People-Manager-Playbook - Flipbook - Page 38
Habit 3: Effective 1:1s
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Individual time with each team member gives you a glimpse into their
reality, and helps you understand their motivation and point of view.
You can listen to concerns and help people get through difocult times.
Having regular 1:1s gives you the insight and material to do your best
work as a people manager and to align the goals of your team to the
goals of Thomas. Here are some tips to help you run valuable 1:1s.
Schedule and commit to regular 1:1s
1:1s should happen weekly or at least
every 6 weeks. Check in on progress
and provide support where needed.
Check in more often during
challenging periods.
Think about preferences
Colleague view will help facilitate
valuable 1:1s through a greater
understanding of your team members9
communication, motivations and
working styles.
Be on time and 8be in the room9
The 1:1 is really not your time, it9s your
people9s time. Being late sets the wrong
tone. Constantly prioritising something
else 3 email, other meetings, etc.
suggests that this particular 1:1 meeting
is not as important to you.
Balanced agenda
Follow a 8people before business9
approach. Begin with 8how are you?9
to check in on wellbeing and personal
highs and lows. Discuss performance
and career development focusing
on progress and challenges,
working through barriers together.
Round the meeting off with clarity
on agreed actions and takeaways to
drive accountability.
Agile and growth mindset
Acknowledge that circumstances
change, and goals may need
adjustment. Encourage employees to
communicate challenges or changes
that affect their ability to achieve goals
or work collaboratively, and make
necessary adjustments.
Active listening
You learn a lot more by listening than
by talking. Therefore, it9s important that
your employee owns the agenda.
This practice helps them feel ownership
and autonomy for their work and time.
Guide them on what is important.
Celebrate progress and results
Acknowledge and celebrate
achievements and milestones
(8Shout-Outs9).
Give and receive feedback, agree
actions to build upon
Some of us may prefer to give feedback
immediately. 1:1s are ideal to share
thoughts (see habit 5 for tips).
Track conversations
Use the Goals - Conversations function
on Thom to track and capture progress
and learning between formal reviews
in July and December. This can drive
accountability and will help identify
challenge and gaps in performance.
