Effective One-on-One Meetings: Tips for Success

Quick look: Well-orchestrated one-on-one meetings have the potential to transform work and drive team success. These discussions foster strong manager-employee relationships, which spark employee engagement, productivity, skill development, and even improved financial performance. Here’s what business leaders need to know about holding effective one-on-one meetings and how partnering with a PEO helps them access helpful tools and resources.

One-on-one (1:1) meetings between managers and their direct reports are powerful occurrences that can drive significant impact. When these meetings are held regularly and are approached with thoughtful preparation and execution, they foster a sense of support, motivation, and appreciation among employees. This, in turn, leads to enhanced engagement, higher retention rates, and a stronger bottom line.

Let’s explore the benefits of 1:1s, tips for managers to achieve collaborative success, and how partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) can help organizations with lean human resource (HR) teams access tools and resources to facilitate effective 1:1 meetings.

What is a one-on-one meeting?

A one-on-one (1:1) meeting is a regular check-in between two employees in an organization—typically a manager and a direct report. During these discussions, the employees can share feedback, provide updates on assignments, resolve issues, and explore professional development opportunities.

According to Harvard Business Review, 1:1s that occur once a week for 30 minutes are most desirable, regardless of job level. Additionally, employee engagement levels are highest at this cadence. However, one size doesn’t fit all, and teams should consider the following when establishing their schedule:

• Team member experience
• Manager tenure
• Team size
• Remote or in-person
• Team member preference

The benefits of one-on-one meetings

Regular, thorough 1:1 meetings are advantageous for employees, managers, and the overall business. They are associated with:

• Stronger manager-employee relationships: Regular check-ins help staff build rapport, understand individual personalities, and foster mutual respect. This connection can lead to an improved team dynamic and work atmosphere.
• Increased productivity: According to WTW, organizations that effectively practice performance management are 1.3x more likely to have higher employee productivity.
• Opportunity identification: 1:1 meetings are an ideal time to cultivate employees’ professional growth by discussing career aspirations, skill gaps, and more.
• Better and earlier conflict resolution: During 1:1s, employees can address potential issues before they escalate and voice concerns to their managers.
• Enhanced financial performance: WTW also found that organizations using performance management are roughly 1.5x more likely to have significantly higher financial performance.
• Higher levels of employee engagement: Workers naturally feel more connected to their employer when they feel valued and frequently discuss how their work fits into the organization’s overall success.

One-on-one meeting tips: before, during, and after

The following guidelines for before, during, and after 1:1 meetings can help managers and their teams experience all the perks these discussions offer.

Before the 1:1

While check-in meetings tend to be more laidback than others, it’s important to show up with a plan. To prepare, managers should:

• Review notes from previous 1:1s to brush up on the employee’s recent projects, challenges, and goals.
• Be ready to celebrate victories or have difficult but necessary conversations as needed.
• Create a collaborative one-on-one meeting agenda (Harvard Business Review found that managers and direct reports rated meetings most highly when the direct reports established or contributed to the agenda).

During the 1:1

One-on-one meeting formats vary by organization and team. However, the following best practices can set virtually any manager-employee duo up for success.

Ask how they are

Managers should ask their direct reports how they feel on a scale from 1 to 10. Then, depending on the response, a follow-up conversation may be had:

• Scores 8-10: Discuss and celebrate wins.
• Scores 4-7: Chat about successes and challenges and ask what could help them reach a higher score.
• Scores 1-3: Show compassion and offer to help problem-solve.

Listen, listen, listen

One of the most critical aspects of 1:1s is a manager actively listening to their team members. The aforementioned Harvard Business Review research found that ideally, the direct report should talk between 50 and 90% of the meeting.

Stay present

Managers must give team members their full, undivided attention during 1:1 meetings. With virtual check-ins, managers should avoid multitasking to demonstrate genuine interest and ensure no details are missed.

Have a holistic focus

In addition to discussing short-term priorities, managers should be sure to weave in longer-term topics like career planning and professional development opportunities.

Acknowledge and encourage

Employee recognition is essential, and managers can make a significant impact by showing appreciation for their team members and mentioning the times they noticed their staff were inspired and engaged.

Offer assistance

One-on-one meetings are a great place to extend a helping hand. This help can take different forms: a manager could provide insightful feedback, assist employees in overcoming roadblocks, and more.

Be flexible

Let the conversation flow naturally—any non-urgent agenda items can be discussed during the next meeting.

Think ahead

Managers and direct reports should keep track of action items that arise during the 1:1 meeting. Additionally, taking notes during these discussions can be helpful when preparing performance reviews.

After the 1:1

In between 1:1 meetings, managers and their team members should avoid canceling their next discussion. Calling off meetings can result in missed growth opportunities, less employee recognition, and lingering performance issues. And when 1:1 meetings are continuously canceled, manager-employee relationships often become weakened and disconnected. While things inevitably come up, rescheduling is always better than canceling to maintain the momentum and trust built through these discussions.

PEO: Your partner for powerful meetings

Strong, transparent relationships between your managers and their direct reports are the cornerstone of your organization’s success. However, simply meeting isn’t enough to reap all the potential benefits. To make an impact, the conversations should be intentional and well-organized.

Business leaders can leverage performance management platforms to streamline the 1:1 meeting process and train managers on topics that can foster more rewarding discussions with their teams. For small companies with limited HR resources, partnering with a professional employer organization (PEO) to access these tools may make the most sense.

A PEO is a type of human resource outsourcing provider that helps small businesses offload daily HR, employee benefits, risk and compliance, and recruiting tasks. For example, ExtensisHR offers affordable access to 15Five, an industry-leading performance management application. 15Five’s 1-on-1 feature enables employees and managers to prepare a shared agenda before their meeting, take notes and assign action items during the conversation, and browse a library of potential talking points.

Additionally, ExtensisHR’s learning and development portal includes training on effective communication, navigating conflict and difficult conversations, active listening, staying focused in meetings, and more.

How can your business benefit from more effective one-on-one meetings? Explore ExtensisHR’s PEO solution, or contact our experts to learn more today.