How to Lead Effective Employee One-on-ones: Tips, Conversation Starters & Sample Agenda

Good management takes practice. And according to recent studies, managers have gotten a little rusty. In a survey of 250 direct reports, almost half of employees rated their meetings as sub-par.

But persistence makes perfect and at Breezy, we’re determined to help our readers revive the one-on-one. 

Less official and more frequent than an employee performance review, one-on-ones are the perfect space to cultivate a healthy working relationship with your team. The following tips, sample questions, and checklists will help you master the art of the one-on-one!

6 best practices for effective employee one-on-ones

One-on-ones are recurring meetings where managers check in with their direct reports. These touchbases ensure everyone is on the same page, tracking team targets, personal development goals, and employee needs. But sadly, too many managers let these valuable talks slip by the wayside.

1. Stay consistent

Good managers know that one-to-one meetings aren’t an add-on to their jobs – they’re essential to it. But to make meetings a healthy workplace habit, you need to stay consistent. That means setting the right schedule and sticking to it.

The same frequency might not work for every employee. According to one organizational scientist, weekly meetings are better for junior employees and new hires, providing more opportunities for coaching and support. The same is true if you’re a new manager establishing relationships with your direct reports.

If you’re having trouble determining frequency with employees, take a page out of this Reddit user’s book.

“I ask my employees to schedule them (I give them a day and time window) so they own the literal calendar invite. If you can't make it, reschedule or we'll talk next week.”

Ace the follow-through with these tips:

• Don’t take on more direct reports than you can handle. One-on-ones should serve as a natural bottleneck-check for your team’s workload. If you don’t have time to meet with everyone regularly, you may have too many people or projects on your plate. 
• Don’t cancel. If you show up late or constantly cancel to accommodate other meetings, it can make your employees feel like you don’t respect their time. Even if you have to shorten the meeting time, stick to your commitments.

2. Switch up the setting

If you have a super busy schedule or just need a change of scenery, don’t be afraid to switch up the setting of your in-person one-on-one. Whether you schedule them over a comped lunch or couple them with an impromptu coffee run, getting out of the office and into the world can help take engagement up a notch.

“I found that when I quit thinking of them as meetings and began treating them as if I were having lunch or coffee with somebody I was eager to get to know better, they ended up yielding much better conversations,” explains director of content creation and marketing Brandi Neal on the Radical Candor podcast.

Keep things engaging with these tips:

• Double-check with your employees first. Before you meet at an outside location, make sure your team is comfortable with it. A sudden change of plans can make employees uncomfortable, so ask well ahead of time.
• Minimize distractions. Your one-on-one time should be just that – one on one. So turn off email alerts, put your phone on silent, and do your best to give your full, undivided attention.

3. Set an agenda

Productive meetings don’t just happen – they require careful preparation. That’s why setting an agenda is a must. From check-in questions to items that need to be followed up on, both manager and employee should create a list of agenda items for the one-on-one.

“My research shows that having [an agenda] is a strong predictor of the effectiveness of the meeting…Even more critical, though, is the employee’s involvement in the agenda’s creation,”  says organizational scientist Steven G. Rogelberg.

One of the easiest ways to manage your one-on-one meeting agenda is with a shared doc. Both parties can update the document in real-time, and refer back to it throughout the meeting. 

Keep your one-on-ones focused with the following tips:

• Don’t save employee concerns till the end. No one likes to feel like an afterthought, yet managers often organize one-on-ones around their own priorities rather than the employee’s real needs. Work through your direct report’s concerns first, then move to yours as time allows.
• Skip the filler. Not every meeting needs to take up the full calendar time – and that’s ok. If your agenda is looking light, don’t be afraid to end your one-on-one early.

4. Encourage open communication

During your one-on-one, strive to create a safe space for the employee to openly share feedback, ideas, and challenges. Start by making your direct report feel like a person – not just a worker. Kick off the meeting by asking about their weekend, their kid’s soccer game, their latest vacation…anything that makes them feel seen.

As you build rapport with your team members, they’re likely going to be more comfortable giving you constructive feedback. This is the ultimate goal of one-on-ones – a healthy dialogue that makes everyone better.

“As a manager, you should consciously cultivate radical candor, including honest, caring communication,” explains Georgy Cheremovsky, CEO and co-founder at Wunder Fund. “Employees should know they can surface concerns, critiques and suggestions without judgment. As a part of this, commit to addressing issues quickly and clearly.”

Open an honest line of communication with these tips:

• Ask for the bad and the good. Before you’ve established a real rapport, employees might not feel comfortable starting difficult conversations. Let your reports know you’re here for them by explicitly asking about what’s going on and how you can help.
• Go beyond project updates. One-on-ones are the one meeting that should never be an email. But if you’re just rehashing the same status updates you discussed over Slack, they can feel pointless. This is where strategic small talk, icebreakers, and the right conversation starters come in handy, helping you to get to know your team better. 

5. Don't give feedback

Save the deliverables and timeline talk for the team meetings. Preserve the one-on-one space for meaningful, employee-driven dialogue. One-on-ones are a chance for managers to get feedback from employees - not the other way around.

“Practice active listening,” leadership coach Jen Dary advises. “When your employee mentions a challenge they’re facing, for instance, repeat it back to them and say, ‘Did I get that right?’ This will show your employee that you’re present and force you to home in on the conversation at hand.”

Pay close attention to what your employees bring up on the meeting agenda. Ask thoughtful questions about their career goals. Use this time to hear them out, increase psychological safety, and work together to create a plan for progress.

Keep your focus on your people with these tips:

• Ask questions. Solicit feedback from your employees by asking them the right questions. If they say everything’s going okay with a project, ask if there’s any obstacle you can help clear from their path. 

Keep an eye on cancellations. If your direct reports are regularly canceling or rescheduling your one-on-ones, it could be a sign that your mentorship style is not benefiting them. This could mean that you’re using this time to criticize rather than uplift, or that you’re falling into the trap of ticking items off your agenda, rather than really engaging.

6. End with clear next steps

What’s the point of discussing important agenda items if you don’t follow up on them? Throughout the meeting, actively listen to your employee’s concerns. Offer suggestions as you can, and at the end of the meeting, create an action plan for them. This can be a quick suggestion of what to work on next, or what you’re planning to do to help them out. It’s about ending things on the same page.

“I want to leave a 1:1 knowing my employee is happy, healthy, productive, and supported,” one manager on Reddit shares. “If not, I leave with an action item to see if there's anything work related that can make that happen. My job is to remove roadblocks. Their job is to drive. I use these meetings to find roadblocks.”

To ensure that each one-on-one meeting concludes with actionable items:

• Write it down. It’s impossible to keep track of everything without a system. So take notes throughout the meeting, and update the agenda as you go. This will help you remember the purpose and outcome of each discussion, so you can start things off on the right foot next time.
• Send a follow-up email. Even if you confirm your next steps verbally, it’s always nice to have it in writing, too. After the meeting, send a quick wrap-up email highlighting action items to complete before the next meeting.

Meeting template: sample agenda for employee one-on-ones

Meeting Date: [Insert Date]
Time: [Insert Time]
Location: [Insert Location or Virtual Link]

Agenda

1. Opening (5 minutes)

• Casual check-in.
• Briefly discuss non-work-related topics or recent wins.

2. Employee-Driven Topics (15 minutes)

• Review list of key priorities, concerns, or updates.
• Discuss current challenges and explore solutions together.
• Address follow-ups from the previous meeting.

3. Development and Growth (10 minutes)

• Discuss short-term goals and progress.
• Explore opportunities for skill-building or career development.
• Identify areas where additional support is needed.

4. Manager-Driven Topics (5-10 minutes)

• Share updates or changes impacting their role or team.
• Collaborate on upcoming projects or priorities.

5. Closing and Action Items (5 minutes)

• Summarize key takeaways and next steps for both parties.
• Ensure clarity on deadlines or action items.

Preparation Reminder for Employees:

• Come prepared with a list of topics you’d like to discuss.
• Think about areas where you need support or have feedback.

Preparation Reminder for Managers:

• Review notes from prior one-on-ones to follow up on previous discussions.
• Ensure a mix of tactical and long-term topics to cover.

‍Next Meeting: [Insert Date and Time]

Sample questions for productive one-on-ones

Your one-on-one meeting is only as good as the questions you ask. From casual vibe checks to focused dialogue starters, these open-ended questions will help keep your meetings productive:

1. Connection

• What’s been the highlight of your week?
• What’s something that’s been inspiring you lately – books, podcasts, people, or otherwise?
• How’s [loved one, pet, or interest they’ve shared] doing these days?

2. Challenges

• Has anything big come up for you in the past week?
• Is there anything you’re struggling with? How can I support you?
• What might keep you from meeting your goals this week?

3. Goal-setting

• Which goal are you struggling with the most right now?
• Where do you feel like you’re making the most progress?
• Have you read or seen anything that inspired you this week?

4. Progress

• What’s your top priority for this week?
• Do you currently have any projects on the back burner? Why?
• What have you done in the past week that will move the needle on your KPIs?

5. Teamwork

• What team member could use your support this week?
• Are there any internal processes slowing your team down right now?
• What’s your team’s biggest frustration this week?

6. Skills development

• What’s something new you’d love to learn?
• Are there any projects you’d like to take on to try something new?
• What’s one area where you’d like more support or training?

Keep your one-on-ones effective with Breezy Perform

With Breezy Perform, managers can streamline their one-on-ones by scheduling structured, recurring meetings. This maximizes the value of your employee touch bases by:

• Keeping key topics front and center
• Providing structure
• Helping managers and employees get organized beforehand
• Supplying easy conversation starters to boost employee engagement

The 1:1s view also provides a hub where managers and team members can access everything they need for one-on-ones, including:

• Meeting schedules
• Discussion topics
• Icebreakers
• Actionable follow-ups
• A history of past topics

Practice + Perform makes perfect

Whether weekly or bi-weekly, 1:1s are never a waste of time.

With just a click, managers and employees can review and refine their approach to one-on-one conversations – ensuring alignment, engagement, and accountability.

Want free performance management tools for up to 10 employees? With prebuilt templates and on-demand conversation starters, Perform makes it easy to stay in sync. Sign up now to get started.