How to do 1-on-1s (so that both profit from it)

One on ones are short, regular meetings between a manager and her direct. Here are the few things you need in each and every instance of it so both sides profit from it:

• Meet often, keep each meeting short: Topics and sentiments do not pile up if you talk frequently and single meetings don't get overloaded or too off-topic
• Understand each other better: Use the regular meeting to also get a better rapport with each other, actively ask about nuisances and challenges and also share positive developments - both within work and beyond
• Prepare your agenda: Both sides must have written their topics on the agenda before the 1-on-1
• Use your agenda: Make sure that all topics on the list get discussed or mutually postponed so not a single topic dominates the
• Capture decisions and action points: Have written documentation of what you decided upon and which todos both of you agreed on

A more in depth 1:1 could contain one or many of the following topics:

• Catching up
• How’s life?
• Concerns / Issues
• Getting advice on how to handle
• Feedback
• Observations about work-style preferences
• Career Development
• What we’d both like to learn in our current roles
• Takeaways / Next Steps

Here is an example for the minimum quality one-on-one:

# 21-09-04 1-1 Martin and Michael

## Agenda

- Michael: Discuss AB test on new feature and decide on roll-out
- Michael: Discuss input from customer support and what to do with it
- Martin: Agree on next steps for development plan for Michael

## Decision Log

- ✅ Decision: Michael will roll out asap as AB test shows 1.5% uplift on main KPI
- ✅ Decision: Collect all customer suppport feedback centrally and discuss in all-hands
- ✅ Todo: Michael answers the self-evaluation sheet for product managers

## Action Items

- @Michael: Prepare research for next quarter
- @Martin: Clarify decision-making process with management

And finally a Markdown template that you can just copy to prepare your 1:1

# YY-MM-DD 1-1 Person1 <> Person 2

## Agenda

### Recurring
- Catching up
- How’s life?
- Follow up on action items from last 1:1
- Concerns / Issues
- Getting advice on how to handle
- Feedback
- Observations about work-style preferences
- Career Development
- What we’d both like to learn in our current roles
- Takeaways / Next Steps

### One time topics
- Person1: Topic in full sentence 

## Decision Log

- ✅ Decision: 

## Action Items

- @Person1 will do this till then