1-on-1 meetings are a key component of a successful ongoing feedback model. They give managers and their direct reports uninterrupted time to discuss projects, review performance, remove blockers, and more. It also provides an opportunity for managers to get to know their employees on a more personal level. These weekly or biweekly meetings allow managers and their employees to discuss career aspirations, interests, and professional growth opportunities – an important way to engage employees and invest in their long-term happiness at your company.
As you might have noticed, that’s quite a long list of items to address in a quick 15 or 30-minute meeting. And while these meetings can help your employees build relationships and feel valued, they can also leave workers feeling bitter and unappreciated when rushed or not taken seriously. While 1-on-1s are supposed to be more informal check-ins, they do need some structure to ensure they’re a success. To help you train managers at your company on how to lead engaging and valuable 1-on-1 meetings, we’ve put together a brief guide of common shortcomings that can ruin meetings and best practices that can make them.
Here’s why these informal check-ins are so important and what managers should avoid in order to lead successful one-on-one meetings:
One-on-one meetings between managers and employees are a crucial aspect of effective leadership. However, many organizations do not provide clear guidance on how to conduct productive one-on-ones. As a result, these meetings are often poorly managed or avoided altogether.
In this article, we will explore the primary purposes and benefits of one-on-one meetings. We will also provide tips and best practices for managers to maximize the value of these conversations.
What Are One-on-One Meetings?
A one-on-one meeting (or 1 1 meeting) is a regular scheduled conversation between a manager and an employee. These meetings provide dedicated time for managers to connect with each direct report.
One-on-ones are different from typical status updates or check-ins. They allow for two-way communication on both business and personal topics.
These meetings typically occur every 1-4 weeks for 30-60 minutes. However, the optimal frequency and length depends on organizational needs and individual preferences.
The 5 Key Purposes of One-on-One Meetings
Research shows that consistent high-quality one-on-one meetings have multiple benefits for managers employees, and organizations. The core purposes include
1. Building Trust and Strengthening Relationships
One-on-ones allow managers to get to know their team members on a personal level. By taking an interest in employees’ lives, goals, and concerns, managers can build trust.
This fosters psychological safety, open communication, and strong interpersonal bonds. Employees who trust their managers are more engaged, resilient, and committed to the organization
2. Coaching and Mentoring
Managers can use one-on-ones to provide guidance on projects, progress, and professional development. By discussing strengths, growth areas, and career goals, they can provide valuable mentoring.
Coaching during one-on-ones leads to improved performance, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. It also boosts retention by showing employees clear pathways for advancement.
3. Aligning on Goals and Priorities
One-on-ones ensure managers and employees are “on the same page” about objectives, responsibilities, and desired outcomes. They provide a forum to clarify expectations and discuss priorities.
By maintaining alignment, teams execute more efficiently on company and departmental goals. Misunderstandings that slow progress are also minimized.
4. Exchanging Performance Feedback
These meetings allow for regular, real-time feedback in both directions—from manager to employee, and from employee to manager. Positive feedback recognizes good work, while constructive feedback helps course-correct issues.
Exchanging feedback during one-on-ones prevents surprises from formal performance reviews. Employees can course-correct in real-time, leading to better outcomes.
5. Identifying Obstacles and Providing Support
Employees can raise any issues that are blocking their progress during one-on-ones. Managers can then help remove roadblocks—whether through mentoring, additional resources, connections to other departments, or addressing dysfunctional team dynamics.
By proactively identifying and resolving barriers, one-on-ones enable employees to perform at their best.
The Benefits of Consistent One-on-One Meetings
Beyond the core purposes, research reveals many other benefits of well-run one-on-one meetings, including:
- Increased employee engagement, motivation, and job satisfaction
- Improved manager-employee relationships and team cohesion
- Better context for employee performance and advancement
- Enhanced information sharing up, down, and across the organization
- Increased learning, creativity, and innovation
- Proactive identification of risks, bottlenecks, and hidden employee needs
Overall, organizations see reduced turnover, improved talent retention, and higher productivity when managers regularly hold meaningful one-on-ones.
One-on-One Meeting Best Practices
To maximize the impact of one-on-ones, managers should:
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Make them frequent – Once a week or every other week to maintain close connections.
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Keep them regular – Consistency builds trust and habits. Avoid cancellations when possible.
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Make them employee-focused – The employee’s needs should drive the conversation.
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Ask open-ended questions – This elicits details and allows employees to guide the discussion.
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Actively listen – Listen without interrupting. Reflect back what you hear.
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Limit distractions and interruptions – Avoid phones and multitasking to stay present.
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Set goals and document action items – Track commitments and follow up.
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Provide ongoing coaching and feedback – Praise successes and address issues promptly.
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Customize your approach – Adapt to individual communication styles and needs.
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Follow up on concerns – Never leave issues unresolved. Check in on recent topics.
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Keep it casual and conversational – One-on-ones work best as dialogues, not interrogations.
One-on-One Meeting Templates
To stay organized, many managers develop one-on-one meeting templates or checklists with standard and custom topics to cover.
Standard topics might include:
- Personal or team updates
- Progress on key projects and KPIs
- Support or resources needed
- Feedback for manager
- Career development and goals
Custom topics can address specific employee strengths and opportunities, new initiatives, dependencies with other teams, org changes, and more.
Templates keep meetings structured while allowing flexibility to go with the flow of the conversation.
One-on-One Meeting Questions
Skilled one-on-one facilitation requires asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and actively listening to the answers. Here are some sample one-on-one meeting questions:
- What’s top of mind for you this week?
- What’s going well that we should build on?
- What are you most proud of recently?
- What challenges are you facing? Where are you stuck?
- What can I do to better support you?
- What resources or connections do you need?
- How aligned do you feel with the team’s goals?
- How can we work together to develop your skills?
- What parts of the work energize you? Drain you?
- What suggestions do you have for improving team processes?
Making One-on-Ones Work
Consistently well-run one-on-one meetings require priority and commitment from managers. But the investment pays dividends in increased employee productivity, engagement, and retention.
By leveraging one-on-ones to strengthen relationships, foster growth, provide support, and create alignment, managers can build high-performing teams. Employees feel valued, motivated, and empowered to excel in their roles.
The benefits of 1-on-1 meetings
1-on-1 meetings will be different for every company, every manager, and every direct report. But while each approach will be unique, the goal of these meetings should all be the same – to maintain open communication between a manager and their direct reports. But 1-on-1 meetings do more than just that, here’s a look at the other benefits these weekly meetings award teams:
- Improve performance: Bi-annual or annual performance reviews are often too little, too late. Weekly or bi-weekly check-ins allow managers to stay on top of employee productivity and ensure team goals will be met.
- Drive development: Eighty-seven percent of millennials value growth and employee development in a job and 1-on-1 meetings are the perfect time to discuss personal and professional growth. Managers should use the time to discuss direct reports’ career aspirations, interests, professional development opportunities, and passion projects. By showing interest in and investing in your employees’ growth, they will not only be happier and work harder at work, odds are they will stick around with your company longer too.
- Build trust: 1-on-1 meetings give employees an opportunity to get personal. Direct reports and managers can get to know one another and build lasting relationships. Studies show when employees feel trusted at work, they feel more confident and perform at a higher level. Employees with a good relationship with their manager might also be more forthcoming about issues in their personal lives that might be affecting performance, which when properly addressed, can improve employee loyalty and engagement.
- Increase team agility: 1-on-1 meetings give employees an opportunity to identify and address blockers, challenges, and issues with their managers as they arise. They also give teams an opportunity to pivot if goals or objectives become outdated, so teams can remain agile and adapt as business needs change.
For tips on leading for more meaningful and productive 1-on-1s, read our new guide “A guide to 1-on-1 meetings.”
3 common pitfalls of 1-on-1 meetings
While there are many benefits of 1-on-1 meetings, it’s no small feat to run a successful one. Just because they’re casual check-ins doesn’t mean managers and direct reports can just show up and hope for the best. That’s one sure way these meetings will fail and be a waste of time for all parties involved. In order to better streamline your and your employees’ 1-on-1 meetings, here’s a list of behaviors that can completely derail a one-on-one meeting:
- Skipping meetings: 1-on-1 meetings are crucial to keeping managers and direct reports on the same page. If either party skips meetings, it implies they don’t appreciate the other person’s time and could hurt the manager/direct report relationship. Both parties need to make the1-on-1 a priority or set a time and cadence that works with both of their schedules and needs.
- Rushing through feedback: Even in short meetings, managers should provide thoughtful feedback and deliver it in a constructive manner. Make sure your managers are familiar with how best to deliver and receive feedback, so every employee gets an equal opportunity to improve their work.
- Not enough listening: While managers should be engaged and ask great questions during 1-on-1s, ultimately, they should let direct reports take the lead. This will allow them to steer the conversation and bring up subjects like issues they’re having at work or at home, as well as their career aspirations and professional interests.
6 Tips for Productive 1:1 Meetings with Your Manager
Why do managers need one-on-one meetings?
For managers, one-on-one meetings give them a high-level view of what everyone on their team is working on. They also help them spot any employee challenges, performance issues, or interpersonal conflicts that need to be addressed. And of course, they’re a great way to maintain employee engagement and alignment on the team’s shared goals.
How do you use a one-on-one meeting?
One-on-ones should be used to provide feedback, hone in on coaching, and speak to the strengths and weaknesses of those on your team. A well-run 1-on-1 meeting can foster communication and collaboration between a direct report and manager. Try using a tool like Fellow to level up your 1-on-1s. What do you talk about in a one-on-one meeting?
What are the benefits of regular one-on-one meetings?
Regular one-on-ones lead to enhanced employee performance and productivity, as issues are addressed promptly and employees feel supported in their roles. These meetings ensure employee efforts are aligned with the overall goals and objectives of the organization, meaning more cohesive and efficient operations.
What makes a good one-on-one meeting?
The author has found that although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to one-on-ones, they are most successful when the meeting is dominated by topics of importance to the direct report rather than issues that are top of mind for the manager.
