are important to your team members that rarely get discussed. They're a chance for you and your subordinates to strengthen your working relationship, and escape the day-to-day grind. This is even more true for remote team management, as you can't typically have a face-to-face relationship.
#1 - Frequency
The frequency depends on many factors and can vary for different employees in the same position. Ideally, you should have a meeting once every two weeks, depending on the team size and availability. But in any case, it should take place at least once a month.
#2 - Before the meeting
It is important to prepare for one-on-ones. Here are three factors that you should consider: mindset, schedule, and agenda.
Mindset - Depending on your relationship with the team member, the conversation may flow naturally around the topics that matter to the team member. Or they may need a bit of help from your side (asking questions), particularly with the quietest people in the team. You can discuss many points, from their short-term goals to their future plans. The subordinates should be the main focus of the conversation. Best practices says that you should talk only around 10% of the time, with the rest set aside for your subordinates.
Schedule - When you set up one-on-ones for the first time in your team, don't forget to inform your team that these invitations are coming and what the meeting is about. Provide a short description and some suggestions on what they can bring to the table for the first session. Also mention that it won't be a one-off meeting, but rather a recurring calendar event to help you keep in touch with the team. According to best practices, a regular session should last 30 minutes at most. Keep in mind that the first meeting might be longer than the ones that follow.
Agenda - A general agenda could help get the conversation going in the first few meetings. You can prepare a list of a few topics that you are most interested in, and include them in the invitation. An agenda gives you a structure for the conversation and ensures that the most pressing topics are discussed. Remember that it should only be used as a reference; ideally, the conversation should flow naturally.
#3: In the meeting
As the manager, it is your responsibility to set the tone of the meeting. Since this meeting focuses on your employee, try to adopt an informal tone that supports your employee. You should focus on asking questions and listening carefully to what is said and what is implied in the feedback you receive.
#4: Ask questions
Having some questions prepared for the meeting is a must. Direct questions will show your employee that you're interested in their work as well as feedback from your team. A good question can be a powerful tool because there are so many things people don't think about sharing until they're asked.
If you're struggling for inspiration, Quantum Workplace created a free e-book containing 350 questions for this kind of meeting.
#5 - After the meeting
Make notes about the discussion points and the action plan. If you have done this already during the meeting, log it on your note system. You want to make sure you can easily review the items and act on what's necessary. Make sure you do the legwork before the next meeting.
Also, remember to make the next meeting happen! As mentioned earlier, it's very important to keep one-on-ones going.
Resources
Good 1-on-1 Meeting Template from Quantum Workplace
350 1-on-1 Meeting Questions from Quantum Workplace
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