We all hate meetings. You have limited time, your task list is endless and the goals are aggressive. And your calendar is already full of other meetings — Management meeting, Quarterly review meeting, Sync meeting, and much more…

But as a Manager or Leader, there’s one meeting you should have and follow: one on one meetings with your team members. You can check what Ben Horowitz and other leaders think about one on one meetings.

A one on one is a dedicated space for open-ended and anticipated conversation between a Manager and a team member.

“You spend so much time finding great people, it’s worth it to help them grow to be the best they can be.” Justin Rosenstein, (Co-Founder, Asana)

Why One on One meetings are important

One on one meetings will help you develop a strong relationship, create a culture of feedback and open communication. By running one on one meetings, you will be able to:

Strengthen the relationship between you both.

Share feedback from both parts, constantly.

Set up goals and objectives.

Work on the right things, at the right time.

Test the mood and engagement of the team as a whole.

Highlight good performance you have noticed.

Address any performance issue before they become serious.

Brainstorm ideas and solutions for team problems or challenges.

Reinforce important messages about vision or company changes.

One on ones is the best way for Managers and Leaders to connect with their team members on pressing issues, develop a strong relationship, create a culture that facilitates feedback and open communication and ensures that team members feel like they’re working towards their goals.

Getting the most out of one on ones

Set up the right cadence: you need consistency. If you want to help and coach your team to achieve the business goals, this is your ritual. It’s important to have them every week.

you need consistency. If you want to help and coach your team to achieve the business goals, this is your ritual. It’s important to have them Do one after the other: the best way to get the most out of this meeting is by setting them one after the other. Block your Monday afternoon or Friday morning to do it.

the best way to get the most out of this meeting is by setting them one after the other. to do it. Get prepared in advance: prepare and send the questions you want to ask before the meeting. With 5–7 questions is enough.

prepare and send the questions you want to ask before the meeting. Avoid casual and unstructured conversations: have a structure and schedule, always. Find a relaxed place to meet, where both parts feel comfortable.

have a structure and schedule, always. where both parts feel comfortable. Take actions out of the discussion: once you’ve talked, both parts should start working on the actions. It’s important having one on ones, but it’s also important to make progress and do the actions. Take actions and be accountable is key for your relationship with your peers.

Steer helps Managers and Leaders prepare, execute and manage all your one on one meetings. Improve your leadership and management skills, and try Steer now for free!