Three things to boost your 1:1 and get your manager's attention
Photo by Christian Dubovan on Unsplash
Whether you meet with your manager weekly or monthly, your 1:1 doesn’t always result in a value add conversation. Every month many hours are consumed between managers and employees without a focus or knowledge transfer. The 1:1 occurs, many words are spoken, and outside of operational discussions, the knowledge sharing is minimal.
When you factor in the time spent per year and the goal of continuous improvement, you must renew your focus on the time you spend with your manager.
A 1:1 is a collaboration meeting where the direct report primarily drives the agenda. Over the years of leading teams and discussing 1:1s with other leaders. I have observed there are three types of team member 1:1 styles. As well as identified three ways that you can leverage your time to maximise your learning and growth.
One. Growth focused. These direct reports come prepared and list items they want to discuss across various areas. They know your time is scarce, so they want to extract the greatest out of information from the conversation. They are usually the curious ones or the ambitious ones. They have observed and identified the things they want to learn and are ready to go.
Two. Reactive. These direct reports do not come prepared. They usually have an idea of providing an update on an essential item or a goal they are considering. Most of the conversation is driven in real-time without always focusing on one area.
Three. Check-in and updates. These direct reports don’t have an agenda and primarily utilise the 1:1 for updates on things they are working on. Their focus is more on role-based work, they produce consistent output, and they don’t have a broad lens, which is perfectly fine. They enjoy the interaction with you, and often that valued time is what they are after.
None of the three options is better than the others. It depends on where in the person’s career journey they are. If you fall into any categories and want to level up your 1:1s, then you find the following points useful.
One. Begin with the end in mind. It is the second habit from the book ‘The seven habits of highly effective people by Dr Stephen R. Covey. If you don’t have a goal or an outcome you are pursuing from the 1:1, the chances of having a learning 1:1 are low. Take the time to consider what you are trying to achieve in your role in the next three months. Set some specific goals or high-level goals, write them down and send them to your manager before the 1:1, ready for discussion. This will allow a discussion base focusing on the skills and knowledge you need to achieve those goals.
Two. Extract feedback. There are specific questions I wrote about in this article that can help. Avoid questions like “What feedback do you have for me?” and ask questions like “What should I continue doing that is working for you? Not working as well?”.
Additionally, consider that your manager is not micro-managing you. So, they can’t provide feedback on your output if they can’t see it. Consider sharing highlights of your work and invite their input. Secondly, talk to them about a situation or meeting you had and the results and impact of the meeting. The exposure to essential areas allows them to provide feedback as well as showcase the work you are doing in more detail.
Three. Be curious and open to learning something new. You often observe decisions or interactions but don’t take note of them. A 1:1 is also a real-time learning opportunity, so write down your observation or questions regarding a decision made and open up the discussion.
Another way to do this is to ask, “what’s something you have read or learnt recently and how does it help you in your role.?”. Exposure to new concepts will broaden your knowledge, which will help build your skills.
“Your curiosity is your growth point always.” Danielle LaPorte
In summary, these are just a few ideas that can be used to increase the value of your 1:1s. We all like the feeling of progress in our careers, so utilising any of your time more productively is vital. As a people leader, it’s a big part of the role to pass on knowledge, and this meeting is a great platform.
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not represent the views or opinions of my employer.