One-on-One Template

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a structured template for recurring 1:1 meetings with team members
• Design check-in questions that surface real issues and build trust
• Include career development and growth conversations in 1:1s
• Standardize how you run 1:1 meetings across your team

DO NOT use this skill for performance reviews, meeting agendas for group meetings, or project check-ins. This is for the recurring manager-report 1:1 relationship meeting.

Core Principle

THE 1:1 IS THE TEAM MEMBER'S MEETING, NOT YOURS — IT EXISTS TO SURFACE WHAT YOU WOULD NOT HEAR OTHERWISE, BUILD TRUST, AND REMOVE OBSTACLES FROM THEIR PATH.

Phase 1: Meeting Design

Define the cadence and structure.

Required Inputs

GATE: Confirm meeting parameters before building the template.

Phase 2: Build Template

Create the 1:1 meeting template.

Standard 1:1 Template (30 minutes)

## 1:1 Meeting: [Manager] + [Team Member]

**Date:** [Date]
**Duration:** 30 minutes

---

### Their Updates (10 min)
*Let the team member lead. Ask open questions, listen more than talk.*

- How are you doing this week? (Personal + professional)
- What is going well?
- What is challenging right now?
- Is there anything blocking your progress?

### Priorities Check (10 min)
*Align on what matters most and clear obstacles.*

- What are your top priorities this week?
- Are they the right priorities? (Validate or redirect)
- What do you need from me to get them done?
- Any decisions you need me to make?

### Growth and Development (5 min)
*Rotate through these themes — pick 1-2 per meeting, not all.*

- What did you learn this week?
- What skill do you want to develop?
- Is there a project or opportunity you want to take on?
- How are you feeling about your career trajectory?

### Action Items (5 min)
*Both parties leave with clear commitments.*

| Action | Owner | Due |
|--------|-------|-----|
| | | |
| | | |

### Notes for Next Meeting
[Carry-forward items, topics to revisit]

Question Library

Rotate questions to keep 1:1s fresh:

Engagement and Satisfaction:

• What is energizing you right now?
• What is draining you?
• On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you at work? What would make it a point higher?

Feedback:

• What is one thing I could do differently as your manager?
• Is there anything you are not getting feedback on but wish you were?
• What feedback do you have for the team or company?

Strategy and Alignment:

• Do you feel clear on priorities? Where is it murky?
• Are you spending time on the right things?
• What would you stop doing if you could?

Relationship and Trust:

• Is there anything you have been wanting to bring up but have not?
• Do you feel you have enough autonomy?
• How can I better support you?

GATE: Present template for review and customization.

Phase 3: Running the Meeting

Guidelines for effective 1:1 execution.

Before the Meeting

• Both parties add topics to a shared document 24 hours before
• Review notes from the last 1:1 — follow up on previous action items
• Come prepared to listen, not just to update

During the Meeting

• Start with their agenda, not yours
• Listen to ratio: aim for them talking 70%, you talking 30%
• Take notes on commitments and follow-ups
• If they say "everything is fine" — dig deeper with specific questions
• Address difficult topics early, not in the last 2 minutes

After the Meeting

• Summarize action items in the shared document within 1 hour
• Follow through on your commitments before the next 1:1
• If a sensitive topic came up, check in via message within 48 hours

Shared Document Structure

## 1:1 Running Document: [Manager] + [Team Member]

### [Date]
**Their updates:**
**Priorities:**
**Growth topic:**
**Action items:**

### [Previous Date]
...

Phase 4: Evolve

Adapt the 1:1 format as the relationship matures.

Cadence Adjustments

• New team member (first 90 days): Weekly 1:1s, 30-45 minutes
• Established relationship (90+ days): Weekly or biweekly, 30 minutes
• Senior/autonomous team member: Biweekly, 25 minutes
• During crisis or change: Return to weekly regardless of seniority

Quarterly Relationship Check

Every 3 months, ask:

1. "Are our 1:1s useful? What would make them better?"
2. "Is the cadence right?"
3. "Is there a topic we keep avoiding that we should address?"

1:1 Self-Audit

For the manager:

• Am I following through on commitments?
• Am I doing more listening than talking?
• Am I asking about growth, not just tasks?
• Am I canceling or rescheduling 1:1s too often?

Anti-Patterns

• Status update meetings — if the entire 1:1 is project updates, it is not a 1:1. Status updates belong in standups or async.
• Manager talks the whole time — this is their meeting. Your job is to ask, listen, and unblock.
• Canceling regularly — canceling 1:1s tells the team member their development is not a priority.
• Only talking when things go wrong — 1:1s should happen consistently, not just when there is a problem to address.
• Same questions every week — rotate questions. The same template every week becomes stale.

Recovery

• Team member says nothing is wrong (but something clearly is): Build trust over time. Ask specific questions: "How did the [specific project] go?" is better than "How are things?"
• 1:1s feel like a waste of time: The template is probably wrong or too rigid. Ask the team member what they would find useful and redesign together.
• User manages too many people for weekly 1:1s: Biweekly is the minimum. If that is not feasible, the team structure needs to change, not the 1:1 cadence.
• Team member is also the user's only report: 1:1s are still critical. Use them for alignment, development, and building the relationship that makes remote work function.
• Difficult feedback needs to be delivered: Do not wait for the 1:1. Address it sooner. But if it comes up in a 1:1, address it in the first 10 minutes, not the last 5.