Surveys have shown that 48 percent of managers consistently hold weekly one-on-one sessions. These gatherings are designed to establish rapport with staff members and offer them practical assistance.

Even if it may be challenging to begin, there is a way to organize successful one-on-one sessions. By preparing to ask the right 1 on 1 meeting questions and creating an effective template, you’ll be able to make your meetings easier and ensure that your employees leave them feeling motivated and prepared to perform their duties successfully.

In this post, we’re talking about the importance of 1-on-1 meetings and sharing different types of questions you can ask in your next session.

Why You Need To Have One-on-One Meetings

There are a lot of reasons why you should have regular one-on-one meetings. First and foremost, these meetings create clear and effective communication between employees and managers. In regular meetings, you can get real-time status updates on key projects, provide and receive constructive feedback, talk about career growth, conduct performance reviews, gauge employee satisfaction, use coaching to improve employee performance and career development, motivate employees, etc. 

Both managers and employees benefit from one on one meetings. Here are some of the most important ones:

• It contributes to the development of manager-employee trust. Managers are able to create strong working relationships with employees by having regular talks. Teams are stronger and people feel safer when there is mutual trust amongst coworkers. Over time, you can discover that your connection grows more open and trustworthy.
• It can raise your staff’s productivity and effectiveness. Research by Gallup has shown that regular team meetings increase employee engagement by three times, and increased employee engagement levels lead to better performance and increased productivity.
• It can assist managers in enhancing their coaching and leadership abilities. Coaching and mentoring abilities are increasing in demand. Managers should have the skill of actively listening to their team members while also offering direction and feedback. Managers can better assist employee performance by becoming better coaches.

Questions You Should Ask in Every One-on-One Meeting

While having one-on-one meetings with your staff has numerous advantages, if you don’t prepare well for the encounter, it could have the opposite effect. A meeting that is disorganized and has awkward pauses will only make your employee uneasy and lead to more serious consequences down the line.

Every manager should come into meetings with employees prepared with an actual action plan, whether this means using specific questions in a one on one meeting template or simply outlining the main points to cover. Below are 32 questions any manager can use to improve one on one meetings, which we have divided into four different categories.

1 on 1 Meeting Questions to Help Break the Ice

Starting off on the right foot is crucial to having an effective meeting. Here are some conversation starters that will help you establish rapport, put your staff at ease, and foster an environment for open dialogue: 

• How’s your family doing?
• How are you feeling these days?
• What do you like doing outside of work?
• How was your weekend/holiday?

1 on 1 Meeting Questions About Employees’ Needs

Creating a sense of value for each employee in a one on one meeting should be one of your main objectives. The following questions can assist in ensuring that you are meeting your employees’ needs as they work to meet those of the business and helping them fulfill their career aspirations:

• What is on your mind this week?
• How’s everything going today?
• How are you finding your current task/assignment?
• Are you happy with your current role?
• What are your priorities and plans this week?
• How can I support you this week?
• Is there anything at work impacting your happiness or well-being?
• Are you satisfied with your work-life balance?
• Is there any additional training you would like to pursue?
• Where do you see yourself with the organization in three years?

1 on 1 Meeting Questions About Work

Your meeting’s main focus should be a discussion of the work and employees’ current projects. Of course, the particulars of your one-on-one sessions will be determined by the employee’s job position and present tasks, but the following questions are great options to take into consideration:

• Do you feel you are getting enough clear directions?
• How can I make your job easier?
• What is your biggest challenge related to the current project/your job position?
• On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you with your current position and duties?
• Are there any daily tasks that you feel are no longer necessary?
• What’s your biggest frustration with your job?
• What is your main cause for concern around the office?
• Do you get along well with the rest of the team?
• Who do you enjoy collaborating with most?
• How can the morale around the office be improved?
• How is your career progressing towards meeting your professional goals?
• What do you feel is holding you back from achieving your career goals?
• Do you feel like you are making a positive contribution to the company with your work?
• Have you considered another job opportunity recently?
• Would you be interested in working remotely part-time?
• What part of the organization would you be interested to learn more about?

Questions to Conclude Your One-on-One Meeting

By concluding your one-on-one session with an actionable question, the feedback loop is kept open. Here are a few examples:

• Is there anything we did not cover in this meeting that you would like to discuss next time?
• Is there anything I can help you with between this and the next meeting?
• What are you committing to between this and the next meeting?

How to Prepare for Your One-on-One Meetings 

Think about these one-on-one meeting tips as you get ready for your weekly meetings to make sure you and your staff are set up for success.

Establish a recurring schedule. The effectiveness of one-on-one meetings depends on their regularity. For some managers, this entails holding weekly meetings, whereas for others once a month will be enough. If something unexpected prevents you from holding the meeting, do your best to reschedule it instead of canceling. 

Try to keep things informal and relaxed. Despite the fact that planning ahead can be very helpful, try not to overthink the meeting. Your job as a manager is to support and coach while making sure that your team members are the major topic of discussion. The conversation should include subjects that are on both parties’ minds right now. To help keep things informal, you could have coffee, go on a walking meeting, or meet for lunch. 

Maintain flexibility. Every one-on-one meeting agenda should be cooperative. Employees should be encouraged to speak up about a variety of topics. Common examples include feedback, career goals, recognition, and professional aspirations, just to name a few.

Tips on How to Ask Questions During a One-on-One Meeting

Because there is a natural power imbalance, one-on-ones can be frightening for many employees. It’s crucial to keep in mind that your one-on-one conversation is not an interrogation or an interview when you ask questions. Here are some suggestions to assist you to set the tone for a laid-back environment and an opportunity to forge positive relationships.

Pay attention to your tone. Your tone and overall energy will have an influence on how people respond and what they decide to say or not to say.

Consider facial expressions and body language. You may be able to deduce how an employee feels about a certain question if they are avoiding eye contact or fidgeting with something on their desk. This also applies to you; try to maintain an open, relaxed posture.

Ask open-ended questions instead of questions with a clear correct answer or yes-or-no questions. An open-ended inquiry like, “How can I help you?” can be answered in so many various ways that it provides your employee the chance to let you know what’s important.

Don’t forget to ask about their personal life. You will be better able to support your employees if you know whether they are dealing with any personal difficulties that are affecting their careers.

Bottom Line: The Importance of Asking The Right One-on-One Meeting Questions 

The whole point of one-on-one meetings is to have open conversations and build strong employee-manager relationships. One-on-ones provide privacy and allow both the employee and the management to be more open and direct with one another in a safe environment. At the same time, they give both parties a chance to address any issues without suffering any negative consequences.

All things considered, 1-on-1 meetings will almost always result in higher levels of employee engagement, satisfaction, motivation, and retention.

The post The Ultimate Guide For One-on-One Meetings: How to Ask The Right Questions appeared first on Focus.

In that regard, if you’re a manager or a company owner who frequently carries out these types of meetings, creating a well-thought-out agenda for each session can assist you in getting the most out of 1:1s. 

In our latest blog post, we’ll define what a 1 on 1 meeting agenda is and clarify how to develop one. We’ll elaborate on how having a one on one meeting template could significantly improve your efforts to conduct proper meetings with your employees and achieve superior employee engagement within your company.

Defining One On One Meeting Agendas

A one-on-one meeting program or agenda can be defined as a scheme or plan of the topics or critical matters you want to discuss during the session, which essentially should be a scheduled and thoughtful eye-to-eye conversation between the employee and manager. In such meetings, it’s usual to address various subject matters, including ideas, concerns, job satisfaction, and personal or career development goals or issues. 

Therefore, having a well-thought-out agenda helps ensure that both the manager and the employee stick to the most critical talking points while maintaining a smooth and friendly, yet productive meeting flow and structure. In the end, since there’s a limited amount of time during the meeting to cover all subjects, planning the one-on-one meeting helps maximize the available time of both parties as well.  

Photo by Amy Hirschi from Unsplash

Typically, the manager is the one that creates the 1 on 1 meeting agenda, but it’s also not unusual for the worker to contribute or even suggest their personal agenda for the session. 

And just like all agendas for official sessions, each 1 on 1 meeting agenda must revolve around a focal theme or objective of discussion. For instance, if the superintendent desires to evaluate a recent hire’s acclimatization to the organization, their one on one meeting template for the agenda needs to be focused on questions and topics about learning opportunities and relationship building. 

Other parts usually included on a one on one meeting template are: 

• The employee. 
• Time and date. The time and date when the event will take place should also be included in all one on one meeting templates as it is a vital reminder the manager and the employee both check prior to the actual meeting.
• The meeting’s location. The meeting’s location is commonly within the office space for more formal one-on-ones, but regular meetings can also occur externally, in public areas or the nearest coffee shop. 
• Agenda items. Finally, the agenda action items are basically the subjects that need to be talked over and often come with highly specifying or detailed notes.

How To Create A Highly Effective 1 On 1 Meeting Agenda 

Prepare The Doc 

Each 1 on 1 meeting agenda is an actual document that all parties can see and adjust. For that reason, it’s essential to set up the doc so that the vital details and information on it are straightforward to understand and identify. 

Of course, having a proper one on one meeting template will make things easier and quicker to organize the agenda, but your doc would also benefit from a general brief with the name of the employee, the time and location of the meeting, and the objective of the one-on-one. The remaining part of the doc should be devoted to the items you want to discuss with the employee.

Time, Date, And Location 

The prevalence of your one-on-one meetings largely depends on your team’s requirements, their availability, the team culture in your company, and your management style. For that reason, it’s essential to factor all of this information in when looking for a dedicated time for the team meeting that works fine for both parties. 

Ask the other participant for any available time slots in their schedule and tailor the location to their personality. Just remember to discuss these points with the other person instead of strictly pulling rank and deciding on a place and time yourself.

Photo by Maranda Vandergriff from Unsplash

Determine The Meeting’s Objective 

In the end, the meeting’s goal is the mainframe that gives the much-needed shape or structure to the one-on-one meeting. And although these meetings are primarily informal, having a centered discussion may help the employee remember and internalize the main points that need to be addressed. The objective can be no more than a couple of main key topics or questions on which you’d like to concentrate most of the time, like doing the annual performance reviews, for example. 

Set The 1 On 1 Meeting Agenda Points

These points are essentially the subjects you want to talk over with the employee. However, it’s not always necessary for all points to relate to the main subject of the meeting directly. The meetings usually begin in a casual manner with a quick call back to the former session and then slowly move on to the new main subject or subjects. To create a highly effective one-on-one agenda, consider using the following flow: 

• A quick check-in. The opening check-in questions shouldn’t always relate to work. They are meant to help the worker feel as comfortable as possible when they enter the meeting. Consider asking them about their private life or other known employee development activities, such as their hobby or a recent vacation. 
• The call-back. Input a note or two on the discussed main points for these questions. 
• The main agenda items. These items relate to the objective or address vital facets of the employee’s recent work, progress, morale, eventual concerns, and working environment relationships.
• Achievements. Talk about various instances the worker showed their strengths or other work-related successes. For example, it’s a great idea to incorporate real examples of your employees’ achievements into the agendas, which would help strengthen their morale. 
• Long-term goals and expectations. Most one-on-one meetings usually conclude with a short conversation of what you’d like the worker to achieve or do by the next meeting.

Share An Employee’s Copy Of The Agenda 

Once you’ve filled out your agenda, print out a copy and pass it on to the employee. You can leave out any particulars from the copy version that you’d like to save for the one-on-one meeting itself if you want to. 

Make sure to at least cover the most important header information, the call-back questions, and the primary agenda items. Providing a copy of the agenda will allow the employee to get ready for the meeting and help you conduct a more productive session.

Creating Your One On One Meeting Template 

Once you start having more of these meetings, you’ll realize that using almost-ready one-on-one meeting templates will undoubtedly make your life easier and help you better prepare for the one-on-ones you wish to organize. Luckily, Focus’s objectives and key results goal-setting software comes with an integrated one-on-one meeting feature with various simple templates to help your workforce grow and develop stronger organization-wide positive relationships with people. 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

As you compose your agendas according to your company’s current goals, you can easily adjust these one-on-one meeting agenda templates to suit your company’s needs. Here’s what your basic 1 on 1 meeting agenda template should look like and what it should include:

One on one meeting with: [Employee’s name and credentials]

Date: [Date of the one-on-one meeting]

Time: [Your estimated start time and end time of the meeting]

Location: [The location where the meeting is about to take place] 

Objective: [The primary point or line of questioning you want to talk about]  

Check-in questions: [Approximate duration]

• [Ice-breaking or introductory questions]

Call-back questions: [Approximate duration]

• [Questions that follow up on the previous one-on-one meeting]

Primary agenda items: [Approximate duration]

• [Objective-relevant question 1]
• [Objective-relevant question 2]
• [Objective-relevant question 3]

Achievements: [Approximate duration]

• [Acknowledge a particular success, skill, or achievement]

Goals and expectations: [Approximate duration]

• [One or two professional career goals or objectives to achieve by the time of the next one-on-one meeting or some other future meetings.]

Final Thoughts: The Importance Of One On One Meeting Templates

Now that you know the things you should cover in your one-on-one meetings, it might be the perfect time to start using them to conduct a productive conversation with your employees. 

Entering each meeting with a ready-to-use one on one meeting template and only filling in specific discussion points, meeting questions, data, or feedback you’re willing to share with each employee will ensure that each one-on-one conversation you have is tailored exclusively for the other participant. Make sure you use this powerful tool to its maximum capacity.  

The post A Guide To Creating An Effective One On One Meeting Template And Agenda appeared first on Focus.