Asking These 10 Questions Will Improve Your 1:1 Meetings

The best managers know that 1:1 meetings, when done correctly, can unlock potential and improve performance for their team members. This is a valuable time for managers and their team members to develop their professional relationship. However, to make sure the meetings are not a waste of time, managers need to make their meetings structured, purposeful and efficient. 

There are tools you can use to set up an efficient 1:1 meeting, like Assembly’s 1:1 workflow where you can edit your 1:1 meeting template to suit your needs. Along with the right tool, you should also be asking the right questions to get the most out of your meetings. 

So here are ten questions (in no particular order) you should ask to make your one-on-one meetings productive and efficient for you and your team members.  

What are your top priorities (for the week)?

It’s good to get right to the point. Asking your team member about their top priorities can help you determine what they are focusing on. If your team member isn’t prioritizing their to-dos, then this can be an opportunity for you to help them. 

What are your short term and long term goals?

Employees who are actively involved by management in their professional development are four times more likely to be engaged. Follow-up this question with how you can help them achieve those goals. 

Is there anything you need help with?

We can all use a helping hand, but sometimes it’s not easy to ask for help. By initiating with this question not only do you make it easier to ask for help but also set yourself as a manager who is supportive and cooperative! 

How do you feel about the next three months?

This is a great question to get feedback on current and upcoming projects. It can also reveal how much the team member is in sync with the plans of the team. If they’re not sure what’s happening, it’s time to improve communication!  

How is life outside of work?

There is definitely more to life than work! This is an important but often neglected question to ask during 1:1 meetings. Show that you care about them as a person, not just an employee, by asking about their life outside of the office. 

What has been the work highlight/lowlight (this week)?

Learning about your team member’s wins and areas of opportunity can help you be a better, more engaged manager. This is also a great opportunity to offer recognition, feedback or suggestions, depending on their answer. 

What’s one thing we can do to improve the performance of the team?
This question will do two things: get feedback from your team member AND give them an opportunity to be involved. Asking for input like this will show that your a manager who listens and wants to make their team is set up to do their best work. 

Who is doing a great job on the team and what did they do? 

Employee recognition is one of the most important drivers of company culture and employee retention. As a leader, you can’t see everything that is going on but your team members can share team successes and help you better recognize good work. 

What do you like about our 1:1 meetings; what can be improved? 

Every person has their own style of communication, so it’s important that managers are adapting their 1:1 meetings towards their team members. The best way to do this is to simply ask them for their thoughts. 

How is my communication with you and the team? Can I improve? 

Communication is vital for any manager, and you want that communication to be open. Ask your team members for feedback to show that you’re a manager who listens and wants to improve. 

Make the Most of Your 1:1 Meetings

To make sure your 1:1 meetings are useful, productive and provides accountability you need the right tool. Assembly’s 1:1 workflow provides managers the ability to document goals and KPIs, create and edit talking points, collect feedback, and more. You can learn more about this workflow and how you can use it to improve your meetings here.