How to Have Effective One-on-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings are an essential part of the manager and employee relationship. During these sessions, team members will feel they have more time and attention placed on them, allowing them to bring up important elements about your company. On top of that, it allows you, as a leader, to appear more as an empathetic human being.
That said, one-on-ones can provide benefits for everyone involved in your company. But only when they’re done right. When gone about in the wrong manner, a one-on-one meeting can harm your company overall. As such, you may wonder how can you have effective one-on-ones?
What is a One-on-One Meeting?
A one-on-one meeting is exactly what it sounds like - when one team member and one company leader get together and have a discussion. In most cases, one-on-ones are scheduled with a specific concern in mind. However, such meetings don’t need to be so professional and can occur sporadically and with no intention.
The primary purpose of one-on-ones is for upper management to better understand how things are going for lower management. That said, you may be inclined to develop a questionnaire surrounding overall morale and how processes are being run. On top of this, there are ways to conduct one-on-ones that benefit both parties.
What are the Benefits of One-on-One Meetings?
As mentioned, an effective one-on-one will benefit managers, employees, and your overall company. If you perform them regularly, you can expect the following:
Improved Relationships - By talking directly with employees one-on-one, you deepen your knowledge of those directly involved in your company. Such relationships will naturally give you an idea of what you must do to improve your workplace culture.
Better Problem-Solving - If you’re willing to understand problems team members may have with your work environment, then you’re also more open to discussing how to solve such issues. In many cases, one-on-ones are an effective way to learn problems you didn’t even know existed.
Strengthened Employee Morale - When employees have the ability to voice their opinions, they’re more likely to be engaged with the company. This point is even more applicable if management addresses issues brought up in one-on-ones.
Finding Employees with High Potential - By talking to team members regularly, there’s a good chance you’ll find out who’s most passionate about your company. That said, you may find someone with the skills and experience you need for current or future leadership positions.
Company Improvement - One area of discussion you can take a one-on-one is the company’s goals. By getting an idea of where employees stand with specific milestones (and helping them where they’re falling behind), you’re more likely to see an overall improvement in your organization.
Important Topics for One-on-Ones
Now that you see the benefits of one-on-ones, you may wonder what topics you’ll need to cover when conducting them. Here are some agendas to consider:
Personal Check for Team Members - We’re big fans of starting things off lightly. This could be inquiring about life milestones, especially if such topics have been previously discussed. Overall, just doing a general wellness check-in can go a long way.
Business Check-In - Alongside the personal, it’s also important to understand how an employee is doing with their work and position. You’ll want to find out if they are happy, facing challenges, and what you can offer to further their success.
Constructive Criticism - If you’ve noticed that a team member isn’t reaching the goals you expect from them, it can be beneficial to make comments or suggestions during a one-on-one. Chances are that their struggles lie in simple misinformation and providing such information is all they need to garner a solution.
Future Goals of Team Member - It’s always good to get a sense of what your employee's plans are for the future. This will inform you of where they may stand in your company a couple of months or years from now.
Types of Questions to Ask in a One-on-One
Naturally, most of the questions you ask an employee in a one-on-one are geared toward business. That said, you’ll want to avoid personal questions if the employee hasn’t provided you with the information prior.
Of course, this depends on the situation. For example, if an employee called in sick the previous week, it’s okay to consult them as to why they weren’t feeling well. When we say avoid personal questions, we’re directly talking about specifics about someone’s life, such as if they’re married, a homeowner, etc.
To give you a better sense of the types of questions you can ask, consider the following:
What have you enjoyed about your job recently? What haven’t you enjoyed? Why?
What are the high and low points you’ve experienced in the job recently?
What would you change about team processes and management?
What are the challenges that you or your colleagues have faced recently that management may not know about?
What is causing your stress on the job?
7 Ways to Conduct an Effective One-on-One Meeting
As you go about conducting these meetings, you’ll likely find that you develop your own style and techniques. However, if you’re just starting, you can use the following steps to better understand how to conduct your first one-on-ones:
Schedule Meetings - While one-off one-on-ones can be effective, it’s better to regularly check in on staff members. That said, you’ll want to create a consistent schedule that employees can look forward to, either monthly or quarterly.
Have an Agenda - To ease any tensions, it can help to let employees know what will be discussed ahead of time. On top of this, they may find there are specific points they want to bring up.
Start with a General Conversation - While the business topics of a one-on-one meeting are essential, it can help to do a quick and laid-back personal check-in before diving into heavier topics.
Tackle Specific Goals - If you want to start meeting with employees regularly, chances are there are specific goals and objectives you’re looking to meet. Understand these goals and what challenges an employee may be experiencing.
Acknowledge Achievements - If an employee is performing well, it’s important to recognize and vocalize their excellent work.
Give Employees a Chance for Feedback - Beyond allowing your employees to feel as though their voices are being heard, it will give you general information about how you can improve management.
Be Professional, But Flexible - While walking into a one-on-one meeting with an agenda, you don’t need to be so strict that you don’t leave room for discussion. Such conversations are likely a great way to gather the information you’re looking for through such meetings.
