Plan Your Next One-on-One in 15 Minutes Using This Format
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Does the thought of planning your next one-on-one feel dreadful? Do you keep telling yourself you’ll work on it later? When you finally take the time to do so, does it seem like you’re grasping at straws?
One-on-one meetings shouldn’t be complicated. Whether you’re a report or a lead, these informal meetings should be taken seriously because there are great benefits that come out of them. However, you don’t have to carve out a large chunk of time to prepare. Follow this easy-to-use format to plan an effective agenda in 15 minutes.
Past | Present | Future
The following format is as straightforward as it sounds. The entire duration of the meeting is separated into three parts:
Past: Spend the earlier moments of the meeting focused on what has happened between the time of your last one-on-one, up until this point.
Present: Next, what is currently going on?
Future: Finally, what needs to happen between now and the next meeting?
Generally, the majority of the one-on-one meeting will be spent focused on the “Present” stage. Let’s say the one-on-one is scheduled for 60 minutes. The time will be split as follows:
Past = approximately 15 minutes
Present = approximately 30 minutes
Future = approximately 15 minutes
Below are examples of questions a lead would ask a report during each phase of the one-on-one meeting.
Past
Start the conversation by catching up a bit. Focus on points relating to “the past”, such as: last week, last project, or past weekend. Remember, this is not a status update. Here are examples of what type of questions to ask:
How was your week?
Did you do anything fun?
What did you do/work on last week?
How did the ___(project, goal, game, etc.)___ turn out?
Last time we talked about __(insert topic)___, how did that go?
What have you learned?
What thoughts have come up?
Present
The next segment of the conversation focuses on the current challenges, thoughts, and goals. This is also the time to provide feedback and coaching. Some focus areas and examples include:
Personal struggles:
It could be related to physical or mental health, interpersonal relationships, motivation, focus, etc.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
What’s been on your mind?
Is there anything preventing you from being completely focused?
What are your current priorities?
How have you been adjusting to __(insert situation/change)__?
Work challenges:
Team
How is the team getting along?
Is everyone working well together?
What can be improved?
Is everyone on the same page?
Who do you admire most? Why?
Who do you want to learn from?
Processes and communication
What is working and not working with regards to operations and communication?
Are the work hours effective?
Are you receiving pertinent information/updates in a timely manner?
Skills, development, and short-term goals
What skills would you like to develop?
What skills could use more focus?
Are there any areas you’re interested in learning about?
What projects would you like to be involved in?
Management
What can I do to help you be successful?
Are clear expectations set?
Do I need to provide more/better guidance?
What can I do better as a leader?
Future
Spend the last phase of the one-on-one learning about long-term goals and aspirations. Round up the conversation by discussing major takeaways. Then conclude with action items:
What is something new you’ve learned about yourself and the other person?
How can you apply what you have learned to help the other person?
What needs to happen between now and the next one-on-one?
What does the report need to do?
What does the lead need to do?
With this simple format, you’ll be breezing through one-on-one preparations in no time. You can find additional guidance on discussion topics in this article about 8 things to address during a one-on-one meeting.
An additional tip for reports:
If you struggle to remember what you’ve accomplished day-to-day, start a journal and keep notes on what you’ve done, as well as questions and ideas that pop. This gives you something to refer to when your lead asks questions regarding performance.
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