A simple tool to improve team health
Let’s talk about 1-on-1s and why they're a powerful tool
Hello! Here’s your weekly deep dive into a topic that will help you lead better. Hope you enjoy the read and feel free to forward this along!
This week, I’m bringing a topic to you that’s often neglected in high-functioning organizations and teams — Team Health. Having a pulse on your team’s well-being is one of the most underrated and overlooked factors in determining how successful your team, org, and product are likely to be. A team’s health affects morale, collaboration, and, ultimately, the output.
I ran a survey with a few peers a couple of months ago to get a better understanding of what some of the signs of poor team health are. Here’s what I found:
There are many topics in the list above that would be worthwhile diving deeper into. For example, conflict resolution is a fascinating topic, and so is building trust and psychological safety for the team so they can feel empowered to make their own decisions. I’m definitely going to write about these topics in-depth in future issues. Today, I’d like to shed light on how you can use a powerful little tool called 1-on-1s to keep tabs on your team’s health and keep your team motivated to do their best work.
There have been many, many, MANY articles written about 1:1s. So, when I sat down to write about this topic that I’m super passionate about, I thought to myself, what could I possibly write that hasn’t been said before? Over the span of my career, I’ve participated in and run a number of different types of 1:1s with managers and direct reports, mainly trial and error over the years, to see what works well and what clearly doesn’t. I’ve written this post from two perspectives — that of a direct report owning and running 1:1s and also from the perspective of a manager who’s looking to help individuals grow and form deeper connections with their team.
If you have ever questioned the power of regular 1:1s, hopefully, this post will help you see things differently.
7 areas to consider for running effective 1:1s
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Cadence and agenda
I’ve heard managers ask, “do I really need to meet with my direct reports on a regular basis?” The answer is absolutely yes. If your answer to this question is ‘no’, it’s worth reflecting on why. What’s the root cause of this hesitation? Is it time on your calendar? Not deriving enough value from past 1:1 interactions? I hope what I’ve outlined below will see 1:1s in a different light.
Recommended cadence
Of course, every individual, manager, and team is different and will need to assess what works for them, but as a general rule, I would recommend a regular cadence of 30 minutes on a weekly basis with a caveat (read below).
As a Direct Report
This is your meeting to run. Your manager wants to know what’s top of mind for you and how they can best support and unblock you today, this week, this quarter, and beyond. Set the agenda every week in a shared doc. Don’t have an agenda on a particularly busy week? Feel free to cancel instead of making small talk for 30 minutes. Your manager will likely appreciate the time back.
As a Manager
Reinforce expectations with your direct reports that they must set the agenda for your weekly 1:1s. Make sure you review the agenda ahead of time (glancing over for a couple of minutes is enough if your calendar is packed with back-to-backs), so you come to the meeting prepared.
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Topics
As a Direct Report
Avoid your list of agenda topics always being a project status update. You can use some of these topics as inspiration for your next 1:1 — blockers on projects/goals, career progression expectations, discuss specific feedback that you’ve received in the past, ask for advice on a specific situation.
Pro tip: jot down topics in your shared doc throughout the week as they come to mind instead of spending the 15 minutes before your 1:1 thinking of topics.
As a Manager
Although your team members are responsible for setting the agenda, it’s ok for you to add a topic or two of your own occasionally. Check-in with them on topics you usually don’t have space for through other avenues. Refrain from asking for updates on projects (I’m definitely guilty of this) and giving feedback on designs (save your feedback for the next crit session or give feedback through other channels).
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Sentiment
As a Direct Report
Your 1:1 with your manager is hopefully a safe space for you to be open and transparent about your goals and needs. Try being upfront about what your goals are and what kind of support you need from your manager to meet those professional goals. The less guesswork they have to do, the higher the chances of you succeeding in your role.
As a Manager
Give your direct reports the space to be open and vulnerable. Create a safe space where everyone feels like they can speak their mind without fearing unfavorable consequences. Encourage healthy conflict, listen more than you speak, empathize with their point of view, and build trust with every interaction. It's easier said than done, but we have to start somewhere!
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Opportunity
As a Direct Report
1:1s are a great opportunity to have a well-established cadence to work on your areas of growth. See it as a chance to learn and grow constantly. Get guidance from your manager on topics that you usually don’t get to cover with peers on a day-to-day basis. Think of this time as a chance for you to understand the expectations of your role better because, at the end of the day, you’re responsible for being your own champion and advocating for yourself when it comes time to have career progression discussions.
As a Manager
Use 1:1s as an opportunity to empower your direct reports to find answers to questions they’re asking. Help them navigate tricky situations as you see them arise. If they mention these situations themselves and ask for your help, great! If not, try asking questions proactively to see if they’d be willing to open up and would like your support. See these 1:1 sessions as an opportunity to coach and help them grow in their role.
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Feedback
As a Direct Report
Seek feedback from your manager as often as you think you need it. Having said that, asking for feedback on a weekly basis will probably get old. Try asking for specific feedback after key moments like an important presentation, a product review, etc. 1:1s are perfect for diving deep into a specific piece of feedback to see how you could have performed a particular task or handled a specific situation better and how you can apply learnings to your next interactions. Apart from learning and growing as a designer, proactively asking for feedback also shows your manager that you have a growth mindset.
As a Manager
Use 1:1s to provide timely feedback and have difficult conversations. In my experience, not enough managers do this on a regular basis. When appropriate, celebrate wins and applaud their accomplishments. Sometimes, celebrating successes is contained to team shoutouts, so, use your 1:1s to call out individual accomplishments after product launches, key milestones, etc. The same is true for difficult conversations or raising topics that may not be best suited for a group setting.
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Connection
As a Direct Report
Last but definitely not least, use this time to build rapport with your manager. Dig into their aspirations for the team and how you can help them realize this vision (assuming you have the bandwidth to support). Needless to say, building a strong connection with your manager will only help foster better collaboration and allow them to support you in a more meaningful way.
As a Manager
Being able to build strong connections with everyone on your team is directly tied to your team’s long-term health and success. Doing so is even more pertinent in a remote-first world as building relationships requires a lot more effort and thought. Use this 1:1 time to understand your team’s short-term and long-term goals better. Help them see where they can add value as the team continues to grow and evolve.
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Let’s not underestimate the power of a good 1:1 and start treating them as more than just another meeting on your calendar.
Have your own tips on how to run effective 1-on-1s? I’d love to read them in the comments!
Three things that caught my eye this week:
🧵 This thread on a take home design exercise 🤯
😍 Framer components inspired by Dieter Rams’ design principles
💻 A beautifully designed website — Spaces: Design Ecosystem
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Until next time! 👋