How to Have Effective 1 on 1 Meetings with Your Employees

Employees don’t leave companies. They leave managers.

That phrase gets tossed around a lot—but for good reason. Gallup research continues to show how much influence managers have on engagement, wellbeing, and retention. So if people are walking out the door, it’s time to look at what’s happening between them and their direct managers.

Too often, one on one meetings get skipped, rushed, or treated like status updates. But when managers lead them with intention, these conversations can build trust, spark development, and flag issues before they spiral.

Ready to turn one on ones into your most valuable leadership tool? Discover how to run meetings your team actually looks forward to—and walk away with clear next steps every time.

What is a 1:1 Meeting?

A 1:1 meeting is a recurring, dedicated time block where a manager and their direct report meet privately to connect, communicate, and collaborate.

These meetings are typically scheduled weekly or biweekly and are designed to:

• Build trust between manager and employee
• Discuss progress on goals or projects
• Address challenges or concerns
• Offer feedback and coaching
• Support professional growth and wellbeing

Unlike status updates or team syncs, 1:1s are employee-driven — they’re a space for individuals to share what’s on their mind, ask questions, or get support. The manager’s role is to listen, remove blockers, and empower their team.

Done well, 1:1 meetings are a key driver of engagement, retention, and performance.

Benefits of 1:1 Meetings

Effective 1:1 meetings space for alignment and trust-building in a way no group meeting can match. When done regularly and intentionally, they drive clarity, productivity, and belonging across the board.

Benefits for Managers

Imagine having a standing invitation to hear exactly what your team needs to succeed. That’s what 1:1s provide. They give managers the pulse of their team — and a chance to lead with empathy and intention.

Here’s what’s in it for managers:

Pro tip: Use this time to ask open-ended questions like “What’s blocking your progress?” or “What’s something I can do better as your manager?”

Benefits for Employees

Employees who feel heard are more likely to feel motivated, supported, and seen. 1:1s give your team a consistent platform to speak up, reflect, and grow — and that kind of support builds serious loyalty.

Benefits for Organizations

When 1:1s are part of your culture, they ripple outward. They don’t just improve individual performance — they improve everything from retention to innovation.

One-on-One Questions to Ask

The best 1:1s feel like real conversations, not updates that could have been an email. The right questions help you connect, coach, and co-create solutions with your employees. Here are some thoughtful, open-ended questions you can keep in your back pocket, organized by purpose:

To Check In on Wellbeing

• How have you been feeling lately — inside and outside of work?
• What’s been energizing or draining for you recently?
• Are you getting the support you need to manage stress or stay well?
• How’s your workload been feeling — too much, too little, or just right?
• Is there anything I can do to help you prioritize your wellbeing this week?

Pro Tip: Listening with empathy here isn’t optional — it’s essential. Wellbeing check-ins help prevent burnout before it starts.

To Discuss Priorities and Progress

• What are your top 1–2 priorities right now?
• Where do you feel most confident in your work this week?
• What progress have you made since our last check-in?
• Are there any projects or tasks that feel unclear or misaligned?
• Is anything pulling your focus away from your goals?

To Identify Challenges

• What’s been the biggest challenge for you lately?
• Where are you feeling stuck, and how can I help unblock you?
• Are there any tools, resources, or information you’re missing?
• Have you run into any cross-functional or team roadblocks?
• Is anything outside of work making it harder to focus or perform?

To Support Growth and Development

• What’s a skill you’d like to build or improve this quarter?
• Do you feel like you’re growing in your role right now?
• Are there any projects you’d like to take on for stretch or visibility?
• What feedback would help you move forward faster?
• What’s one area where you’d like more guidance or mentorship?

To Recognize and Motivate

• What’s something you’re proud of from the past week or month?
• Is there a recent win you feel went unnoticed?
• What kind of recognition feels most meaningful to you?
• Who on the team deserves a shoutout this week?
• What motivates you most in your current role?

To Strengthen the Manager-Employee Relationship

• What’s something I can do better as your manager?
• Do you feel like our one-on-ones are helpful? What could we change?
• Is there anything you’ve been hesitant to bring up with me?
• What type of support do you wish you had more of?
• How can I make your experience here more fulfilling?

Tips on Conducting One-on-One Meetings

Mindful leadership involves developing a deep understanding of your personal leadership values, including your approach to problem-solving. This mindset helps you prioritize psychological safety for your employees, and build a relationship based on mutual respect. It can also help elevate your performance management skills which are incredibly valuable one-on-one meetings.

Be Purposeful Yet Flexible

It’s important to have a clear purpose for a one-on-one conversation, you can achieve that with a flexible meeting agenda. Having a clear objective in mind will help you focus the conversation and conduct a productive meeting. But a flexible agenda helps you maintain an open, empathic conversation. For example, your purpose might be to provide constructive feedback and guidance on a specific project. But the employee may bring up questions about related roadblocks. As a result, you might create an action plan that implements your feedback and addresses the related employee concern. 

Set a Consistent Schedule

A consistent meeting schedule helps both parties carve out time for important one-on-one discussions. Having them consistently, such as weekly or bi-weekly, can also help you get the most out of these conversations as they ensure you are in consistent communication. Regular meetings also provide the space and time needed to build strong work relationships and create an environment of transparency.

Check in with Their Wellbeing

Start by asking how they’re doing — really doing. A simple “How are you feeling this week?” or “What’s been energizing you lately?” goes a long way. When employees feel safe to share, you get visibility into what may be affecting their performance — and how you can support them. Keep an ear out for signs of stress, burnout, or disengagement. And remember: checking in is more than checking a box. It’s a chance to show you care.

Discuss Priorities and Progress

Every 1:1 is a moment to zoom out from the day-to-day and refocus on what matters most. Ask about current goals: What’s going well? What’s falling behind? Where do they need clarity? This isn’t about micromanaging — it’s about offering clarity and support. You might uncover opportunities to shift priorities, adjust timelines, or recognize progress that hasn’t been shared yet.

Identify Challenges

Make space for them to name what’s hard — without fear of judgment. Maybe they’re hitting a wall with a project, or feeling blocked by cross-functional dependencies. Maybe it’s workload, team dynamics, or personal stress. Whatever it is, your role is to listen, ask follow-up questions, and co-create solutions. Sometimes the fix is tactical. Sometimes it’s emotional. Either way, you’re showing up as a leader who’s there to help.

Identify Challenges

Make space for them to name what’s hard — without fear of judgment. Maybe they’re hitting a wall with a project, or feeling blocked by cross-functional dependencies. Maybe it’s workload, team dynamics, or personal stress. Whatever it is, your role is to listen, ask follow-up questions, and co-create solutions. Sometimes the fix is tactical. Sometimes it’s emotional. Either way, you’re showing up as a leader who’s there to help.

Build Trust Through Face-to-Face Conversation

Face-to-face meetings are a great way to build trust between a manager and their employee. They allow nonverbal cues like as eye contact, smiling, and attentive body posture to convey interest in the other person, whether they are in-person or video meetings. All of this shows your teammate that you care about their ideas, opinions, and concerns. Whether discussing performance review or career development opportunities, meeting face to face can help develop a trusting relationship and increase candor. 

Use Active Listening

To encourage meaningful conversation, it’s also crucial to actively listen to your employees when they speak. You can do this by being mindful of your words, not interrupting the speaker, restating what they said to show understanding, and asking questions that help them elaborate on their thoughts or suggestions. The idea is to listen more than you talk.

Throughout the meeting, consider taking notes to help you digest and refer back to key points as you go along. This is another way of showing that you actively listen to your employee. Plus, it can help keep you organized and on track during the discussion.

Consider the Environment

When choosing a meeting location, select a space conducive to open dialogue and stress-free conversation. This usually means that the setting should be private, comfortable, and distraction-free. If you work in an open-plan office, for example, you may want to consider booking a breakout or  conference room.

Alternatively, you can change up the routine altogether. If you’re meeting in person, you can go for a walk or sit outside. If you’re meeting over a video call, you can encourage your employee to move to another room or find a new quiet space. A different setting can stimulate novel thinking.

Foster a Meaningful Exchange

Fostering meaningful exchange is key to unlocking the potential of one-on-one conversations. The meeting questions and talking points you bring to the table will impact the responses you get. This is true whether you ask your staff open-ended questions, give them constructive feedback, or request that they provide you with feedback about your company.

Address the Basics

Help team members reflect on their work and goals by asking questions. These typically explore what’s going well, where improvements can be made, how improvements can be implemented, and where their work would benefit from additional support. Examples include:

• How can I better support your growth in this role?
• Are there any blockers preventing you from getting your work done?
• Are there any skills or knowledge you would like to gain or develop further with my help?
• What areas do you feel need improvement, and how can I help?
• In what area of your job do you feel most effective?
• When should I follow up with you about these action items?

Generate Innovative Discussion

Consider encouraging an employee to think outside the box to generate a more innovative discussion. For example, if you want the meeting to produce interesting new thoughts, try the following questions:

• Do you think there is a project that, if you had the chance to tackle it, would significantly advance your career?
• If budget was not a factor, what is a project you would want the company to take on, and why?
• If you were tapped to advise our company, what changes would you suggest we make?
• What project would most benefit if you and your team had more time to focus your resources and energy on it? How could we make that happen?

Ask for Organizational Feedback

You might also want to get feedback about the workplace and organizational culture during these meetings. Asking for honest feedback can help you stay informed about the corporate culture and what could improve it for everyone. Examples include:

• What do you think is limiting employee engagement? How could we improve that?
• What would make a typical workday more enjoyable?
• Do you have any suggestions on how we could improve our workflow on the next project?
• What important issue should we focus on in the next team meeting?
• Are there any team dynamics that could be improved?
• What organizational communication challenges do we face? Do you think there’s a system or tool we should implement to improve that?

If your meeting partner tends to give short answers lacking in detail or specific insight, consider pushing them to add more by asking: “What else?”, “How so?”, “Why?”, or “What do you think that means?” These simple questions can help employees dig a little deeper and produce more useful ideas.

Supporting Employee Development

One-on-one conversations are a great platform to dive deep into an employee’s needs, desires and plans. This sort of deep, personal interaction can help keep your staffers engaged in their role and satisfied with their company. 

And keeping your workforce happy is pretty important for your business’ overall success. Engaged employees produce up to a 23% higher profit than miserable workers, and corporate wellbeing programs have been shown to help companies exceed financial targets, reduce absenteeism, and lower the cost of providing healthcare. 

If you need help developing a strategy to improve your workforce satisfaction and engagement, speak to a Wellbeing Specialist today!