The dos and don’ts of 1-on-1 employee meetings

Being an effective business leader has everything to do with building relationships, but you can’t do that with employees if you don’t regularly spend time with them.

We know that reflecting back over an entire year’s performance at an annual performance review is not enough interaction, so many managers choose to periodically meet oneon-one with employees. These meetings could last just a halfhour if they’re frequent enough (weekly, biweekly) or an hour if they’re less frequent (monthly, for example).

Engagement is highest among employees who meet with their managers at least once per week.

According to SABA Talent Management Software Solutions, regular one-on-one meetings triple the likelihood of engagement for employees. Oneon-ones build trust, ensure employees have the support they need, and remind employees that they are your priority. They can also:

• Encourage more efficient communication (especially compared to email conversations) and keep you in the loop before little problems turn into big ones;

• Familiarize you with the employee and vice versa, to help avoid misunderstandings;

• Strengthen a team and help keep it aligned; and

• Limit unplanned interruptions to your day.

To make the most of your one-on-one time with employees: Here’s what you should do • Create a basic outline to keep one-on-ones on track, but keep the conversation informal. If possible, get out of the workplace. Take a walk or meet at a coffee shop.

• Discuss whether an employee’s work and behaviors are helping the individual reach his/her goals.

• Reinforce on-target behaviors, and redirect those that may be off, making sure employees know what successful performance looks like.

• Allow the employee to direct the meeting if he/she feels comfortable.

• Review what the employee is or is not enjoying about his/ her job. Ask employees if they see or would like to see any particular opportunities in the near future.

• Ask the employee what he/ she hopes to accomplish before your next one-on-one. Have the individual propose action steps to get there.

• Review notes from the last one-on-one. Employees will quickly come to view one-on-ones as a waste of time if they don’t observe follow-up from previous meetings. Such notes could be stored in a shared document that the employee can also see and update. In some cases, follow-up will be required before your next one-on-one with the employee.

Here’s what you should NOT do:

• DO NOT cancel one-on-ones unless it’s an absolute emergency. If you must cancel, immediately reschedule to ensure employees know they’re your priority.

• DO NOT treat the meeting as a status update. Either use five to 10 minutes as a status update or have the employee email you about the status of projects ahead of time.

• DO NOT give insight while

forgetting to receive it. Think of a one-on-one as an exchange of information. You should do more listening than talking,

and should gain insight from the employee as much as he/she gains from you.

• DO NOT allow the focus of the meeting to shift away from the employee’s needs and development.

• DO NOT be afraid to put a pin in a topic of conversation

if it’s something your entire team should discuss together.

• DO NOT show up without progress on your action items from the previous one-on-one. You wouldn’t expect the employee not to follow through, so neither should you.

Katie Loehrke is a certified Professional in Human Resources and an editor with J. J. Keller & Associates, a nationally recognized compliance resource firm. The company offers a diverse line of products and services to address the broad range of responsibilities held by HR and corporate professionals. Loehrke specializes in employment law topics such as discrimination, privacy and social media, and affirmative action. She is the editor of J. J. Keller’s Employment Law Today newsletter and its Essentials of Employment Law manual. For more information, visit www. jjkeller.com/hr and www. jjkellerlibrary.com.