Six Tips for Conducting Meaningful One-on-Ones

Conducting meaningful one-on-one meetings is a crucial element of effective leadership and fostering strong relationships with team members. These personalised interactions provide an invaluable opportunity to engage in deep conversations, address concerns, and align goals. By implementing these six essential tips, managers can optimise the impact of their one-on-one meetings, creating an environment that nurtures trust, collaboration, and individual growth:

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Set a Regular Meeting Schedule

Setting a weekly or bi-weekly schedule for one-on-one meetings allows both people involved to plan and prepare effectively. This helps reduce the chances of rescheduling or cancellation, or outright forgetfulness.  
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For example, let's say you're a team lead with four employees who directly report to you. You can use Beam to schedule a weekly one-on-one meeting with 2 team members on Tuesday between 10 am and 11 am and the other two on Thursday between 10 am and 11 am.

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Create a Safe and Supportive Environment for Discussion

Establishing a safe and supportive environment is crucial for building trust and ensuring that your team member feels heard and valued. As a team lead, it's essential to be an active listener, demonstrate empathy, and respect confidentiality. To foster this safe space, consider starting the meeting with a casual conversation to break the ice. Inquire about their weekend, a movie they've seen, or a shared interest. This will help ease into the main discussion and create a more comfortable atmosphere.

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Prepare a One-on-One Meeting Agenda

Crafting a well-structured agenda and crafting One-on-one meeting questions is essential for every meeting. A clear agenda ensures the conversation stays on track, allowing both parties to address their concerns, tackle challenges, and find solutions. It also prevents the meeting from becoming a mere formality and ensures that the conversation is valuable and productive.
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How to prepare an effective one-on-one meeting agenda

1. Gather Input: Collect input from both the team lead and the team member to ensure the agenda covers all relevant topics.
2. Set Goals: Establish clear objectives for the meeting, ensuring alignment with overall team goals and individual performance expectations.
3. Identify Topics: Outline specific discussion points, including progress updates, challenges faced, feedback exchange, and career development opportunities.
4. Prioritise Topics: Determine the order in which topics will be addressed based on their importance and urgency.
5. Allocate Time: Assign a time estimate for each topic to ensure efficient time management during the meeting.
6. Share Agenda: Provide the agenda to both parties in advance to allow for preparation and informed discussion.
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Example of a one-on-one meeting agenda

Introduction (5 minutes)

• Casual conversation to establish rapport and build a comfortable atmosphere

Progress Update (10 minutes)

• Review recent accomplishments, ongoing projects, and key milestones.
• Identify areas of progress and potential roadblocks.

Feedback Exchange (15 minutes)

• Provide constructive feedback on the team member's performance.
• Seek feedback from the team member regarding their work experience and suggestions for improvement.

Goal Setting and Career Development (10 minutes)

• Discuss short-term and long-term career goals.
• Identify opportunities for skill development, training, or mentorship.

Challenges and Solutions (10 minutes)

• Address any challenges or obstacles faced by the team member.
• Collaboratively brainstorm solutions and action plans.

Next Steps and Action Items (5 minutes)

• Summarize key takeaways and action items.
• Schedule the next one-on-one meeting.
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Remember, the agenda should serve as a guide, not a rigid structure. Adapt the agenda based on the specific needs and dynamics of each one-on-one meeting.

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Give Constructive Feedback

Companies that implement consistent feedback sessions experienced a 14.9% decrease in turnover rates.The statistics demonstrate the critical role that feedback plays in cultivating a thriving work environment. By providing employees with regular constructive feedback, companies and organizations empower their workforce to grow, adapt, and excel in their roles continuously.

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One-on-one meetings are an excellent way to give and receive feedback. A helpful framework for offering feedback is the Stop, Start, and Continue Feedback Framework. Constructive feedback helps you grow as a team leader, and your team develop their skills as well. It also enables you to align your employees with the company's goals and expectations. It is essential always to provide feedback in a respectful and empathetic manner. For instance, if you want to give feedback on a recent project the team member handled, start by highlighting the wins and highlights of the project, then provide straightforward suggestions on areas that need improvement.

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Be Flexible and Adapt To Each Team Member

During one-on-one meetings, flexibility and adaptability enable you to cater to the specific needs of each team member. This entails addressing their concerns in a personalised manner rather than adopting a rigid approach that applies to everyone.

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For instance, if you observe a team member struggling with a task or project due to personal challenges, consider extending the duration of their one-on-one check-in. This will provide you with the opportunity to offer additional resources, supplementary training, or personalized guidance as needed. To gain a deeper understanding of managing team members' personal and emotional issues in the workplace, refer to this insightful article.

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Follow Up and Reflect After Each Meeting

Following up after a one-on-one meeting is crucial to ensuring real improvement happens. It ensures accountability and demonstrates your commitment to the employee's progress.

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After the meeting, you can send a follow-up email with a document summarising the key points, action items and timelines. This provides the necessary documentation and serves as a reminder for both of you.Reflection is equally important, especially for you as the team lead or manager. Take some time to consider what went well and areas for improvement. This will help you enhance the overall effectiveness of the meetings as you keep having them.

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Elevate Your One-on-One Meetings

One-on-one meetings should be a core part of managing your team if you want sustainable growth, team cohesiveness and improved productivity. When conducting these check-in meetings, create a safe environment, prepare an agenda, offer constructive feedback, be flexible and always follow up to ensure accountability.

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Beam, an Employee Engagement software, streamlines the process of conducting one-on-one meetings, eliminating the hassle of manual tracking and enhancing the overall experience for managers and employees. With Beam's dedicated one-on-one meeting feature, organizing and managing these meetings becomes effortless. Users can easily set meeting agendas, schedule recurring meetings, share notes, and provide valuable feedback, all within the platform. By leveraging Beam, both employees and managers can enjoy a seamless and efficient one-on-one meeting experience.

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FAQs

How frequently should one-on-one meetings be held? 

The ideal frequency for one-on-one meetings can vary depending on the organisation, team dynamics, and individual needs. However, a general recommendation is to hold them weekly or bi-weekly. Weekly meetings allow for frequent check-ins, timely feedback, and a stronger connection between the manager and employee. Bi-weekly meetings strike a balance between regular communication and avoiding meeting overload. Ultimately, the frequency should be consistent and work for both parties.

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What is the optimal duration for a productive one-on-one meeting? 

While there is no definitive optimal duration, most experts suggest keeping one-on-one meetings between 30 minutes and 1 hour. Shorter than 30 minutes may not allow enough time for meaningful discussion, while longer than an hour can lead to diminishing returns and potential distractions. A 45-to 60-minute meeting is often recommended as it provides ample time to cover key topics without dragging on too long. The duration can be adjusted based on the specific agenda items and the rapport between the manager and the employee.

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How should managers prepare for one-on-one meetings to ensure they are productive?

Adequate preparation is crucial for productive one-on-one meetings. Managers should review the notes from previous meetings, reflect on the employee's recent performance and goals, and prepare an agenda with specific topics to discuss. They should also encourage employees to come prepared with their discussion points or concerns. Additionally, managers should create an environment that promotes open and honest dialogue, free from distractions or interruptions.