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Regular 1:1 meetings (over the virtual world of internet-driven video calls or physical face-to-face interactions) between managers and their reports are critical to making employees feel valued and supported. These meetings are the secret sauce of organizations that help people realize their potential, as managers get the chance to grow into coaches.
Your ability to coach your reports has a significant impact on team performance. You owe it to each of your team members to give them the time and attention they need to succeed in their roles, and one-to-one meetings are an excellent way to do so.
There’s more to 1:1 meetings than scheduling time and jumping on a video call or having purposeless discussions in cabins. These meetings must be designed purposefully to reap the benefits of this meeting structure.
This blog is for you, if you’re new to management or want some pointers on structuring your 1:1 meetings. Continue reading to explore the Top 10 1:1 meeting templates that can increase employee engagement and prime your team for success.
The Art of a Fruitful 1-on-1 Meeting
Do it well, and one-on-one meetings may become a favorite among your employees. When great managers provide employees with a safe space to express themselves, wonders can result that can lead to increased productivity. You will be amazed at the talking points your team members bring to the table. It's a method for fostering trust, rapport, and employee engagement.
These 1-on-1 meetings, as opposed to the stereotypical performance review (which has a bad reputation), help employees feel valued and supported.
Gallup research explains that when applying for new jobs, 59% of millennials, who make up the majority of today’s workforce, prioritize opportunities to learn and grow.
The True Value of One-on-Ones
One-on-ones are part of a holistic management system that aims to enhance everyone’s experience to help achieve team goals. People often perceive an excellent work culture as a ‘perk’ — something nice to have rather than something inherently necessary.
The truth is that strong team culture is critical. You risk managing a toxic work environment if you don't have it. Toxic environments reduce productivity, increase errors, and lower morale. While team culture may appear to be created through team activities, you may be surprised to learn that team culture starts with the individual.
Discover your team’s pain points and how you can create an environment where everyone can thrive. Keep in mind that a rising tide lifts all boats.
Building a culture where employees are proud to work begins with one-on-one meetings.
Let’s look at how do you build this priceless skill/culture in you and your team members through our best-in-class presentation templates for one-on-one meetings.
The 1:1 Meeting Templates You'd Kill For
First 1:1 Meeting Template
What do you talk about in your first meeting with a team member to lay the groundwork for a productive working relationship? Instead of sharing historical context about the team or company, use this meeting to learn how your new report prefers to work. Get to know who they are outside of the office and what success means to them:
- What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
- What mode of communication do you prefer? (telephone, email, or Slack)
- What time of day do you work best?
- What types of projects excite you the most?
- What are your one-year, three-year, and five-year career goals?
- What does success look like in 30 days for you?
Weekly 1:1 Meeting Template
Half of the managers, globally, hold weekly one-on-one meetings. This means that your agenda will inevitably be a one-liner as no in-depth discussions can be held every week. Use the following questions to start discussions:
- What was the high point and low point of your week?
- How are you doing this week on your goals? Are there any roadblocks I can help you get rid of?
- What, if anything, in your day-to-day work, feels more difficult than it should?
- Which one thing can I do to assist you better?
- How satisfied are you with your work-life balance on a scale of 1-10? What can the organization do to get closer to ten?
Monthly 1-on-1 Meeting Template
With a larger team of direct reports, your one-on-ones might be monthly instead of weekly or bi-weekly. If that’s the case, make sure you are using other communication tools to stay informed. Here’s an agenda to keep the conversation focused and is not just reduced to another status update:
- What were your work and non-work highlights this past month?
- How are you tracking your goals? How do you feel about the numbers/statistics?
- What, if anything, feels harder than it should be in your day-to-day work?
- How have you felt about my level of presence/support over the past month?
- What is one thing I could experiment with this month to help you be more productive?
Remote 1-on-1 Meeting Template
Managers with remote direct reports face different challenges than on-site direct reports. They frequently coordinate different time zones and use additional technology to make their meetings more efficient. This 1-1 meeting template is designed to engage remote workers who do not have the benefit of water-cooler chats or peer lunches:
- How is everything going?
- What are you passionate about outside of work?
- What have you been up to this week?
- What was the work highlight/lowlight from the previous week?
- What are your plans for the coming week?
- Where do you require assistance?
- Are you satisfied with our communication?
- What's on your mind right now that we haven't discussed?
Skip Level 1:1 Meeting Template
One-on-one meetings that do not involve a level of management are typically held monthly or quarterly. The purpose of the meeting is not to get employees to slam their boss, but to share information about larger company objectives with the employee, get a pulse on how engaged the employee is, and collect feedback. Here are four topics to cover in a skip level one-on-one:
- In terms of our strategy and goals, what are you the least certain about?
- What professional goals do you hope to achieve over the next year, and why?
- Are you satisfied with your job? What could improve things for you?
- What should we start, stop, and continue doing as a company?
Quarterly Performance Review 1:1 Meeting Template
Every company's quarterly reviews are unique. Some emphasize self-evaluations and peer feedback, while others underline goals and objectives. This template combines performance feedback with goals to spark a thorough discussion on:
- Review of self-evaluation and peer feedback
- Performance concerning goals
- Victories, strengths, and opportunities for growth and development
- Improvement opportunities
- Questions, concerns, and clarification
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) Goal Setting 1-on-1 Meeting
Depending on your goal-setting framework, if you’re using OKRs, your team must enter each quarter with a clear understanding of objectives (and how they ladder up to the team and company-wide goals). Planning the quarter with each team member also gives them a stronger sense of ownership. Who wouldn't want that?
Here are five items to include in this meeting:
- OKR review for the previous quarter: Where did we succeed? Where did we falter? What did we discover?
- What are your top three goals for the next quarter? What key events must occur to achieve these objectives?
- What resources, tools, and budget do you need?
- What could happen in the coming quarter to prevent you from meeting your targets?
Peer-to-Peer 1:1 Meeting Template
Peer-to-peer one-on-ones bring together two individuals who do not report to each other (cross-functional jobs or within the same department). The purpose of this meeting is to create channels for feedback and collaboration that are not within an individual’s direct team or from a top-down direction. Cross-functional peer-to-peer meetings can also be effective in breaking down silos and opening up communication channels. Add the following four items to your agenda for this meeting to be truly effective:
- What is the one thing I can do to help you out?
- What is the most difficult challenge you and your team are facing?
- What can my team or I do to improve interdepartmental communication?
- What is scheduled over the next three months that I should be aware of?
Salary Review Meeting Template
While this isn't a traditional one-on-one meeting, and there isn’t a set cadence, you must bring some structure to this meeting (if not for yourself, then for your direct report). Salary discussions can be beneficial, but they can also demotivate employees. Whatever kind of news you’re sharing with your direct report, the following five items will help you prepare better:
- A summary of the company's compensation philosophy
- The revision
- The specifics
- How does that update make you feel?
- Preparing Questions?
Bonus 1:1 Meeting Template
Here is SlideTeam’s handpicked company meeting template that is a must-have for every business owner.
The Takeaway
One-on-One meeting agenda templates are a fantastic source of ideas. However, your agendas must evolve as you continue to hold one-on-one meetings. For an extra boost of motivation, here are the top FAQs on 1:1 meetings.
FAQs on 1-on-1 Meeting
How do you structure a 1-on-1 meeting?
Here are the critical steps to structuring a one-on-one meeting:
- Check-in queries (five minutes)
- Call-back inquiries (five minutes)
- Items on the main agenda (15 minutes)
- Achievements (two to three minutes)
- Expectations/goals (two minutes)
How does a manager prepare for a 1 on 1?
Getting Ready for a Meeting with Your Boss in pointers:
- Prepare an agenda
- Follow-up on previous one-on-one topics
- Be open and honest about your current projects.
- Consider professional development.
- Expect questions; some of them could be tough or make you uncomfortable
What do you say in the first meeting with a new team?
Show them the type of team culture you want to create. Explain the value of collaborative intelligence in the workplace and lead by example by paying attention to others, asking questions, and being open to feedback during the meeting. Bring a positive attitude and enthusiasm for the work you're about to do.
What is the purpose of a 1 on 1 meeting?
A 1:1 meeting is a regular check-in between two people in an organization (often a manager and an employee). It is used to provide feedback, keep everyone informed, resolve issues and help participants grow. Each of these outcomes is a major achievement in itself, and reams of stuff can be written on how to do a world-class job on these parameters. Providing feedback is the most underrated of managerial skills, and it can be miraculous if one of your business managers has it. Once this priceless skill is mastered, please make sure that you tap it well.
Download the free 1 on 1 Meeting Product Template PDF.
