At the end of a one-on-one do you find your team demoralized and dejected? You're doing it all wrong. Here's how you can conduct a meaningful 1-on-1 that will help your employees.
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Every manager needs to communicate regularly with his / her team in order to be effective. One great way of doing this is by conducting one-on-one meetings with members of your team. Most organizations have a regular 1-on-1 in place but often it is looked upon as a redundant or unhelpful practice.
Managers and employees complain about having to give up time every week/month in order to talk about project status and debriefs on client meetings when it could have been done via email or a brief phone call. Many employees also resent managers who treat this as an opportunity to delegate more work to them. Some managers are also guilty of conducting a one-way meeting, often focusing on their agenda and requirements rather than that of the employee's.
As such, one-on-one meetings have lost their meaning and impact. What used to be a wonderful opportunity for a manager and employee to collaborate, communicate freely and get to know each other better has evolved into a waste of everyone's time, energy and resources.
Fortunately, many leaders are waking up to the fact that conducting effective one-on-ones are necessary for increased collaboration, productivity and engagement. Here are some ways you can make one-on-ones with your employees more meaningful and impactful for them:
1) Make it a part of your routine/schedule
Your 1-on-1s should be scheduled on a weekly/fortnightly/monthly as per the requirement. Create time-blocks to meet with a certain number of employees in a day or over the course of a week.
2) Be committed and expect commitment
It isn't enough to schedule one-on-ones only to not follow through with it. You should avoid cancelling these meetings as much as possible. If you have no other option, cancel but be sure to reschedule as soon as possible. Likewise, you should convey to your team to take these discussions seriously. This will let them know to come prepared.
3) Be present
During the one-on-one, make sure you are fully present in the moment. Give your team member your undivided attention. Choose a quiet spot for the meeting and turn off your cell phone. Inform others to avoid disturbing you unless it's an emergency.
4) Let them take over the reins
Though you are the manager, during a one-on-one, you should take the backseat and let your team member take the wheel. Let them set the agenda. This will allow them to feel greater ownership for their work. You may however set guidelines before the meeting and also request for certain inputs after they have cleared their agenda. You can also ask them for the agenda prior to the meeting in order to get a chance to prepare yourself.
5) Get to know them better
Don't stick to business discussions always. Every few months, take time to talk about their career development and goals. You should also get to know them personally and establish greater rapport with them. For e.g. ask them about their plans for the weekend or what sport they enjoy playing.
6) Switch things up every once in a while
Don't think that one-on-ones are supposed to be held behind closed doors all the time. Invite your team member to take a walk around the office campus or grab a cup of coffee with you for the meeting.
7) Encourage feedback
Encourage your employees to share their feedback on the meeting and how they want to handle it better. Use the feedback to tailor the one-on-ones as per individual needs.
8) End things on a high
You should aim for your employees leaving the meeting with their heads held high and a smile on their face. At the end of the meeting, thank them for their hard work and praise them (if applicable) for their achievements. Let your team members know that you value them.
