Most 1-on-1s are useless. The manager asks "how's it going?" You say "good." Twenty minutes later you're both wondering why you scheduled this.
Here's the template that actually made 1-on-1s worth having.
The Problem With Typical 1-on-1s
They're reactive instead of proactive. You wait for problems to surface, then scramble. Or they're status meetings in disguise — manager checking if you're working, you reporting what you did last week.
Good 1-on-1s are about building a relationship, solving problems early, and making sure you're growing.
The Basic Structure
I use a shared doc template that both me and my manager fill out before each 1-on-1. It has four sections:
1. Updates (5 min max)
What did you accomplish this week? What are you working on next week? Keep it bullet points. If it takes more than 5 minutes to write, you're writing a report, not an update.
2. Blockers
What's preventing you from doing your best work? Be specific. "I don't have context on the project" is a blocker. "I'm busy" is not.
3. Feedback
This is the hard one. What's working? What's not? What do you need more of? Less of? What would make your job easier?
Most people skip this section. Don't.
4. Growth
What do you want to learn? What skills do you want to develop? What projects would help you get there?
The Questions That Actually Matter
Beyond the template, these questions unlock real conversations:
For the employee to ask:
- "What would help me level up this quarter?"
- "What's one thing I could do differently that would have the biggest impact?"
- "What concerns do you have about my work?"
For the manager to ask:
- "What's the hardest part of your job right now?"
- "What do you wish you had more time for?"
- "If you could change one thing about how we work, what would it be?"
Running the Meeting
The template is worthless if you don't actually use it. Rules:
Send your section 24 hours before the meeting. This gives your manager time to prepare, not just react.
Manager goes first on feedback. You want to hear their honest assessment before you get defensive.
Pick ONE thing to focus on. Don't try to solve everything. Pick the most important issue and actually solve it.
End with a commitment. What are you each going to do before the next 1-on-1? Write it down.
The Template I Use
I've packaged this into a Meeting Mastery System that includes:
- 1-on-1 template with all four sections
- Question banks for both employee and manager
- Meeting note taker template
- Growth planning worksheet
- Quarterly review prep guide
It's the system I wish I'd had when I first started having 1-on-1s. Now I actually look forward to them.
[Link to Meeting Mastery System in bio]
The goal isn't the meeting. The goal is the relationship and the growth. The template is just how you make that happen.
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