Action-centred leadership asks managers to juggle three priorities: the team, the task and the individual. and in this conversation Pilar and Tim discuss one-on-one meetings, one of the best tools that managers have to work on their relationship with an individual employee. Over coffee we talk about the nuances of this style of meeting and the myriad ways managers can benefit from them. Spoiler alert: Tim is a huge fan of one-on-one meetings.

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While many take one-on-ones for granted, their profound impact on the manager-employee relationship is undeniable.

Interestingly, some seasoned professionals, like Tim, have primarily experienced one-on-ones only as the manager. This unique perspective reveals the multi-faceted nature of these sessions. Their frequency, as highlighted by the Fellow.app guide, should harmonize with the existing communication patterns within a team.

There’s a distinct joy employees derive from having undivided managerial attention. This aspect is especially crucial in today’s remote work culture, where organic, face-to-face interactions are far and few between.

For managers, the benefits of these sessions extend far beyond the immediate. Apart from honing coaching skills, they present opportunities to rejuvenate one’s technical know-how. In fact, Tim shares a fun analogy, likening work to a video game. In this perspective, every one-on-one is a level-up opportunity, a chance to refine strategies and tackle fresh challenges.

Backing up the efficacy of one-on-ones, the book “Redesigning Work” mentions a study by Tata Consulting. It revealed that proactive and frequent one-on-ones lead to higher team performance. The vast resources available today, from comprehensive guides like those by Manuela Bárcenas for Fellow, to brief informative videos by Artemis Connection, underscore their significance.

However, as any experienced manager would attest, acing one-on-ones requires time, practice, and often, external support. Tim, for instance, leaned on the structured approach of the Know Your Team application during his early forays into these sessions. The 1:1 starter packs by Jen Dary are other great resources that can guide both new and seasoned managers.

These meetings need a structured rhythm. Even if the direct report sets the primary agenda, the manager must come prepared to guide the conversation if needed. Especially in scenarios where senior managers are leading other managers, these sessions become crucial platforms to align on larger organizational elements, such as culture, values, and strategy.

A common pitfall is deviating towards operational topics. While discussing immediate challenges might seem productive, one-on-ones truly shine when they’re strategic and forward-looking. That said, as Tim mentiond, just like a soap opera, there’s no shortage of narratives, arcs, and subplots in the professional world. It’s about finding that balance between the strategic and the personal, ensuring these meetings are both impactful and engaging.

One-on-ones are not just meetings; they’re pivotal touch points that can shape trajectories, nurture relationships, and drive organisational growth. The key lies in understanding their potential and harnessing it effectively.

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TIME CODED SHOW NOTES – full of links and a couple of Tim’s analogies!

00:00 mins We open with Tim sharing that he’s only ever had one-on-ones as the manager, never the employee.

2:30 According to the Fellow.app guide to one-on-ones you should factor in the frequency of your current work communication when setting the pattern of your one-on-ones.

3:45 Employees benefit from getting their manager’s undivided attention. It feels good!

5:30 One-on-ones are particularly important for relationship building in a remote work environment, where a manager and their direct report are unlikely to “bump into” each other.

9:00 Managers can get lots of benefits from one-on-ones. It’s a great place for coaching. And also for managers to dust off their technical knowledge and share it.

11:00 Tim enjoyed using one-on-ones to practice things he found challenging. Which leads to Tim sharing his “work is like a video game” analogy.

14:10 Pilar quotes from Redesigning Work by Linda Gratton where Tata Consulting found managers who initiated frequent one-to-one meetings with their team members had the highest performing teams.

14:50 Manuela Bárcenas wrote an amazingly comprehensive guide to one-on-ones for Fellow. Artemis Connection made a nice short video for how employees can get the most from them.

15:30 Even if managers don’t love one-on-ones they are valuable and we need to find ways to be effective at them. Tim took a long time to feel comfortable and relied on the Know Your Team application to provide him with structure. And excellent question cards from the 1:1 starter pack and manager pack produced by Jen Dary at Be Plucky.

18:30 Having a regular one-on-one schedule is helpful to make sure that issues will be discussed.

19:40 The one-on-one is the direct report’s meeting. They should get priority in setting the agenda and items for discussion. But the manager still needs to be prepared just in case the employee doesn’t bring an agenda.

20:50 Tim found that when he was managing managers the one-on-ones were an important place to build alignment on big picture topics like strategy, culture and values.

22:45 It’s easy to slip into operational mode. But much of the value in one-on-ones comes from it being a discussion space that is free from operational issues.

25:50 Just because it’s not operational it doesn’t have to be personal. There is still a lot that you can discuss. Which leads Tim to a new analogy: work is like a soap opera.

What about you, dear listener? Do you do one-on-ones? Are they valuable? We’d love to hear from you!
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