One On One

---
name: one-on-one
description: >
  Structure and run effective 1:1 meetings with direct reports using Camille
  Fournier's Manager's Path and Andy Grove's High Output Management frameworks.
  Use when a manager says "help me structure my 1:1s", "my 1:1s feel like status
  updates", "I don't know what to talk about in 1:1s", "my reports don't open up",
  "how do I make 1:1s useful", "what questions should I ask in 1:1s", or "I need
  a 1:1 template". Also trigger when someone mentions their 1:1s feel transactional,
  that they keep canceling them, or that they're not sure if their report is happy.
---

## Overview

Based on **"The Manager's Path"** by Camille Fournier and **"High Output Management"** by Andy Grove. Grove's core insight: the 1:1 is the employee's meeting, not the manager's. Its purpose is to surface information the manager would not otherwise get - problems, morale, blockers, aspirations. Fournier adds the career dimension: the 1:1 is where you build the relationship that makes all other conversations (feedback, promotion, hard decisions) possible. A 1:1 that is purely a status update is a wasted hour.

## The 1:1 Operating Model

**Frequency:** Weekly for new reports (first 3-6 months), every 2 weeks for established reports. Never less than monthly. Canceling 1:1s signals they are not a priority - the report reads that signal.

**Length:** 30 minutes minimum. 45-60 minutes for complex situations, career conversations, or performance discussions.

**Owner:** The report owns the agenda. The manager owns the follow-through. If the report comes with nothing, that is information - either they don't understand the purpose of 1:1s, or they don't feel safe raising things.

**Format:** Running shared doc. Both parties add to it before the meeting. History is visible - follow-ups don't fall through gaps.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Set Up the 1:1 Doc

Create a shared doc with this structure:

```
1:1 - [Manager] + [Report]
Cadence: [weekly / biweekly]

[Date]
Report agenda:
  -

Manager agenda:
  -

Follow-ups from last time:
  -

Notes:
```

Tell your report explicitly: "This is your meeting. Add whatever is on your mind before we meet. I'll add anything I need to cover, but your items come first."

### Step 2: Open Questions (Use These to Start)

Do not open with project status. Open with one of these:

For general 1:1s:
- "What's on your mind this week?"
- "What's been hardest or most frustrating?"
- "What are you most excited about right now?"
- "Is there anything you're stuck on that I can help with?"
- "What's something you've noticed that I might not be aware of?"

For career-focused 1:1s (run quarterly):
- "Where do you want to be in 2 years? What does that look like for you?"
- "What parts of your work feel like your best work?"
- "What skills do you want to build this quarter?"
- "Is there a project or responsibility you want to take on?"

For struggling reports:
- "What would make your work feel easier or better?"
- "What's something I'm doing that isn't helping you?"
- "If you could change one thing about how we work together, what would it be?"

### Step 3: Four Topics to Cover Across 1:1s

Not every topic in every meeting. Rotate them based on what the report raises. Over a month, make sure all four get covered.

**1. Current work and blockers**
What are they working on, what's in the way, what decisions need to be made. This is the status-update layer - keep it brief. If there are no blockers, move on. Do not spend 30 minutes here.

**2. Team and relationships**
How is collaboration going? Are there interpersonal tensions? Are they getting what they need from teammates or stakeholders? This surfaces problems early before they become escalations.

**3. Growth and career**
What are they working toward? What feedback do they need? What's their next challenge? This is where you have the career conversation most managers avoid until review time.

**4. Your feedback and their feedback to you**
Deliver specific feedback (positive and corrective). Invite feedback on your own behavior: "What's something I could do differently that would help you?" This models the behavior you want.

### Step 4: Follow-Up Protocol

End every 1:1 with explicit follow-ups:

```
Follow-ups from this meeting:
  - [Report] will [specific action] by [date]
  - [Manager] will [specific action] by [date]
```

At the start of the next 1:1, review these before anything else. Skipped follow-ups tell the report their items aren't tracked. That trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild.

### Step 5: Signals to Watch For

These patterns in 1:1s indicate problems that need attention:

| Signal | What it means | Response |
|--------|---------------|----------|
| Report never has agenda items | Doesn't feel safe raising issues, or doesn't understand the purpose | Have a meta-conversation about what 1:1s are for |
| Conversation is always surface-level | Low psychological safety or disengagement | Ask one level deeper: "What's really going on?" |
| Report cancels repeatedly | Either very busy (check on workload) or disengaged from the relationship | Address directly, don't let it slide |
| Same problems come up every week | Systemic issue not being resolved | Stop treating the symptom - fix the root cause |
| Report mentions the team in passing | There may be an interpersonal issue they're not raising directly | Probe gently: "Tell me more about that" |

## Anti-Patterns

**1. 1:1 as status meeting**
Bad: Spending the 30 minutes walking through Jira tickets and project updates.
Good: You can read Jira. The 1:1 is for things that don't surface in writing - morale, friction, growth, what the person is actually thinking. Status belongs in standup, not 1:1.

**2. Manager dominating the agenda**
Bad: Coming with 10 things to cover and barely asking the report anything.
Good: The report's items come first. Always. Your items are secondary and can often be handled asynchronously.

**3. Canceling 1:1s**
Bad: Canceling when you're busy or have a conflict.
Good: Protect 1:1s more than almost any other meeting. Canceling signals that this person is low priority. If you must cancel, reschedule in the same week.

**4. No shared doc, no follow-ups**
Bad: Verbal conversation that disappears immediately.
Good: A running shared doc creates accountability, continuity, and a record. Without it, the same problems recur because nothing is tracked.

**5. Waiting for the performance review for career conversations**
Bad: Discussing growth and promotion only during the annual review cycle.
Good: Career conversations in 1:1s (quarterly minimum) mean no one is surprised by a promotion decision or performance rating. Build the relationship before you need it for hard conversations.

## Quality Checklist

- [ ] Report owns the agenda and added items before the meeting
- [ ] Meeting opened with a question, not a status request
- [ ] At least one of the four topic areas covered beyond current work
- [ ] Specific follow-ups written down with owners and dates
- [ ] Follow-ups from the previous meeting reviewed at the start
- [ ] No 1:1 canceled without same-week reschedule
- [ ] Feedback (positive or corrective) delivered at least once every 2 weeks