what to talk in a one on one with manager

In a perfect world, one-on-one meetings would be a dedicated space for managers and direct reports to discuss performance, personal evolution and feedback. Let's be real, though: a lot of the time, these meetings plow into routine status updates—zero more. In fact, co-ordinate to the 2019 State of ane-on-ones study, 54% of managers admitted that one of the main purposes of these meetings was to get a status update from their direct reports.

Two ways to avoid status updates during one-on-ones are to:

Gear up a goal for your meeting. This volition assistance influence the types of conversations had and the types of questions asked.
Ask questions that become across "work" and project updates.

"One-on-ones are such an important time to build trust and that's tough to exercise if this time is treated as a status update."
-Connor Bradley, Managing director of Growth at Jobber

Managers and employees alike struggle with what questions to ask in a one-on-one meeting, how to phrase them so you're opening upwardly the chat and how to prompt the hard conversations that we tend to avoid.

Below are 121 tried and true (by real managers and employees) questions to add to your adjacent one-on-ane meeting:

Ane-on-one questions managers can inquire employees

Questions near growth and development
Questions to help better communication
Questions well-nigh employee motivation
Questions to address challenges, roadblocks and concerns
Questions for getting feedback from your directly written report

1-on-one questions employees can ask managers

Questions about career growth and personal development
Questions about priorities, productivity and strategy
Questions about communication and feedback
Questions around visitor civilization and motivation
Questions around supporting your manager and managing upward

Bonus! Ice breakers and "get to know yous" questions

Managers and employees should share ownership of the agenda

We are strong believers that i-on-ones should exist treated as an employee's fourth dimension with you lot, the manager. However, yous're even so every bit responsible for participating and contributing to the conversation, pre, during and post-meeting.

Sharing responsibleness is a swell way to build trust between both parties. However, it'due south of import to recall that one-on-ones are made to help the directly report. Although you may share ownership of this fourth dimension, you need to let your direct written report atomic number 82 the conversation, always.

There are several means to go about this, so find a structure that works best for you lot and each straight report. Here are a few you can try out:

The x/10/x model

"Our structure is typically the ten/10/10 model: 10 minutes for the straight to speak what is on their heed outset, then ten minutes for my items, then x minutes 'for the time to come,' discussing what specific action items there might be from the conversation to make sure we follow upwardly on."

-James Carr, Director of Engineering at Reify Health (Prev. Zapier)

The completely hands-off model

"The agenda is set by the team member, then it tends to vary with what's on their mind or where they need back up or feedback. One time per quarter, withal, the calendar is pre-set. During this quarterly check-in, we take a career session to discuss progression and give more 'formal' feedback on the current quarter'due south operation. As our functioning reviews take place every six months, this is an important check-in."

-Lorena Scott, Chief People Officer of Caseware (Prev. Ritual)

The "set meeting guidelines and let them run with it" model

"I have a basic guideline that my reports use as a starting bespeak. But once more, this is their meeting – and so they adapt the agenda based on what they need to talk near."

-Bronwyn Smith, Head of Merchant Feel at Shopify (Prev. Influitive)

The "If we have fourth dimension for my items nosotros'll talk virtually them" model

"I maintain a listing of topics to cover too (some are time-sensitive, some are non), but if we don't have time for my topics in our 1:1, then I'll follow upwardly on those things afterward."

-Paula Segal, Head of Consumer Product at SeatGeek

If you're not sure where to commencement, check out these one-on-one meeting templates to help inspire your adjacent conversation.

What exercise yous talk about in 1-on-one meetings?

We strongly believe that conversations need to focus on four primal areas: Growth, motivation, communication and piece of work, with each topic taking up roughly 25% of your coming together conversations. We call this the balance framework:

🚀

Growth
What projects would y'all similar to work on or exist more involved in?

💪

Motivation
What's 1 affair that should alter to make you happier at work?

💬

Communication
Where has our communication faltered? Can yous requite me an example?

📝

Work
What, if anything, feels harder than it should be in your day-to-twenty-four hour period work?

Growth

These conversations circumduct effectually your direct report's personal and professional growth and development. According to Gallup, when employees have consistent performance feedback, they go emotionally and psychologically attached to their work and workplace.

Motivation

Motivation-focused conversations can be proactive, where yous're motivating your direct reports on an ongoing basis. This happens over time equally you build a deeper understanding of what makes them happy, gets them excited and makes them frustrated. They could likewise exist treated as a pulse-bank check, where you're request for more of a snapshot into how they're feeling currently.

Communication

These types of conversations tin open up possibilities for improving how you lot communicate, whether it's one-on-i or as a squad. Advice-focused topics revolve around how information is being passed from ane individual to the other, retrieve feedback, meetings, tech-stack, remote advice and so, so much more. How does your direct report similar to receive feedback? Is it presented verbally or written out?

Work

Work-focused conversations can easily monopolize 1-on-ones, turning them into condition updates. To avoid this, focus on things similar eliminating roadblocks, improving processes or discussing team strategies.

Pro tip: Hypercontext meeting insights recommends resources and questions you can ask to have more balanced conversations based on your historical one-on-one coming together information.

One-on-one questions managers can enquire employees

Questions about growth and development

What has been the work highlight/lowlight from the past week?
Who'south someone in the visitor that yous'd similar to learn more from?
What projects would you similar to work on or be more involved in?
What professional person goals would yous like to accomplish in the side by side 6 to 12 months, and what makes you lot say that?
What's something you're itching to try that y'all haven't had the time or resource to practise?
Is your task what you expected when you accustomed it? If non, where has it differed?
What other roles at [your visitor] do you find interesting? What skills exercise those roles require that you would similar to piece of work on?
What else can I be doing to help progress your career?
What are your work and not-work highlights of the past month?
What'due south one matter y'all'd like to do more of, outside of work this coming month?

"What is a big, adventurous goal that you'd similar to achieve this quarter?" Whether information technology's personal or for piece of work, I beloved this question because I similar to recollect that I am helping make large ✨✨ dreams come truthful.
– Anita Chauhan, Partial CMO

Questions to help improve advice

What's one thing we tin do to improve the performance of the team?
Are yous happy with our level of communication? How would you lot change it?
What's summit of mind right now that we haven't talked nigh yet?
If you were managing the squad, what would you lot do differently?
Who is doing a great job on the team? What have they washed?
Am I acting similar the all-time director you could wish for? What could I be doing better?
When's the best fourth dimension to give feedback on your work?
Where has our advice faltered? Can you give me an example?
Is there anything that would exist productive for me to re-explain to our team?
Am I providing enough clarity on our management?
Where would you like me involved more than in your day to day? Where would you like me involved less?
What needs to change around our team meetings?
What do yous like about our ane-on-one meetings? What tin can be improved?
Are there any roles on the team that you lot feel unclear on?
What are your top priorities this week?
What's a problem we take on our team that I might not know virtually?
What tin I hold you lot accountable for next time we talk?
How could we meliorate cross-functional collaboration at [your visitor]?

1:1 Question: What's on your listen this calendar week?

Questions near employee motivation

If you were the CEO, what'south the first thing you'd modify?
What's one matter we could change about work for you that would improve your personal life?
What'due south something yous're proud of that happened this week? This month?
What are you passionate well-nigh, personally or professionally?
Who on our team deserves a shoutout for their work and why?
What do you wish I did less of? More of?
What's something past managers take done that's inspired and motivated you lot?
What's something past managers take done that's actually frustrated you?
What does an platonic, productive workday look like to yous? Walk me through it.
What makes you excited and motivated to piece of work on a project?
Are you happy in your office? What could make it better for you?
On a scale of ane-ten, how happy are yous at work?
What's your least favorite part of your twenty-four hours-to-twenty-four hours at work?
What'due south one thing y'all would recommend to meliorate our workplace culture?
Practise y'all notice your physical work environment productive? Is in that location anything preventing you from existence productive?
Are you lot proud of the work you do here?
How practice you feel near the balance between your private work vs. managing?
How do y'all feel your piece of work/life balance is? What would you want to change, if anything?
Are in that location whatsoever goals we have on a company, team or individual level that you experience are entirely unattainable? If so, why?
What's the best affair about working here?
How are you feeling virtually your goals?
Which 1 all-time describes yous during the past month? 😀 🙂 😐 🤔 😒 😳 😰 😤

ane:1 Question: How are yous feeling on a scale from i-10?

Questions to address challenges, roadblocks and concerns

What'due south one thing I tin can do right now to make piece of work better for you?
Where do yous demand help?
Practice you have whatever questions nigh what other squad members are working on?
What do you need? What could make your day-to-day easier?
If you were a hiring manager for our team, what role would be your next hire?
What's something you'd like to share but is a piddling stressful to bring up in person?
What'south your outlook on next week?
Practise you have whatever questions that, if answered, would assistance you in your twenty-four hours-to-24-hour interval?
What are you least clear virtually, in terms of our company-wide strategy and goals?
Do I accept annihilation outstanding for yous that I oasis't done nonetheless?
What, if annihilation, is stressing you lot out?
What, if anything, feels harder than it should be in your day to solar day work?

Think about your roadblocks and consider which of the post-obit would be most helpful for you overcoming them:

one. Fourth dimension
two. Grooming
3. Tools

It tin can be a mix, simply oftentimes one of those is the core outcome.

– Brendan Hufford, GROWTH CONTENT MARKETER AT Agile Entrada

Questions for getting feedback from your direct report

What do you like about my management way? What do you dislike?
On a calibration of 1-10, how has my level of support/presence been over the past calendar month?
Where practice you need support right at present?
Where practice y'all think I should be focusing more than of my attending?
What is i thing I could experiment with doing differently this month?
Am I giving yous enough feedback on your work?
What is everyone around me neglecting to share with me?
If I could improve one skill between this meeting and the next, which would y'all cull?
What's everyone around me NOT telling me?
What "soft skills" do you think I excel at nearly? What tin I work on?

i:ane Question: Where exercise you need support correct at present?

Desire more? Try out our Coming together Question Suggestor bot!

How employees tin bulldoze the i-on-one conversation

Prepare expectations with your manager

If you're entering a one-on-one as the direct report, it'due south important to remind non only yourself but your manager that this is your fourth dimension with them. Permit them know that you're both every bit responsible for adding items to the meeting agenda and coming prepared to hash out.

Calculation a coming together description, whether information technology's in your agenda invite or shared agenda, is a smashing way to hold one some other accountable for taking ownership of the coming together. Don't forget to include the purpose of the meeting in your description likewise.

Here's an instance of ane betwixt one of my direct reports and I:

Be in the correct mindset to drive the meeting

Care for this as a dedicated time to talk near anything you lot want to (with respect to your manager'southward time, of course). If at that place are roadblocks that y'all're facing, add them to the agenda leading up to the coming together. If you lot feel like you lot're deserving of a enhance, beginning that conversation. Utilize this time of undivided attention to allow you to actually succeed and striking the ground running between this and the adjacent i-on-1.

Remember that your manager is non a mind reader, so use this fourth dimension to permit them know how you feel about the work you lot're doing, the work you want to do and how you'd like to progress within the organisation.

If you're unsure about how to even start these conversations, bank check out some of these questions below to get things going.

One-on-one questions employees can ask managers

Questions nearly career growth and personal development

What steps can I accept correct at present to progress my career with the company?
If I could improve 1 skill betwixt this meeting and next, which would you choose?
Where practice y'all come across my role evolving in the next 6 months and 1 year?
What mentorship opportunities are there available for me?
How can I improve my skills? What can I be reading? Where can I exist taking classes?
What learning and development opportunities are in that location inside and outside of the company?
What's a skill you think I can learn that volition help me do a amend chore?
What skills practice y'all think our team is lacking?
How can I help railroad train and back up others in the team and visitor?
Who in the company do you lot remember I can learn the virtually from?
Who are your mentors? Who inspires you?

Questions virtually priorities, productivity and strategy

What can I exercise to aid improve the performance of the team?
Who on the team needs assistance? How can I support them meliorate?
How are nosotros progressing on our goals as a team?
What's the adjacent office you're thinking of hiring for our team?
How can we improve the way our team works together?
Where practice you think I should be focusing more than of my attention?
What do yous wish I took more ownership over?
What big changes are coming down the pipe in the next 6 months?
If there were unlimited upkeep and resource, what's the first thing you'd change for our team?
What's something you wish we did better every bit a team?
What's something we practice well as a team?
What are we doing to make ourselves stand out from our competitors?
What'south worrying senior leadership right now?

Questions about communication and feedback

What'south something y'all feel unclear about on my piece of work?
Is my work quality in a higher place or beneath average?
How am I doing with [this specific thing]?
When's the best time to get feedback on my work?
What exercise yous wish I did less of? More than of?
Practice you experience similar I'm a squad actor?
How do you lot define a successful one-on-one, a successful team meeting?
Do you call back I contribute enough in team meetings?
What "soft skills" practice y'all think I excel at almost? What can I work on?
What's an example of a situation I've handled well internally, a situation I've handled poorly?
Where do you think my communication tin can be improved?
What is anybody around me neglecting to share with me?
Am I giving enough feedback to my peers?

Questions around company culture and motivation

How tin I get more involved in workplace culture?
What qualities are almost of import when you're hiring for our team?
Are in that location any aspects of our civilisation you wish y'all could change?
What do you do to avoid burnout?
After a failure, what do you do to option yourself upward over again?

Questions effectually supporting your manager and managing up

How can I better support you?
What'due south worrying you most?
What are your biggest challenges leading the team?
What are y'all nearly excited about in your day-to-day?
What's your biggest challenge as a people leader?
Is there anything I can do more than or less of that would help you?

1:1 Question: What are you lot excited most correct now?

Bonus! Icebreakers and "getting to know you lot" questions

How are you?
What's something yous're actually jazzed about exterior of work?
How was your weekend?
What's something, outside of piece of work, that you lot're looking forward to this week?
What's one cuisine you could alive without?
What's your favorite eatery in our urban center?
What's the almost random job you've ever had?

I-on-ones create an open up dialogue between managers and their direct reports. The questions above have been shared past existent managers and employees who inquire these questions as often as every week in their one-on-ane meetings.

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Source: https://hypercontext.com/blog/meetings/121-questions-for-one-on-one-meetings