5 signs to know that you are taking an effective one-on-one

Make your employee engagement program more effective

Delivering feedback to team members is among a manager’s most important tasks. But how do you make sure that the feedback that you gave was an effective one?

You can look out for these phrases and trust yourself that you conducted an effective one-on-one:

“I had a productive Quarter/month”

This should get you jumping on your feet. If your employee feels that she had a productive quarter, then it’s a moment to rejoice and celebrate. Give the credit to your people and processes which helped her gain that milestone. The regular personal conversations, the transparent process and the freedom to express concerns- all of this motivated her to work hard and prove herself.

“I have some suggestions”

The agenda of your one-on-one should not only stick to reviewing the performance, but it should bring out some suggestions as well. If you hear this phrase from your employee, then you are doing it all right. Give yourself a pat on the back. This implies that people care for the organization and they want to bring a change. As a manager, you should let the conversation flow. Note it down if you want; you might remember it as one of the best one-on-ones.

“I would want to change this policy”

Not everything in your organization would work as you expect. That’s why you would need suggestions and feedback from people who form the part of your organization. It is those people who get directly affected with any changes in the policy. So if you hear this phrase from your employees, it means that the one-on-ones have been helping them better than ever. It’s giving them a platform where they can talk about the management style, the good & the bad, and an honest feedback specific to certain function.

“I want to groom myself into <x> role”

Quite often, employers oversee the aspirations of their employees. The reason- lack of effective communication between leaders and team. How many times do you ask your team about their strengths, the challenges that they face or the support that they need.

Acknowledging the feelings of your employees, for example “I want to explore more in my domain. I want to gain more technical exposure.” Very often, employees leave their organization because they were forced to do something which didn’t excite them anymore.

This is where one-on-ones offer a great help. The FeedbackSocially tool not only helps managers, but it also helps employees to devise an action plan. So if you hear this phrase from an employee, consider yourself in the safe zone. Hear out the concerns and then act upon it, swiftly.

By showing your concern and respect toward their feelings, you will be able to build a stronger relationship.

“I have identified the biggest challenges that hinder my work”

This one is the most treasured thing that you will ever hear. So take a snapshot and put it on your wall. Identifying the challenges is the first leg of winning. It’s like wrapping up your weaknesses together and removing those bottlenecks. If your employee comes out in open with this phrase- be sure that you offer the right help. Ask her if she wants more coaching or any training to be more effective. Ask her if she would like a change in her mentorship.

How do you, as an organisation, decide that you have conducted an effective one-on-one?