Weekly 1:1 Agenda Template
As Alan Henry, author of Seen, Heard, and Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized, told Charter earlier this year, the purpose of the 1:1 is to communicate to reports, “Hey, I'm here, I'm here for you. I'm here to help you. And we're all busy, but I am willing to carve out time for you because you're important. And you're not just important to the company—you're important to me and my success, just as much as I hope I'm important to your success.”
Your weekly 1:1s should be protected, dedicated time with your direct report. Don’t cancel, and stay present throughout the meeting. Co-create a weekly agenda, adding to the weekly agenda in a shared document, like on Google Docs or Notion, ahead of each meeting.
Suggested Agenda:
- How are you doing?
- Goal: build trust and nurture a personal relationship.
- Questions to ask: How has your week been? What is on your mind?
- Wins
- Goal: Recognize team member for their contributions, generate positivity.
- Questions to ask: What win was most exciting for you this week?
- Projects and initiatives
- Goals: Identify faster paths to success, ensure progress and coaching on initiatives that they own.
- Questions to ask:
- What are some updates around the initiatives/projects that you are leading or working on?
- What challenges have you faced this week? How can I help you with them? Is there anything that you’re worried about?
- Management asks
- Goals: Create trust and transparency, make your team member feel supported.
- Questions to ask: Anything coming up for you that I should know about (e.g. PTO, caregiving needs shifting, conference you want to attend, etc.)? How can I best support you right now?