How to conduct effective 1:1 meetings?
Employee one-on-one sessions are both necessary and beneficial. Based on my experience as a people manager, these are a few of the most important guidelines (in no particular order) for holding effective 1:1 sessions.
Consistency:
Do not cancel or postpone 1:1 meetings. Setting the proper tone with continuous and regular 1:1 meetings demonstrates your dedication to listening to employees. Instead of canceling it due to unanticipated circumstances, you may wish to reschedule it to a different day and time that works for both you and the employee.
Agenda/format:
Having a pre-determined agenda/format for a 1:1 meeting between you and the employee might help make the meeting more productive. Additional subjects that are relevant to the discussion are always welcome. Sticking to a pre-determined format, on the other hand, will ensure that all parties stay on track.
Log of Meeting Notes:
Having a log of your 1:1 meeting notes will give you the additional information that you collect about the employee. I have seen some managers share this with employees as well so that both are on the same page. Another way is to maintain your private notes and share common notes with your employees.
Follow up on action items:
Depending on the way you log your meeting notes, it is always good to maintain action items from the meeting. Following up on the previous meeting action items would give you extra brownie points and demonstrate your commitment to addressing the problems or difficulties that employees may have voiced.
Feedback:
Always seek and give feedback in your 1:1 meetings. This is one of the crucial aspects of your 1:1 meetings. It's critical to get feedback on how you're doing, your processes, and your team. Where necessary, turn the provided feedback into action items for the next meeting.
Career growth and development:
A people manager's main goal is to develop and nurture their employees. The focus of one-on-one meetings should be on the progress of one's career development and growth. Early feedback is possible when you have a dedicated career growth plan and regularly review milestones with the employee.
Do not discuss project updates alone:
I have seen this from time to time, and I strongly urge people managers to avoid using their 1:1 meetings solely for getting project updates. There are undoubtedly more effective ways to track project updates. However, it is important to assess an employee's workload with the task assignment in 1:1 meetings.
What other recommendations would you make to readers, and would you be willing to share your 1:1 format with them?
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