Leading a Good 1:1
Goal #1
- Build trusting relationships between team leads and team members
Why?
- So team leads can support each team member, and the team member get to know person who cares about them and has their back
Goal #2
- Create a safe place to discuss sensitive and private issues or provide personal feedback
Why?
- So team members can talk about personal life issues that may affect their work, and so team leads can provide specific feedback to the team member to help them grow their career or address areas in which that team member is struggling
Goal #3
- Discuss and work on career development plans
Why?
- So team members can set goals for themselves and have a partner who helps them achieve those goals
Goal #4
- Team reflections and engineer happiness
Why?
- So team members have a private way to ask for help with team related issues like conflicts with other team members, loss of autonomy or motivation, low morale, boring work, or process issues
Goal #5
- Discuss product vision and direction
Why?
- So team members can get support from their team lead to affect the product in ways that they believe are important to them and may be at adds with the Product Manager's vision or the rest of the team's members
Tips
- It's not a status update
- It's not gossip time
- It's ok to get personal! (but keep it professional)
- Make every effort to be on time
- Do not cancel. Reschedule (and do it ahead of time)
- Let them own the agenda (make sure that is clear)
- Change the setting every once in a while
- Create action items and assign priority
- Practice active listening
- Look for ways to encourage and empower
- Weekly or Biweekly meetings
Personal Questions
- What do you love doing right now?
- What do you loath doing right now?
- What area do you feel the weakest in?
- What area do you feel the strongest in?
- What accomplishment are you most proud of in the past quarter?
- What are you most excited about at Daxko?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Empowerment Questions
- If you were leading this team what would you do different?
- What are some things we are not doing that we should be doing?
- What could we be doing different/better?
- Is there anything that your team is working on that isn't providing value to Daxko?
- Is there anything you are currently doing that isn't pushing Daxko forward?
- Is there anything I can do better? **
- How do you think _______ went?
Clarity Questions
- Do you have questions about, direction, strategy, major initiatives, progress?
- Do you feel like you're getting enough feedback on your work? If not, where would you like more feedback?
- What are you least clear about in terms of our strategy and goals?
- What area of the company would you like to learn more about?
