Having regular one-on-one meetings with your direct reports is a great way to keep your finger on the pulse of your business and your staff. This is good not just to find out what happening on the business side of things, but to also get a glimpse on how the people side of your business is doing at a personal level. When done right, regular one-on-one meetings help boost morale and overall performance of your team.
Doing it right is key. There are many "right" ways of doing one-on-one meetings. Today, I'll share a structure I've been using for a few years now. When I use this structure, I find that people are more positive, more appreciative, and the meetings turnout to be more productive than standard "Update-What's-Broken" structure.
Here are the questions I ask during my one-on-one meetings:
1. How are you?
This is a very simple, yet powerful statement. Don't ask about a project, a task, or anything work-related. Make this a personal statement. Ideally, you should already have a glimpse of the personal side of your direct reports -- Family, kids, school, hobbies, and interests. It's always good to start the meeting with something that personally motivates them. Being genuine is key. This will help nurture your personal relationship with your direct report.
2. What's doing well?
This is a work-related question. Here you're asking what part of the business your staff thinks is doing great. This question focuses on the "strengths" of your business. It reminds your staff that it's "not all bad" after all. It injects a dose of "positivity" and pride in the business you're running.
3. Who do you think is doing a particularly good job in the team?
This question promotes a peer-to-peer recognition type of response. It helps your direct reports appreciate each other more, instead of pointing fingers or putting blame at others. This creates a positive climate in your department and it promotes positive relationships among your staff. A productive team is not only consists of happy individuals, but also of individuals who are happy to work with each other. "Day in and day out." Like neighbors, they spend majority of the day with each other anyway. Make it a cordial experience for everyone.
Art Markman, author of several books like, "Smart Thinking," "Smart Change," and "Habits of Leadership," wrote an article saying that co-workers should be more like neighbors, not like family. That's the environment you'd like to have in your team. A team of good neighbors...everyone carrying their own weight.
If it's appropriate, acknowledge the person they gave the recognition to. It will make that person feel good and it will strengthen the relationship of those two individuals. "Hey, Melissa. Nathan said you were a great resource in creating his month-end report. Thanks for doing that."
4. Do you have the resources you need to do your job?
A good leader creates an environment where his team can be successful. To me, a leader is the "enabler-in-chief." It's our job to make sure that your team has what it needs to do their job, and to do it well. This can be in the form of equipment, technology, training, time, and even political. It could be an opportunity for you to remove some roadblocks that hinder your staff from doing their job. A good follow-up to this question is, "Is there anything I can do to help you?" This can turn into a humbling moment for you. Something you're not so well may come up. Be ready to accept feedback.
5. The "wrapping up" question.
"Is there anything else you would like to share? Do you have any concerns or questions? Anything that we haven't discussed that you would like to bring up?"
If this were a presentation, this would be the "questions" slide. Be sure to keep your tone friendly and welcoming. Whatever they want to share may not be something they're 100% comfortable in sharing yet. If it's an action item for you, good or bad, be sure to writ it down. This shows your staff that you will truly look into it and for obvious practical reason of not forgetting what it is.
Using this structure can help you promote positivity, a "good neighbor" environment, and a productive environment in your team. I recommend doing your one-on-one meetings regularly. The frequency may depend on the size of your team and the type of business you run. Whatever frequency you pick, weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, be consistent with it and be sure to do it with everyone in your team.
This is definitely not science. There are hundreds of other ways to conduct meaningful meetings. Please do share any tips you may have in the comments below.