AS A LEADER, do you really still have to do oneon-one meetings with each of your direct reports? The answer to this question is, of course, yes. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have written an entire book about the value of the one-on-one (‘1:1’) meeting. The fact is, there is something special and unique about 1:1s that goes beyond team meetings, an open-door policy and social interactions.
You might already be getting heartburn at the thought of having more meetings. But keep in mind that well-executed 1:1s will wind up saving you time by creating better alignment in your team, higher-performing direct reports (‘directs’) and fewer spontaneous interruptions to your workday. They also promote employee engagement, ultimately decreasing turnover.
In the simplest sense, 1:1s refer to a regular and recurring time held between a manager and their directs to discuss topics such as the direct’s well-being, motivation, productivity, roadblocks, priorities, clarity of roles/assignments, alignment with other work activities, goals, coordination with others/the team, employee development and career planning.
Ultimately, 1:1s serve to meet the practical needs of your directs — the support they require to effectively
