<ol><li>Results: it is entirely appropriate to include “Progress toward goals” as a standing agenda item in a 1:1. Just don't make the entire meeting about that.</li><li>Career development: Regular investment in growth and development helps everyone.</li><li>Feedback from the employee: The 1:1 is not the place for the manager to give feedback to the employee. </li></ol>

3 high leverage agenda items for your 1:1s

If there’s nothing to discuss, it’s ok to cancel. People, too often, view 1:1s as mandatory, but it’s refreshing when you both acknowledge that things are ok for now, or the time may be better spent other ways.

It's ok to cancel

It is a simple, symbolic practice that helps them feel ownership and autonomy for their work and their time. You’re saying, “You tell me what’s important,” and of course you can coach and guide them to help refine over time what’s important.

Let the employee own the agenda

Occasionally, go for a walk and have your 1:1. Occasionally, go get coffee. Go sit in the courtyard. Get lunch or breakfast or dinner. Most often, it’s probably easiest and most efficient to grab or schedule a room and get right into it. Every once in awhile, though, offer to change the setting, as a chance to interact with your team member more as a human being than as just the boss.

Change the setting sometimes

There are a lot of ways to think about holding one-on-one meetings (1:1s) with the people on your teams. Heck, here at Candor, Inc. we don't even fully agree on one exact prescription. We have a few tips below for thinking about how to have effective 1:1s.

Let the employee own the agenda

Similar ideas to Let the employee own the agenda

Progress Your Success Chart:

Questions to Assess the Emotional Intelligence of a Candidate

The Eisenhower Matrix