Michael Lopp breaks one-on-ones into three buckets:
- The Update (business as usual)
- The Vent (something’s up)
- The Disaster
The “update” is should not be taken at face value, if you are a manager hearing a status report you should be looking for something to talk about or dig into within the update. Failing that, the manager should have either:
- Prepared talking points (about the individual, team, company)
- The Mini-performance review (follow ups from the previous performance/review checkin)
- What the manager is currently facing/focused on.
The “vent” and the “disaster” are emotional outlets for the team member. The disaster is a more extreme version of the vent1.
A simple framework from Marco Rogers is2:
- Every one-on-one: (how is it going)
- Feedback: (as needed, but most feedback should not wait for a 1-1)
- Organization development (approximately once a month)
- Career path (approximately once a quarter)
- Tell me your thoughts on the direction of the team (as needed)
Potential questions for a 1-1:
- What’s one thing that could be better?3
References
1.
Lopp, M. The Update, The Vent, and The Disaster. Rands in repose Blog at https://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-update-the-vent-and-the-disaster/ (2010).
2.
Rogers, M. My Approach to 1-on-1s. Blog at https://marcorogers.com/blog/my-approach-to-1-on-1s (2020).
3.
Lily Konings. 1:1 Tweet. @lilykonings Tweet at https://twitter.com/lilykonings/status/1460337455782006786 (2021).