How to Fix Your Broken One-on-Ones

Do your one-on-ones with direct reports feel unproductive or stale? Here are some signs to watch for—and tips to revitalize the meetings. ?

You dread the meeting. If you’re often tempted to cancel one-on-ones, it’s time to rethink your agenda. Lead the meetings with a clear purpose, ensuring they’re tailored to the employee’s current needs and priorities. To motivate you both to show up with intention, create a shared document where you and your direct report collaborate on an agenda for each week. ?

Your meeting always runs over time. If 30 to 60 minutes every week isn’t enough time to sync up, you’re likely diving too deep or veering off track. Identify which topics require a separate, detailed meeting, and make a concerted effort not to get distracted by irrelevant side topics. ?

You struggle to fill the time. Conversely, what if you routinely run out of things to talk about? Prompt deeper conversations by asking about professional highlights, recent decisions, team dynamics, or potential projects.

You feel deflated after every meeting. If your employee is using one-on-ones as venting sessions, leaving you feeling compassion fatigue or even burnout, manage your emotional boundaries. Allow brief venting periods but steer the conversation toward solutions.

This tip is adapted from “5 Signs Your One-on-Ones Aren’t Working ,” by Jen Dary