1:1

A 1:1 meeting (pronounced one-on-one or one-to-one meeting) is a regular check-in between two people in an organization – typically a manager and an employee. It’s used to give feedback, keep each other in the loop, resolve issues, and help the participants grow in their roles.

The free-form, employee-focused nature that goes beyond status updates is what makes the 1:1 special. It’s often considered the most important meeting you can have because it lays the foundation for a trusting and productive work relationship.

1:1 meetings can also be held between employees and their mentors, their boss’s boss (skip-level 1:1), or wherever it makes sense.

Benefits for employees

As an employee, 1:1 meetings help you get the feedback and guidance you need to be successful in your role and advance in your career. By listening to you and giving timely guidance, your manager becomes a partner for your success.

1:1 meetings give you the safety of always knowing where you stand based on constant feedback from your manager. If you need to correct course, you will know about it and hopefully be able to fix it in time. 1:1s also create a space for you to bring up things that are difficult to bring up during busy work days. Benefits for managers

Benefits for managers

As a manager, 1:1s help you guide your team members’ development, resolve issues early on, and improve employee retention.

To unleash the potential of the people you manage, you must engage and bond with each individual. There is no shortcut for building real connections. Dedicated one-on-one conversations create the space and trust to ensure you know what’s on your team members’ minds – and take actions to keep them happy and productive.

1:1 meetings are also a great way to get timely upward feedback that help you become a better manager. By asking your team members how you can better support them, you get useful information on what’s expected from you as a manager and how you can improve in your role.

Benefits for the business

Company success stands and falls with the effort managers put into connecting with their team members. So a healthy 1:1 meeting culture is not only great for individuals, but it can also affect the bottom line of your business.

Besides the connection between manager success and business success, regular 1:1 meetings are a great tool to increase engagement. When each employee has the chance to ask their manager for information on where the organization is headed and how their work fits into the bigger picture, they’re much more invested in your organization. And engagement is a known indicator of retention and productivity.