How to conduct meaningful one-on-one meetings with direct reports

One-on-ones are most important meeting in manager's calendar. Schedule: weekly for 30-60 minutes, same time each week, rarely canceled or rescheduled. Consistency signals: you're priority, time is valued, relationship matters. Frequent cancellations teach: you're low priority, manager is too busy, don't bring important topics. Protect this time fiercely. Other meetings can flex; these shouldn't. Regularity builds trust and openness.

This is their meeting, not yours. Ask: "What do you want to discuss?" Start with their priorities, not yours. Typical topics: progress on goals, blockers they're facing, career development, feedback, team dynamics. Your additions come second. Employee-driven agenda ensures: discussing what matters to them, surfacing issues you don't see, building ownership. Manager-dominated 1-on-1s become status updates. Employee-led meetings drive development.

Don't use 1-on-1s for project updates—use Slack or stand-ups. Instead discuss: how they're thinking about problems, what skills they're building, where they want to grow, how they're handling challenges. Ask coaching questions: "What options have you considered?" "What would success look like?" "What's the hardest part?" Coaching develops capability. Status reports don't. Time is too valuable to waste on information that could be asynchronous.

Regular 1-on-1s are perfect for feedback—both positive and developmental. Give examples: "In yesterday's meeting, when you..., it had X impact." Praise specifically: what they did well, why it mattered, how it helped. Address concerns early: behaviors to change, impact you're seeing, support you can provide. Annual reviews shouldn't contain surprises. Feedback works best when: timely, specific, focused on behavior not character. Regular small course corrections beat annual big ones.

People stay where they see growth. Regularly discuss: skills they want to develop, experiences they need, career direction they're exploring, opportunities to stretch. Ask: "Where do you want to be in 2-3 years? What would help you get there?" Create development plans with specific actions. Show investment in their future, not just current role performance. Ambitious people need growth path. Clear development conversations are retention tool.

Best 1-on-1s include vulnerability and truth. Encourage: sharing concerns, admitting struggles, challenging your thinking, giving upward feedback. Model: acknowledging your mistakes, asking for their input, accepting criticism gracefully. Psychological safety enables: surfacing problems early, honest feedback both directions, authentic relationship. Hierarchical posturing creates theater. Mutual respect creates partnership. The quality of conversation matters more than quantity of topics covered.

Track: action items for you, action items for them, development goals, topics to revisit. Follow through on commitments you make. Check in on their commitments. Inconsistent follow-through teaches: commitments don't matter, manager doesn't remember, why bother raising issues. Reliable follow-up shows: you're listening, their priorities matter, accountability goes both ways. Simple notes prevent dropped balls and demonstrate care.