Management Guide
One to One Meetings
Introduction
This management guide discusses how an effective one to one (121) meeting can be structured, and
provides managers with some useful tools, techniques and tips to ensure that he/she understands
how to approach and prepare for the meeting.
Why are 121’s important?
Holding regular, structured one-to-one meetings with direct reports can be regarded as the most
important thing a manager does and the most effective way of improving and maintaining
performance.
One of the key drivers of strong, consistent performance is the level of trust and respect that exists
between a manager and their staff. This is not the only factor, of course. Staff will have varying levels
of commitment, different professional values and be more or less empowered by constraints in the
organisation. And yet, for many staff, their manager represents the organisation, and if they trust
and respect that person, they are much more likely to want to deliver for the organisation and its
customers.
Importantly though, 121s are about building a professional relationship, not about being ‘mates’
with staff. Most of what managers talk about will be work-related and they may never see their
direct reports outside of the work environment. That doesn’t prevent them building and maintaining
a strong bond which will make their working lives (and those of their direct reports) easier and more
productive.
Building strong relationships of this kind will depend on how much and how well two people
communicate with each other: quantity and quality. If we think of anyone with whom we have a
good relationship, it is almost inconceivable that this relationship has not been built on relatively
open and relatively frequent communication. Communicate often and well with someone and the
natural outcome is a strong relationship.
Hence communication is central to encouraging effective behaviour. And this is the primary reason
for holding 121s with staff: encouraging better relationships and performance through regular,
quality communication.
The Basics
There are many formats for 121s. The important thing is that, whatever the format, they have as
their goal to encourage performance through regular, quality communication. What follows is a
suggested format which honours the basic principles of 121 meetings.
The ‘WASP’ model
This useful model often helps managers to remember the key elements of an effective 121 meeting.
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Welcome – put your team member at ease
Acquire – review current performance, give recognition of achievements and success
Supply – set revised standards and deadlines for objectives
Part – summarise main points and review plans made
121 Format
Regularity
Meet at least once per month, or even more frequently if necessary. The regularity of meetings can
be adapted to suit the needs of the organisation, the manager and most importantly the employee.
Timings
Meet for approximately 30 minutes, but adapt the timeframe to suit the discussion. Sometimes ten
minutes may be sufficient, and occasionally more time may be required. Be careful that 121
meetings do not turn into lengthy and unnecessary discussions.
Environment
Meet in a quiet and appropriate environment, such as an office meeting room. Avoid any
environment where the discussion could be overheard.
No Interruptions
Switch off phones and don’t allow any interruptions or distractions of any kind, unless there is an
emergency situation. It is important that employees feel that they have your undivided attention,
and that you have theirs.
Listen
This is not the time to disseminate information, but to allow the employee to talk to you about their
thoughts, feelings, actions or concerns. The agenda can be quite general, at least for the first part of
the meeting, to encourage the employee to talk to you openly and honestly about whatever it is that
is on their mind. Managers cannot help individuals if they are not prepared to listen, or if they are
simply waiting for the employee to stop talking so that they can put across their point of view.
Coach
Adopting a coaching style to supporting and providing feedback to staff. This means asking questions
and providing opportunities for the employee to find answers from within themselves.
Record
Take notes, this is a professional meeting rather than a chat. 121 meetings may form part of a wider
performance management / appraisal process, and notes can be used to draw conclusions and/or
provide evidence for appraisal scores at the end of a performance year.
121 Agenda
In practice the agenda needs to be flexible, but generally the first 15 minutes should be set aside for
the employee to talk about whatever they wish. During this time the manager should focus on the
employee’s interests.
The following 15 minutes can be used to:
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follow up on actions agreed at the previous meeting;
discuss progress and status of key projects or tasks;
provide feedback;
discuss any new projects or tasks that will help the employee to improve their performance;
decide upon actions for the next meeting.
You may find it helpful to ask the employee to prepare for the meeting by compiling some notes on
the following:
1. Accomplishments & Status – bring a list of all current projects, with one or two sentences
describing progress and status of each
2. Blocked/Waiting on – note any roadblocks that are currently keeping projects from
progressing
3. To do – make a high-level to-do list of what you would like to accomplish in the next
week/month
4. Areas to develop – note areas of personal and professional development and what activities
you have undertaken/would like to undertake to develop in those areas
5. Objectives – review your monthly, quarterly or yearly objectives and note what progress you
have made
6. Action Plans – record the results of previously established action plans
What if…
An employee refuses to meet?
An employee does not talk a lot or open up?
An employee dislikes that fact that I make notes?
Remember…
If employees are not used to regular and open communication in this way, they may feel unsure
about 121 meetings to start with. The best approach is to demonstrate through the first few
meetings that the discussions can be helpful and useful to them. Try asking them open questions
like… “What would you like to talk about today?” or “What’s on your agenda?” or “Is there anything
I can help you with?” and be prepared to listen. Explain the performance management process and
the rationale for the meeting, i.e. to communicate effectively and to promote strong working
relationships with a view to increasing performance, for the benefit of the employee and the
organisation.