Just like you’d go to the gym on a regular basis to see results, you need to meet with your direct-reports frequently.  Studies show that one-to-one conversations maintain work momentum and strengthen the relationships with your team.

According to a Gallup report, employees who have regular meetings with their managers are three times more likely to feel engaged in their company and thrive at their job.  In spite of this, some managers are still meeting and exchanging feedback with their reports only during performance reviews.

Think about all the things that happen at work during one month. An employee might go through ups and downs, experience new challenges and finish projects that might need constructive feedback from you.  An issue that is distressing someone can become a big problem if you, as their manager, don’t hear about it earlier in the month.  Similarly, receiving praise can feel hollow if it’s received a month or two after accomplishing a project or goal.

There’s so much to talk about, and so many things that can happen in just four weeks!  (Yet some managers wait for the end of the quarter to meet with their employees).  This is why experienced leaders recommend that you meet with your direct-reports bi-weekly or ideally, once a week.

Take Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s CEO, as an example. In 2016, he live-streamed his last one-to-one of the year with Facebook’s COO, Sheryl Sandberg.  During the live video, he shared the secret to their business relationship’s success: one-to-one meetings, held weekly since Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008.

“We’ve had this tradition, in the last eight years or so that we’ve worked together, where every week we start the week and end the week just meeting one-on-one together, and going over everything that’s going on, and reflect on what’s going on, giving each other feedback,” said Zuckerberg during the live stream.

Let’s go back to the analogy: every person needs a different routine.  Some people workout in the morning and others prefer to exercise in the afternoon.  Some people prefer to practice yoga, while others lift weights or participate in group sports.  The same concept applies to the frequency of your one-on-ones:

Every employee has different needs and experience levels, and great managers acknowledge that.  The amount of knowledge your direct-reports have about the tasks they have at hand should determine the frequency of your one-on-ones.

In other words, it’s essential that you determine your employees’ task-relevant maturity and as a consequence, how often each of them need to meet with you.  Not everyone will need a weekly one-on-one, but your newest employee or someone tackling a brand new project might.

How long should your one-on-one meetings last?

A 10-minute workout or a quick walk around the park won’t give you the same results as one full hour of exercise.  Similarly, a well-planned one-on-one will bring your team the results that you want.

Several books, including The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, talk about the importance of scheduling actions, so they become ingrained practices.  Following this logic, you should schedule recurring one-on-one blocks on your calendar to ensure that you’re supporting employees and developing positive work relationships.

The one-to-one blocks you schedule should last enough to make it clear to your direct-reports that you’re not in a rush.  The employee must feel there is enough time to broach and get into thorny issues.

Scheduling short meetings can discourage employees to speak up on important issues.  If you manage a large team of people, scheduling one hour for each meeting might take too much of your time.   Some managers plan 30 or 45-minute sessions to check-in with their direct reports. The important thing is to build the habit, and not let it go.

One of the most common complaints from employees is that their managers cancel or reschedule their one-on-ones.  As a manager, you’re busy — and having to reschedule meetings is part of life however, cancelling one-to-one sessions sends “the message that the employee is the most expendable action item on the schedule.”

Like all habits, creating a culture of open communication amongst your team takes time however, scheduling weekly or bi-weekly one-on-ones with every direct-report will help you achieve just that.

The world’s most successful managers have frequent one-to-one meetings with their reports — which are between 30 and 60 minutes long.  To determine how often and how long your one-to-ones should be, you can ask yourself the following questions:

  • How many direct reports do I have?
  • What is each person’s task-relevant maturity, or level of knowledge at the task they have at hand?
  • Are there any specific team issues or goals I need constant updates on?

Once you’re done answering these questions, open your calendar and schedule recurring (weekly or bi-weekly) one-to-ones with all your direct reports.  These meetings will empower you to get to know your team, stay up to date with their projects, and ensure they feel your full support.

 

You can download our paper on Creating a Dream Team HERE which includes further guidance to create winning teams as well as other tips to intentionally attract and build dream teams.