Today’s workplace is dynamic, with diverse working styles, multiple generations, and varied expectations. Competition has intensified, with companies striving to attract the best talent in the market and employees seeking jobs at the best companies.
Given this situation, it becomes even more important for managers and team leaders to maintain conversations with their team members. Employees across generations want to be seen, heard, and included in discussions about their careers. One on one meetings have become even more relevant given changing work styles, and managers are strategizing about the best way to conduct them.
At Great Place to Work®, we work with companies to help them evaluate their culture and determine the best approach to one-on-one meetings. We offer services such as employee surveys, culture consulting, and leadership capability-building that foster a cohesive environment that supports growth. This article will focus on the best practices of India’s top managers for effective one-on-one meetings.
How to Initiate One On One Meetings?
As the name suggests, one-on-one meetings are detailed, dedicated dialogues between the manager and their reportee, either in person or online. The discussions relate to the employees’ performance, goals, challenges, training requirements, and the way forward. In most organizations, there is a set protocol for one-on-one meetings.
In order to initiate one on one meetings, the following pattern can be followed:
- Set to a regular cadence, scheduled at a mutually agreed-upon time, and added to the calendar as a meeting.
- Both the employee and the team lead ensure they are free of work or personal distractions during this discussion.
- The focus of these discussions is on the employee, inviting them to be candid about their work and requirements.
- One on one meetings take a softer approach, built on trust, and focus on the way forward rather than solely on feedback.
Why Do One On One Meetings Matter In Today’s Work Environment?
Today’s workplace has evolved technologically, and while this has made communication easier, it has also given rise to hybrid workstyles. Moreover, today, most organizations have employees from different generations working together, and each generation processes their emotions differently.
In such a dynamic work environment, one on one meetings with employees help better understand their needs and empower them with the right resources to perform at a higher level. These meetings help the company and managers in various ways, as detailed below.
- Helps foster a stronger and more grounded relationship with employees
- Enables managers to identify issues and concerns before they escalate
- Engages with employees and helps reduce work-related burnout
- Managers can empower employees with the right tools to grow
- Offers a safe space for employees and strengthens their sense of safety
- Supports the retention of valuable talent and reduces employee turnover
- Provides a much-needed personal contact that remote employees need to feel connected
What Practices Do India’s Best People Managers Adopt for One On One Meetings?
The best meetings occur when participants are clear about the meeting’s objectives and committed to making the meeting effective and productive. They view these meetings as a tool for advancement rather than mere lip service. Below are some best practices that India’s leading managers follow to make these meetings effective.
1. They Plan Well and Have a Template for the Conversation
Managers who intend to make the most of their one on one meetings with employees take time to prepare beforehand. With years of practice, they may have a template to work with or download one to suit their needs.
How this helps:
- A template establishes a clear, predictable pattern that helps both participants make the most of the meeting without distractions.
- The manager is clear about what they want from the meeting, and the employee can also prepare what they want to discuss during the session.
- The whole process becomes easier to record and provides a reference to the subsequent sessions.
- Shows that both parties are committed to the process and want to make the sessions worth the time they have blocked for this purpose.
2. They Listen Actively and with an Open Mind
Managers who want to be their best in managerial roles train themselves on active listening and approach these meetings with an open mind. They improve their emotional intelligence and learn to set aside their personal prejudices to foster an empathetic environment during one on one meetings.
How this helps:
- A present and invested manager encourages their team members to open up and share what they want and feel.
- When an employee feels heard, they are more likely to be motivated to do better and stay committed to the company.
- The manager knows how to ask the right questions and get the information they need to solve problems before they become bigger.
- The manager discovers hidden potential and is likely to make the right decision about the employee’s career progression.
3. They Focus More on Growth Plans and Goals
One reason that employees feel stressed about one on one meetings is due to managers focusing more on providing critical feedback and chasing deadlines. However, studying the way the best managers run meetings, makes it clear that they focus on growth plans and connect it to goals. Employees respond better and open up more when the manager helps them work on their growth plans.
How this helps:
- When the manager starts discussing growth plans, it is more likely that the team member will share their creative ideas.
- Both the manager and employee will also define resources required for the employee to achieve the growth they want.
- Such discussions help with succession planning as it identifies employees who can take on leadership roles going forward.
- This also helps plan learning and development for employees at the end of such discussions with all reportees.
4. They Make Realistic Commitments and Follow Through
One on one meetings lose their impact and importance when employees feel that managers are conducting as part of the process rather than as a means to make changes. One of the best practices that Indian managers adopt to make one on one meetings more effective is to listen, find solutions, commit to the next steps, and follow through on them.
How this helps:
- When a manager makes a realistic commitment like solving a work-related issue and follows through, this adds credibility to the exercise.
- Employees will start looking forward to these meetings, prepare well, and realize that they can expect solutions to their problems as long as their expectations are realistic.
- The company sees an uptick in employee morale and engagement, resulting in increased productivity and positive interactions with all stakeholders.
5. They Balance Their Feedback with Solutions
While it is important for manager-team member meetings to have a lot of purposes, it can also be a means to offer feedback periodically instead of only at the performance appraisal cycle. However, one of the things that the more successful managers do is balance their critical feedback with solutions to overcome the employee’s shortcomings.
How this helps:
- It helps the employee understand their improvement areas and walk away from the meetings with solutions to overcome their weaknesses.
- The manager also benefits from team members becoming more self-aware and working on their improvement areas to produce better results.
- The whole team works better knowing that their manager has their backs and will help them improve and grow in their careers.
- The company sees more engagement, reduced burnout, and an improved image in the industry.
6. They End the Meeting with Clear Action Points
The mark of a good interaction is that the session ends with explicit actions that both parties must take within a defined timeline. A good manager will sum up the meeting with clear actions that they (the manager and teammate) must complete and mutually agreed upon timelines to complete them. This practice helps the company by improving overall productivity.
How this helps:
- It makes the annual performance appraisal process much easier and less fraught with shocking revelations.
- The manager can assess people throughout the year instead of relying on one evaluation annually.
- The employee gets a lot of opportunities to understand their improvement areas and work on them so that they can improve their ratings.
7. They Start the Next Meeting with Actions Completed from the Last One
The best managers across the Indian corporate world believe in starting the meeting with actions of the last one. This ensures that employees feel that the manager is showing their commitment to what was discussed during the last meeting. This kind of accountability also helps build employer brands and ensures access to a better talent pool in the long-term.
How this helps:
- This step ensures there is a structure to the meetings and establishes ownership of what was discussed.
- In case, the action points are long-term, the manager and the team member can discuss the progress achieved till date and roadblocks, if any.
- Discussing action points from the last meeting ensures continuity and keeps the leadership accountable for what they have promised.
- These best practices when taken in their essence and adapted to the situation can help managers drive more effective one-on-one meetings.
What Are Some Common Mistakes Related to One On One Meetings That Managers Must Avoid?
One on one meetings take time, need commitment, and require focus to be more effective. Team managers have multiple commitments and responsibilities and they may find it difficult to make the required commitment. However, it is easy to manage one-on-one meetings better when managers follow these pitfalls:
- Canceling the meetings frequently and without giving the reasons for the cancellation
- Treating the meetings as an obligation or formality that needs to be done
- Turning the meeting into opportunities to provide feedback or get status update
- Listening with a closed mind and interfering the employee constantly
- Staring at the screen, taking calls, or multitasking during the meeting
- Interrupting the employees frequently to put forth their viewpoint
- Making it a judgement session rather than a two-way discussion
- Scheduling too many one-on-one meetings too often or not often enough
- Not keeping to the decided timelines for the meeting regularly
What Is a Typical Agenda for a Productive One On One Meeting?
For an effective one on one meeting, it is best to have a typical agenda that can be used by managers and team members alike to make the best of the limited time at their disposal.
Typical agenda:
First 5 minutes: Start the meeting with a personal check-in to learn about each other’s wellbeing
Next 5 minutes: Review the progress from the list from the last meeting to share updates
Next 5 minutes: Exchange feedback with each other on what has been happening since the last session
Subsequent 10 minutes: Discuss the career-related goals, tweaks required, and resources provided
Last 5 minutes: Summarize key points, next steps, timelines, and the direction for the next session
The Future of One On One Meetings for Successful Team Managers
With the workforce, workplace, and work styles evolving to accommodate the changing requirements of the corporate world, one on one meetings continue to play a significant role. Going forward, effective one on one meetings will become the secret weapon of successful managers rather than a calendar-related obligation.
Also Read: What Great Managers Do Differently?
One-on-one meetings will continue to help managers help their team, manage crises before they become bigger, and ensure continued employee commitment to their goals and the company on the whole.
Want help on getting started? This is where our team at Great Place To Work can help. Whether it is understanding the pulse of employees through employee surveys or providing culture consulting services, we offer tailored solutions. Want to know how to take this forward? Click here to connect with us.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What purpose do one-on-one meetings have?
The purpose of one-on-one meetings is for the manager and team member to connect individually to understand what is working for them and how overall performance can be improved. It also helps managers understand the kind of support they must offer to employees to ensure overall productivity.
What is the right frequency for scheduling one-on-one meetings?
In general, managers schedule these meetings once in two weeks or on a monthly basis, depending on the employees’ seniority or the need for updates due to the project they are working on. In some cases, especially, with new hires, these meetings can be more frequent.
How do companies benefit when managers conduct one-on-one meetings?
Companies can benefit in many ways when managers conduct effective one on one meetings. These meetings help understand employee-related issues, manage burnout, improve engagement, and improve productivity.
How long should a typical one-on-one meeting be?
The time duration for one on one meetings are typically 30 to 45 minutes. However, the duration may also vary depending on the frequency of the meetings and the seniority of the team member attending the meeting.
