Maximize Your One-to-One Meetings: Agenda Template and Questions for Success [free download]
Do one-to-one meetings (1-1s) feel like a box to check at your organization? Folks spend 30 minutes on status reports, answer a few questions, and then lose focus. What if, instead, your managers used these meetings to boost team member engagement?
The secret is structure!
Without a plan, 1-1s drift into aimless chats or glorified status updates. However, with a solid template and some key questions, these meetings can greatly enhance communication, performance management, and employee engagement.
Before we get into how to conduct effective 1-1 meetings and share some proven tactics and tools, let’s take a look at the big picture.
What is a one-to-one meeting – and why does it matter?
One-on-one meetings are a crucial tool. These regular chats between managers and direct reports (think 30-60 minutes each week) are a space for coaching, giving and getting feedback, and problem-solving.
1-1 meetings help managers:
Keep a pulse on employees’ well-being and experience.
Identify career and professional development goals and opportunities.
Build trusting and productive relationships.
Most importantly, 1-1s help leaders understand what motivates their team. Think of them as a gauge for team member engagement – and an opportunity to boost it! Engaged employees are invested in their work and willing to go the extra mile.
5 ways to boost employee engagement in 1-1’s
From our years of studying and observing thousands of managers and teams, we learned the best one-to-ones focus on the person, not just tasks.
In our Effective 1-1s workshop, we teach managers to use what we call the CAMPS Model, a simple framework to help folks remember five brain cravings that, when satisfied, boost employee engagement. CAMPS stands for: Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social Inclusion.
Here's how to use CAMPS in 1-1s to boost engagement:
#1 – Help them feel a sense of certainty.
People want to feel secure, particularly during change. Consistent meetings build trust, especially when you create the agenda together (more on that later). Here’s how to boost certainty with 1-1s:
Schedule meetings for the same time each week, and don’t cancel!
Take notes and follow up.
Align on goals and priorities – clarity on MITs (most important things) is essential for high performance and engagement.
#2 – Help them feel autonomy in their work.
Studies show autonomy boosts engagement. Managers can use 1-1s to find the right balance between support and micromanagement.
Need to offer more guidance? Provide training or feedback.
Want to give folks more freedom? Ask for their input and let them choose how they tackle tasks.
#3 – Help them see meaning in their work.
People lose interest quickly when they don't understand why they're doing something. One-to-ones can connect employees’ work to the company's, team’s, or even each individual’s mission. Managers can use 1-1s to discuss:
The company and team mission.
How each person's role contributes to the bigger picture.
#4 – Help them recognize & increase their progress.
Progress is a powerful motivator. Start each meeting by asking team members to share small wins – or what went well – over the last week. This helps folks recognize their achievements and keeps them fired up.
One-on-ones are also great for discussing personal development goals and tracking progress.
Managers can:
Ritualize feedback, including skills-based feedback.
Help create individual development plans (IDPs) and check in at each 1-1 to extract lessons and plan the next steps.
#5 – Help them satisfy the need for social inclusion.
Humans crave connection. Managers can use 1-1s to satisfy this need for social inclusion by:
Making time for small talk (especially if remote).
Helping people build networks.
Checking in on team dynamics (so important during change!).
The CAMPS Check.
Encourage managers to use one-on-ones to assess each team member's CAMPS score (a rating on a scale of 1-10 for each area) and identify opportunities for improvement.
For example, if someone feels isolated (low social inclusion score), help them connect with others. If they are unclear about expectations (low certainty score), provide clarity and support.
How do you structure a one-on-one meeting?
Shared ownership, shared success.
One-to-one meetings are a two-way street. Both managers and team members contribute agenda items, and both must prepare for a productive discussion. Here’s how to make these chats a win-win.
For managers:
Craft a clear agenda with discussion points and goals. Leave room for your direct report’s input.
Embrace coaching and support your direct report on any issues they bring up. Rather than defaulting to advice-giving and problem-solving, go into ‘question mode.’ Get our favorite coaching questions using the SOON framework (Success, Obstacles, Options, Next Steps), and check out our Coaching Skills workshop.
Prepare feedback to help your direct reports grow and adapt. Make constructive feedback receivable, actionable, and balanced for the best results.
For team members:
Align your goals with the team and the company's objectives. Be ready to discuss progress and set new targets.
Come prepared with a filled-in agenda and ready to discuss professional development goals.
Take advantage of this one-to-one time dedicated to personal growth and career goals.
Pro Tip: Make sure team members know these meetings are for their growth and development, not just status updates! Encourage them to come prepared with a filled-in agenda to maximize their time.
Building the 1:1 meeting framework.
Wondering how do you organize a 1-1 meeting? Here’s a quick framework:
Before the meeting
Pre-meeting prep: Both parties should prep beforehand. Set an agenda, review past discussions, and pinpoint key talking points.
During the meeting
Start strong: Build rapport with small talk and acknowledge recent wins.
Flow with the plan: Cover all agenda items while keeping the conversation natural. Discuss progress, challenges, and development opportunities.
Actionable outcomes: Wrap up each topic with clear next steps, assigning ownership and deadlines.
After the meeting
Recap and preview: Summarize action items and briefly discuss potential topics for the next meeting. Thank each other for the time.
The best 1-1 meeting template (free download)
Ready to take 1-1s to the next level at your org? Get our free downloadable template with everything leaders need for successful one-on-ones. It includes:
A sample agenda.
Powerful prompts to spark discussion.
A CAMPS check-in to gauge team members’ needs.
Download it for free and transform your one-on-ones into meetings that drive engagement and performance!
Get the most out of your 1-1s with our free template:
Stay on track: Set goals for any timeframe (quarter, month, week) and use them to monitor progress and identify areas for support.
Start strong: Encourage team members to pre-fill the "small wins" section to maximize meeting time and celebrate their achievements.
Align and coach: Clearly define the MITs for the week. Use this opportunity to provide guidance and ensure everyone's on the same page.
Check in on well-being: The CAMPS check helps identify team members’ emotional needs and opens the door for meaningful conversations. Ask direct reports to score their CAMPS levels for each meeting.
Clear roadblocks: Direct reports can bring up any areas where they’re stuck or want input. This is where managers’ coaching skills really come into play.
Fuel continuous growth: Reflect on development goals, exchange feedback, and set the next small step forward.
Bonus! Spark deeper conversations: Use our optional stretch questions to push the discussion beyond the routine and explore new ideas. See our top 5 below and download our sample questions bank for more!
Pro Tip: Be sure to keep detailed 1-1 meeting notes and records for smooth performance reviews!
What are good questions to ask employees in one-on-one meetings?
Our top 5 ‘stretch questions.’
Managers can use what we call stretch questions to engage team members in deeper conversations. These questions allow leaders to:
Better understand direct reports’ goals and motivators.
Drive strategic thinking.
Increase organizational awareness.
BONUS: Asking stretch questions helps managers get better at their jobs. By engaging with their team regularly, they learn everyone's strengths and weaknesses. This lets them give the right kind of support to each person, which makes the whole team stronger and helps the manager become a better leader.
Here are a few of our favorite questions to ask in 1-1s:
When do you feel you are at your best, and what conditions create it?
What are your long-term goals?
What skills and/or knowledge do you want to develop?
How do you go about prioritizing your work?
What could I do, as your manager, to make your work easier or support you better?
Download our full Sample Questions Bank now.
