How to Conduct Effective 1-on-1s

4 min readOct 10, 2024

By Doug Ramirez

One-on-ones (O3s) are one of the most valuable tools for any manager. They provide a dedicated time to connect with team members, track progress, and identify potential issues before they become roadblocks. But in order to maximize their value, a structured approach is essential. In this article, I’ll share a methodology that has served me well over the years, helping foster growth, transparency, and team alignment.

Why Structure Matters in 1-on-1s

A well-structured O3 can achieve multiple goals:

Set time aside for reflection on work and its broader impact.
Enable early intervention on issues affecting performance.
Offer a regular cadence for performance feedback.
Provide an opportunity to ask for specific support or tasks.
Focus on the employee’s quality of life (QoL) and overall satisfaction.

These conversations are an invaluable opportunity for team growth — both for the individual and the organization. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Key Principles of Successful 1-on-1s

Before diving into the format, it’s important to understand the principles that make O3s effective:

Consistency is key: O3s should never be canceled, and their regularity must be respected.
Follow the structure: The format should be adhered to each time to ensure consistency.
Ask the hard questions: Managers need to ask difficult, open-ended questions, listen actively, and take notes.
Create a safe space: Employees must feel comfortable providing feedback and even criticism.

With these principles in place, O3s become a powerful tool for communication, feedback, and alignment.

A Proven Format for 1-on-1s

Here’s the template I use for weekly O3s. I prepare by copying this template into my notes app before each meeting and reviewing the previous week’s notes to ensure continuity and accountability.

Wins and Frustrations

Wins: I start by asking the employee to share their recent wins. This breaks the ice and sets a positive tone. It’s also a moment to connect their achievements with the larger picture, whether it’s a project milestone, an OKR, or a strategic company goal.

Frustrations: I then ask about their frustrations. This is a space for them to share anything holding them back — whether work-related or personal. Focusing on these issues early helps to quickly address pain points.

This step ensures the employee has time to reflect on their work and its impact.

Questions About Work

Next, I check their understanding of success and current work priorities:

Do you know what success looks like with your current workload?
What’s preventing you from achieving success?
What can be done to achieve success better or faster?

These questions create an opportunity to intervene early if the employee is unclear about goals or obstacles. If they can’t articulate success, it’s an indication I need to step in and clarify.

Goals

I like to ask employees to explain the current quarterly OKRs to someone else on the team. This ensures that they not only understand the goals but can communicate them clearly. It’s a simple and effective way to measure alignment.

This section provides clarity and alignment, helping me address any gaps early on.

Feedback

Feedback is at the core of continuous improvement. This part of the O3 serves as a mini-performance review:

Feedback for the employee: I provide honest and actionable insights on their recent performance.
Feedback for me: I ask for feedback on my own performance as a manager.

Receiving feedback can be difficult, so I often give a heads-up a day or two before the O3, encouraging the employee to prepare their thoughts. It typically takes several sessions before employees feel comfortable providing candid feedback.

When offering feedback, I rely on the SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) framework:

Situation: Describe the context.
Behavior: What was the employee’s behavior?
Impact: What was the outcome of that behavior?

This format helps eliminate surprises and ensures frequent reviews of performance.

Essentials

The essentials section focuses on accountability:

What can I hold you accountable for next time we talk?
What can I be accountable for next time?

By giving the employee an explicit opportunity to request help or make a specific ask, we both take responsibility for progress. This formalizes task delegation and ensures mutual support.

Quality of Life (QoL)

Finally, I close each O3 with a discussion about the employee’s overall well-being:

How is your work-life balance?
How is life outside of work?
Any thoughts on your career path and development?
How would you describe your relationship with the company?

These questions are crucial to understanding the employee’s quality of life and relationship with the organization. It’s important to listen deeply here, as QoL has a significant impact on long-term retention and satisfaction.

For further inspiration, here are two great resources for questions to ask during O3s:

Conclusion

By maintaining a structured format for O3s, managers can foster stronger relationships with their team members, provide timely feedback, and address potential issues early. It’s a simple but highly effective way to ensure alignment, support individual growth, and improve team performance. As managers, we must approach O3s with intention, empathy, and accountability.

With this methodology, your O3s will become a cornerstone of successful team management, helping employees not only meet but exceed their potential.