As with any meeting, you should got in prepared and with as with any meeting you shouldn’t try to cram this in 10 – 15 minutes before the meeting starts. I had a goal of spending 2-3 hours for each direct report each two week sprint, this includes the time in a one-on-one with them. This might seem like a lot, but it really isn’t and hopefully I can show why.
Review your notes
The day before the 1:1 review your notes from the previous two one-on-ones. If you don’t have notes, then start taking them.
Individual Contributor
Prepare to drive the conversation. Every manager training I have had says you should be doing 80% of the talking.
To achieve this
- Prepare to talk about your wins, especially related to any action items from your last 1:1 , goals, or personal achievements
- Prepare feedback about new process, improvements you think can be made, pain points.
- What would you like coaching/mentoring on
Manager
You should be doing more listening than talking, this is your chance to get their view of how things are going and how they see the team.
To get them talking:
- Ask about their wins
- Prepare three discussion questions and prioritize them
Organize our thoughts
You will have a limited time in the one-on-one, to make the most use of your time. Organize your thoughts! If you plan to give feedback