Regular one-on-one meetings throughout the year are essential to keep up the momentum for performance improvement. There are many benefits to holding one-on-one meetings, from improved engagement and trust to better documentation of action items and goals.
Unfortunately, the one-on-one is sometimes seen as the formal performance review’s poorer cousin, which can lead to planned meetings being missed out if something ‘more important’ crops up. But it’s important to recognize just how valuable they are.
Keep reading to find out how one-on-one meetings can prepare employees and managers for performance reviews, promote workplace well-being, and keep everyone aligned with goals and career objectives.
Key Takeaways
- Communication is more effective in person. Direct conversations during one-on-ones offer advantages over digital messaging. You can pick up on nonverbal cues like body language and tone, which helps to avoid misinterpretations, particularly with sensitive topics. Direct conversations also build trust and rapport and help resolve complex issues more efficiently.
- One-on-one meetings are a chance for employees to get timely feedback, discuss career development, and address challenges. Having dedicated time with their manager helps employees feel heard and valued, boosting morale and engagement.
- Consistent check-ins also help managers build rapport, identify issues early before they escalate, and understand team dynamics. They also make it possible to verify that individual work is aligned with broader company goals.
- Documenting one-on-ones is very important. Everyone should take notes during one-on-ones to create a clear record of progress, goals, and commitments. Managers will have data for fair evaluations and can spot patterns in performance, while employees will have a personal record of their achievements and areas for improvement. Documentation also ensures there are no surprises during formal performance reviews.
- Remember the key differences between one-on-ones and performance reviews. While related, one-on-ones are regular, informal, and focused on present issues and ongoing support. Performance reviews are less frequent, more formal, and provide a comprehensive, structured evaluation of past performance. One-on-ones lay the groundwork for a more effective and less stressful formal review process.
Table of Contents
- One-on-One Meetings Bring All the Advantages of Direct, Live Communication
- Top 4 Benefits of One-on-One Meetings for Employees
- Top 5 Benefits of One-on-One Meetings for Managers
- How to Document Your One-on-Ones for Maximum Benefits
- Make the Most of One-on-One Meetings with Primalogik
- One-on-One Meeting FAQs
One-on-One Meetings Bring All the Advantages of Direct, Live Communication
In today’s workplace, which often includes hybrid or remote workers and digital communication via chats and messaging, a direct, human-to human conversation is often considered a bonus. But speaking directly with someone, whether in person or via a video call, should be considered essential, as it offers several key advantages over communicating through chat or messaging.
One-on-one meetings should not be set aside or given low priority. Just think of the things you’d be missing out on!
Nonverbal cues
A significant portion of communication is nonverbal. When you’re speaking directly, you can see facial expressions, body language, and gestures, and hear the tone and inflection of a person’s voice. These make it easier to understand what someone is saying and how they are feeling.
Nuanced communication
Direct conversations are far less likely to be misinterpreted, thanks to the aforementioned nonverbal cues. A sarcastic comment that might be taken literally in a text message can be understood as a joke in person. This is especially important for sensitive or complex topics where nuance is key.
Relationship building
Direct conversation helps build trust and rapport. The act of giving someone your undivided attention, face to face, and engaging in a real-time exchange helps to create a stronger connection and a sense of camaraderie that is difficult to replicate through messaging.
Efficiency
While a quick question can be answered in a chat, a complex issue can often be resolved much more quickly and thoroughly in a direct conversation. Instead of a long, back-and-forth chain of messages, you can clarify details, brainstorm solutions, and reach an agreement in a single, focused exchange.
Increased engagement
In a direct conversation, both parties are more likely to be actively listening and engaged. It’s much harder to multitask or be distracted when someone is speaking to you directly, which leads to a more focused and productive interaction.
Top 4 Benefits of One-on-One Meetings for Employees
One-on-one meetings give employees a chance to communicate clearly and directly with their manager. In addition to the general perks of person-to-person meetings, they provide a space to address specific issues and make concrete plans.
1. A chance for employees to receive feedback and guidance
One-on-ones allow for timely, specific feedback on employee performance on a regular basis, as a complement to formal, once-a-year reviews. They are a time to give and receive guidance on a variety of issues in a relaxed but focused manner, on both larger issues and specific, time-sensitive questions or concerns.
2. A place to discuss career development
The one-on-one is fundamentally about the employee. It’s the manager’s opportunity to understand what the employee needs to be successful—whether that’s more resources, clearer direction, help with an obstacle, training, or a new challenge. It’s all about empowering your staff to do their best work.
3. A time to address challenges and concerns
A one-on-one is an easy place for employees to raise any issues or roadblocks they’re facing, both professional and interpersonal. Regular, stress-free meetings can encourage employees to be honest about challenges, admit mistakes, ask for help, and even share new ideas or potential solutions to problems.
4. A way to help employees feel heard and valued
Having dedicated time with their manager makes employees feel like their voice matters, which boosts morale and engagement. Psychological safety is essential for innovation and problem-solving, and helps foster personalized employee development.
Top 5 Benefits of One-on-One Meetings for Managers
One-on-one meetings also bring direct benefits to managers. Here are a few things managers can accomplish more easily via a live, person-to-person conversation than they could via automated surveys or formal reviews:
1. Build trust and rapport
As one element of a healthy and open workplace, regular one-on-ones help build rapport with employees and trust within the team. It’s easier to take directions or feedback from a manager who has taken an interest in your wellbeing, and managers benefit from this trust as much as employees.
2. Identify potential issues early
By checking in consistently, managers can spot problems before they escalate, whether it’s a dip in performance, a morale issue, or a conflict on the team. Addressing these issues early prevents them from escalating.
3. Provide support and remove obstacles
Managers can learn what their employees need to succeed and then take action to provide resources, clarity, or support.
4. Better understand team dynamics
One-on-one meetings offer insight into the day-to-day experiences of employees, giving managers a more complete picture of what’s happening on the ground.
5. Align individual and team goals
One-on-ones are a key tool for making sure that the employee’s day-to-day work is directly connected to the broader team and company objectives. It’s a chance to confirm priorities and make sure everyone is pulling in the same direction.
How to Document Your One-on-Ones for Maximum Benefits
Documenting one-on-one meetings will help you reap the benefits of these informal sessions, and build on each encounter for maximum insights.
For managers, clear meeting notes allow for:
- Easy access to a clear, chronological record of employee development, including examples, successes and challenges from the previous year.
- Better accountability, thanks to being able to refer to action items, decisions and commitments that were noted down during the talk.
- Easy visibility of patterns or trends, which can inform future coaching or development plans for an employee who may be struggling in a certain area.
- More fair and subjective evaluation, thanks to being able to access factual data for making decisions related to employee retention rather than relying on potentially flawed memories.
For employees, documented meetings also provide:
- A personal record of their own progress, accomplishments, and areas for improvement. This is a valuable tool for self-assessment and for preparing for their own performance reviews.
- An easy way to remember what they need to focus on, such as career goals, training, and desired projects, so they can prioritize the right tasks and follow up accordingly.
Primalogik offers a dedicated journal tool that managers can use to take notes on each employee and meeting. These notes are easily accessible for review before more formal performance reviews, and help you keep track of employee progress, decisions made during previous meetings, important issues that need to be discussed, and more. Even if there’s a change in management, Primalogik’ performance management software will automatically transfer the notes from the previous manager to the new manager, providing the newcomer with all relevant information for the team.
Make the Most of One-on-One Meetings with Primalogik
At Primalogik, we believe that when employees are happy, organizations flourish. With the right support, you can make the most of one-on-one meetings and move the conversation beyond just task management, creating a space for professional growth, problem-solving, and relationship building. They are a vital component of effective management and a healthy work culture.
Primalogik’s performance management suite includes multiple functionalities that support employee development and the performance review process. Create employee reviews, take notes on one-on-one meetings, assess employee performance against benchmarks and set and track goals all on one integrated platform. Our award-winning performance management tool is designed to help you drive employee engagement by supporting meaningful, ongoing dialogue.
Book a demo today!
One-on-One Meeting FAQs
1. What is the difference between a one-on-one meeting and a performance review?
A one-on-one meeting and a performance review are different, but related. Each has its own distinct benefits.
- One-on-one meetings are held regularly, and the purpose is to have an open and continuous dialogue. It’s a space for real-time coaching, discussing day-to-day work, addressing immediate challenges, and building rapport. It’s employee-centric and often more informal. The focus is on the present and the near future. The goal is to keep communication flowing and to make sure the employee is supported in their work.
- A performance review is typically more formal and happens less often, such as annually, mid-year, or quarterly. It is a structured, comprehensive evaluation of an employee’s work over a defined period (e.g., the last year). It often involves a formal assessment against established goals and competencies. It’s a time to summarize achievements, discuss areas for growth, and set new, long-term objectives. Performance reviews are also often tied to decisions about compensation, bonuses, and promotions.
2. Who should set the agenda for a one-on-one? The manager or the employee?
For maximum benefit, the agenda for a one-on-one meeting should be a collaborative effort, with the employee taking the lead. While the manager may have a few key points to discuss, empowering the employee to set the agenda is generally more effective. However, both employees and managers should prepare by learning appropriate one-on-one meetings questions.
3. What is a “walk and talk” meeting?
A “walk and talk” is a type of one-on-one meeting where the participants leave the office and have their discussion while walking outside, typically in a nearby park, along a path, or just around the block. They offer a few benefits, including less formality, a change of scenery (which can encourage creative thinking), and fewer distractions from the office environment. The gentle physical activity can also help reduce stress.
4. How do one-on-one meetings fit into the formal performance review process?
The one-on-one meeting is the engine that drives a successful performance review. By having regular one-on-ones, a manager can provide continuous feedback and coaching throughout the year. This means there should be no surprises during the formal performance review. The review becomes a summary of what has already been discussed and documented in the one-on-ones, rather than a single, high-stakes conversation. In a sense, the one-on-one meetings lay the groundwork for a more effective, less stressful performance review, and help mitigate some of the common challenges of employee reviews.
5. Why should managers document one-on-one meetings?
Having documented notes from one-on-one meetings to reference during the review process is crucial. It amounts to documenting key decisions taken, and what information was discussed, for easy future reference.
This is something that’s especially important when it comes to underperformance. If an employee is told during their end of year appraisal that their performance has been poor throughout the year, they’re quite within their rights to ask for specifics and evidence. If nothing has been documented, they’ll naturally question this, and the performance management process is compromised. With well-documented meetings there can be no ambiguity around what was agreed, particularly important in one-on-ones where there are only two people involved and it’s literally a case of ‘he said, she said’.
6. What should I write down when documenting one-on-one meetings?
When documenting a one-on-one meeting, the goal is to create a concise and useful record without trying to capture every word. This means you should take short, clear notes on the following:
- Key discussion points (agenda items)
- Decisions and commitments
- Action items
- Points about feedback and coaching
- Notes about the employee’s mood and well-being (in brief)