Whether you're an entry-level employee or a senior leader, effectively managing one-on-one meetings with your manager is crucial. These sessions can vary in length and frequency, but their importance is universal.
Moreover, implementing a well-structured plan can lead to improved performance reviews, higher promotion rates, and greater job satisfaction! I know this because, luckily, it's been a while since I've blindly allowed my manager to drive the outcome of my 1:1's ;-)
Recommended Approach to Managing 1:1's
The truly effective employee will have a structured plan for each session, ensuring long-term success even when occasional off-script occurrences happen.
To execute productive and effective one-on-one meetings, focus on four key topics: 1) Accomplishments, 2) Current Priorities, 3) Questions/Concerns, and 4) Administrative Items.
One-on-One Topics Explored
The following four topics are important for different reasons, but they are all necessary.
- Accomplishments: Have you ever been to a performance review only to realize your manager wasn't aware of half your contributions? It's your responsibility to advocate for yourself. Take a few minutes at the start of each one-on-one to showcase your recent achievements, whether significant projects or minor tasks.
- Current Priorities: Providing a quick overview of your current priorities helps keep your manager informed and ensures alignment on tasks (this also includes tasks assigned by others in the organization). Sharing your priorities helps avoid miscommunications and ensures you're focused on what matters most.
- Questions/Concerns: Use your one-on-one sessions to address any lingering questions or concerns; however, be mindful of the complexity of the issues raised. If a topic requires an in-depth discussion, consider scheduling a separate meeting. For typical one-on-one sessions, limit this section to about 15 minutes.
- Administrative Items: The final portion of your one-on-one should cover administrative items such as vacation requests, training needs, access issues, and more. These may seem minor but can have significant impacts if overlooked. Keeping your manager informed about these items ensures nothing slips through the cracks and helps maintain smooth operations.
Since these sessions are reoccurring, be sure to save your notes after each session, and begin a fresh new copy for the next.
Conclusion
Formalizing one-on-one meetings by reviewing achievements, questions/concerns, current priorities, and administrative items has greatly improved my experience, and I hope you’ll find the same to be true for you.
Have a personal tip or experience to share? Let me know in the comments or reply to this email.