6 Questions that you need to ask in a One on One

Engagement at workplace has become one of the most important aspects for growing an organization in the right manner and to retain good talent. It’s a focus area for all companies — big and small. The reason is simple –a happy employee who is aligned with the organization’s vision is not only productive but invaluable to every aspect of the company.

But what is the secret sauce to this problem?

I see most organizations confuse employee engagement with employee entertainment. In the race to retain talent, they end up focussing on providing state of the art entertainment consoles, swanky buildings with lounge like cafeterias, break-out time, fun activities etc.

But in all this circus, they lose the focus on the ‘employee’. Employee engagement is about focusing on the needs, wishes and growth of your employee. While I am sure that the things mentioned above make the work place very attractive, if this is only what the company focuses on, then it will be a short-lived attraction.

Organizations often don’t even know that there is a problem of disengagement, so solving for the problem doesn’t even make it to the list of essentials. One way to ensure that you are connected with the ground realities is to establish regular One on Ones as the cornerstone practice, with emphasis on the word ‘regular’.

Regular one on ones help leads to understand the pulse of their team. But more often than not, leads can fall into the trap of making it a one-sided conversation where they are only telling their team members about the problem areas, improvements and what is expected off them. They do little to understand how happy or dissatisfied the team member is.

So just doing 1:1s is not enough. Success lies in asking the right questions that are empathetic, inquiring and non-judgemental.

Here are some of the questions from our FeedbackSocially platform that help us to make our one on ones the pulse detector.

How is work nowadays? Is it exciting enough or would you like to suggest some improvements?

This is the best conversation starter because work is something that both you and your team member care about. By starting the conversation with the team member’s outlook about the work they do, sends the message that this discussion is for their benefit and not a monologue. It gets you in the zone where you can expect suggestions, ideas and insights. It doesn’t matter whether people give a positive or negative response — what matters is you get to see the overall work satisfaction quotient.

You could also ask about the workplace on the whole. It will give you a chance to look into your management practices. After analysis, you can act accordingly — altering leadership roles or changing recruitment strategies wherever necessary.

How are things in the team?

Your team member’s equation with the team is very important factor in their contentment with the job. Often people leave because of a bad team culture. This question will surface any hiccups that might have occurred over a period of time. It will give them a chance to voice concerns that they may have hesitated to share in an open platform. An employee who shares a spirit of camaraderie with their team members, trusts them and feels comfortable asking for help and giving a help hand when required, will be a happy one with the feeling of ‘we are in this together’. And they will always be willing to go the extra mile for each other.

How is it working with me?

Have you been torturing your team to work ‘some’ extra hours for that release? Have you been asking them to miss their vacation- just one last time? Have you been a ‘little’ rude in the meetings? Did you overlook their hard-work as ‘expected’ and did not appreciate them for it?

If your split personality was micromanaging, well, this is your chance to wash away your sins. Even if you had asked all this in the greater good of the delivery, you need to understand that as a leader, it is your responsibility to sail with the team together, not command through a horsewhip.

So ask this question with full humility and acceptance of criticism. Don’t get defensive or try to justify your point at the onset. Make is safe for them by letting them speak. This will get you to the point of the good, the bad and the ugly. When done, then offer to share your reasons where you think there were other considerations. Most importantly, don’t hesitate from apologizing. Even if you were justified, being rude would have been bad. So just promise to correct — it will win you respect!

How is your Learning and Development plan coming along?

Everyone in your organization has some aspirations. As a leader, it is your responsibility to help them achieve those by guiding them through the challenges.

If you have a learning and development process, check with your employees on a monthly basis. Sometimes, with tight deadlines, people find it difficult to work on their personal goals. Motivate them, ask their concerns and offer your help. Being vested in your employee’s growth will let them know that you value them as individual and care about their growth.

How well do you think you are progressing on your career path?

At the end of the day, an employee wants to move on a certain career path. This question gives them a chance to retrospect and challenge themselves. If in any quarter, an employee has not performed well, this questions acts as a reminder to set some career goals.

Would you like to share some accomplishments you have had since the last time we met?

If you’re one of those with a good heart but poor memory, this is the perfect time to remember and appreciate the accomplishments of your team member. Needless to say that appreciation is very crucial to employee motivation. So this question allows you to regard the hard work that was done. It also gives a chance to your team member to introspect and understand for themselves if there was something they achieved and if not, then they need to work harder next time.

Although, there can be a plethora of questions that one could ask, we suggest asking only the most relevant and ones that help to create a safe place. Because, let’s accept it, who wants to fill yet another form which has no meaning.