Tips for Effective 1:1 Meetings

As a supervisor, one-on-one meetings are one of the most powerful tools in your toolbox. Yet, managers and direct reports alike tend to dread them. Why is this? When did one-on-ones get such a bad reputation?

It’s time for a reset on these meetings. 

Below are a few key takeaways and the recording with Jeanine Cogan, Ph.D., PCC, Executive Consultant and Leadership Coach, during our latest Supervisor Community of Practice session, who offered a deeper understanding of why one-on-ones matter so much, and how to make them more effective for both parties.

1. Should supervisors have one-on-one meetings with their direct reports? Absolutely, Cogan said. “According to Gallup, employees who are regularly meeting with their managers, they’re three times more likely to be engaged, (and) employee engagement is one of the biggest predictors of a lot of things, like productivity, performance, and worker satisfaction.”
2. Why do you think one-on-one meetings are dreaded by supervisors and employees alike? Cogan explained that these meetings have gotten a bad rap because “they haven’t been intentional and focused on what is important to the employee.” She went on to offer two pieces of advice to help steer one-on-ones in a positive direction, including “really acknowledging and making space for your employee, in their full self,” and “pitching to the strengths of your direct reports,” by creating opportunities where they can “really showcase their innovation, and not just to showcase it, but because when we are utilizing our strengths, our performance just skyrockets.”
3. How can supervisors balance the need for updates (the information sharing part of the meeting) with creating a space with personal relationship building? Cogan said that one way to do this is to create the meeting content together, then check in after two to three meetings to ensure the structure is working for everyone. She also encouraged open-ended questions in the meetings, versus yes and no questions, to really open up the discussion and understand your employee optimally.

Want more advice on becoming an effective supervisor? Join us next month at our Supervisor CoP online training on Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. ET for “The Do’s and Don’ts of Delegation.”