This chapter explores the prevalence and financial burden of one-on-one meetings within organizations, suggesting they could benefit from a structured approach akin to IT investments. It emphasizes the critical role these meetings play in enhancing employee engagement, job satisfaction, and managerial success. The discussion also provides strategies for structuring meaningful conversations that prioritize employee input and foster genuine development opportunities.
Steven Rogelberg: Glad We Met
Steven Rogelberg is an organizational psychologist, holding the title of Chancellor’s Professor at UNC Charlotte for distinguished national, international and interdisciplinary contributions. He is an award-winning teacher and recipient of the Humboldt Award for his research on meetings. He is the author of Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings*.
Many us appreciate the value of 1:1 meetings with employees. For a lot of managers, it’s one of their biggest time commitments. And yet, nobody ever taught us how to do it. In this conversation, Steven and I discuss how to actually structure an effective 1:1.
Key Points
- First and foremost, a 1:1 meeting is for the direct report.
- A set schedule for 1:1’s with your team reduces bias by ensuring you connect with everyone, consistently.
- A loose framework is better than a lock-step agenda. Two approaches help: the manager proposing a core question or listing out topics that the direct report brings.
- Avoid status update meetings by articulating the purpose of 1:1’s and dedicating agenda time (or future meetings) to bigger picture topics.
- Skip-level 1:1’s are valuable for both employees and senior leaders. Avoid undermining another leader by approaching the meeting with the mindset to support the employee, rather than making decisions.
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