1–on-1 with your manager will be more effective after reading this post
Recently, I read Chapter 1 of the book “The Manager’s Path” which describes the basics of being managed and what to expect from a manager.
I am going to share some of the things I learned from this book with you so that you can communicate more effectively with your manager.
Let’s gets started …
There are two kinds of managers
The manager who just leaves you alone entirely, and you, as an engineer, just kind of know what to work on. They never give you feedback, only to suddenly inform you that you’re not meeting expectations or are not qualified for promotion.
On the other hand, there are managers who genuinely want to help you succeed in your career. They teach you important skills, provide valuable feedback, help you navigate difficult situations, and figure out what you need to learn. Most importantly, they help you understand what is important to focus on and enable you to maintain that focus.
A good manager aspires to be a leader, rather than just a boss
They actively work to help you achieve your goals, but to achieve that, they need enough information from you to be able to assist you at each step.
There are certain expectations that you should have from your manager in terms of performance, and you should also strive to meet those expectations to stay on track and make progress.
One-on-one meetings (1–on-1) with your manager are an essential feature of a good working relationship.
# Lesson : 1
Be vocal with your manager, as your manager may be able to help you navigate through various difficult situations, whether they are technical or personal.
# Lesson : 2
You should expect some tasks to be performed by the manager because as you learn what to expect from the manager, you can start to ask what you need, such as expecting feedback after every project.
# Lesson : 3
1-on-1 serves two purposes. It creates a strong relationship between you & your manager, and it provides an opportunity to discuss whatever you want to discuss with your manager.
# Lesson : 4
Avoid conducting 1–on-1 meetings for status updates, instead inform them on Slack, Email, or other platforms. Because 1–on-1 as a status meeting is repetitive and probably boring at some point.
# Lesson : 5
Creating an agenda before a 1-on-1 meeting is essential.
You should expect your meeting to be scheduled at a defined time so that you can plan accordingly. It is not always your manager’s responsibility to prepare the 1-on-1 agenda; it's your responsibility, too. It is good for you to put a little thought into what you might actually want to discuss before your 1–on-1 meetings.
# Lesson : 6
Receiving behavioral feedback during a 1-on-1 meeting instead of waiting until the performance review cycle can help you identify bad habits sooner, allowing you to correct them more quickly
# Lesson : 7
Keep note / track of your good or bad feedback and use it when you write your self-review for the year.
# Lesson : 8
Asking for advice (not solutions) shows that you respect and trust your manager or peers.
# Lesson : 9
Being vocal is the fastest way to get an answer, instead of waiting for the manager to ask how you are experiencing work.
# Lesson : 10
If a manager gives you critical feedback in a 1-on-1 meeting, it does not necessarily mean that your behavior was terrible.
A good manager ensures that they deliver critical feedback early, instead of waiting for the performance cycle or for a convenient time to address the issue.
# Lesson : 11
If you want to get promoted, ask your manager where you can focus or what areas of improvement.
If you don’t ask for it, don’t expect them to just give you one magically
# Lesson : 12
Use your manager to discover where you are, and figure out yourself where you would like to go next.
# Lesson : 13
Take every feedback kindly, even if you don’t agree with it.
# Lesson : 14
Take responsibility for finding out what you need to know from your manager.
# Lesson : 15
If you have any difficulties while understanding and learning something, if you ask for guidance, he/she might help you find training and other resources to support your career growth.
It’s important to step in and ask for help whenever needed.
It is difficult to follow these expectations if your manager does not regularly meet with you, or cancels a meeting because of availability issues. You may not want to do 1–on-1 regularly, or you may only need them every few weeks. That’s OK, as long as you don’t eliminate them completely. Use them as you require them, and if you find that you want to meet more frequently, ask your manager for that.
Some example questions that you can add to your 1:1 agenda
- Do you see me improving? If not, what should be my areas of improvement?
- What should I focus on to get promoted?
- Was I able to achieve the feedback that you gave me the last time?
- What should I stop doing? And Why?
- Are there responsibilities I can take over to grow in my career?
- What things am I doing well that I should continue doing?
- Are there any gaps in my current project delivery workflow steps?
Reference: “The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth” by Camille Fournier
Thank you for taking the time to read the post until the end. Your attention and interest are greatly appreciated.
Please 👏🏻 if you like this post. It will motivate me to continue creating high-quality content like this one.
Support Me
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post! If you found it valuable, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share the post on Twitter and LinkedIn, etc. Your support in spreading the word about my content means a lot to me. Thank you again!
Follow me
I hope you found this post helpful. If you want to stay up-to-date with my latest work, be sure to follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and GitHub.
