Help me prepare a one-on-one meeting with [DIRECT REPORT ROLE OR NAME]. Their current work, priorities, and recent signals are [CURRENT CONTEXT]. The purpose of this meeting is [MEETING PURPOSE], and these prior commitments or open items need follow-up: [PRIOR FOLLOW-UPS]. My role and decision authority are [MANAGER ROLE AND AUTHORITY]. Create a [MEETING LENGTH]-minute agenda that gives the direct report meaningful control of the conversation. Do not diagnose motives, make performance judgments from sparse notes, promise outcomes I cannot approve, or treat protected personal information as a work topic. Produce: 1. A short opening that invites the direct report to set or adjust priorities for the meeting.
2. A time-boxed agenda with a protected section for their topics before manager updates. 3. Six open questions, divided among workload and priorities, collaboration or blockers, feedback for me, growth, and wellbeing as it affects work. Phrase wellbeing questions so declining to discuss is easy. 4. Two specific observations I can raise, written as observable facts plus a neutral question, not labels or assumptions. 5. A decision log template distinguishing decisions I can make, decisions needing another owner, and items to revisit. 6. A closing recap with owner, due date, and evidence of completion for each commitment. 7. Private manager notes: facts to record, questions to verify, and topics that should be handled through a separate performance, HR, or people process. Before answering, check that the agenda fits the time, that follow-ups are not lost, and that each question serves the stated purpose. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.
Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [DIRECT REPORT ROLE OR NAME] | Enter the person’s role or first name and role, using only information appropriate to include in meeting preparation. | Maya, senior customer success manager |
| [CURRENT CONTEXT] | Enter active priorities, workload signals, recent wins, blockers, and relevant collaboration observations. | Maya is leading the Northwind renewal and onboarding a new teammate. She met last month’s adoption target, but three client escalations arrived late because product questions sat unresolved in Slack. |
| [MEETING PURPOSE] | Enter the main purpose for this particular one-on-one, such as a regular check-in, project reset, or growth discussion. | Regular biweekly check-in with extra focus on workload, escalation paths, and her interest in managing a small team. |
| [PRIOR FOLLOW-UPS] | Enter commitments, decisions, and unresolved questions from the prior meeting. | I would clarify the product escalation owner; Maya would share a draft onboarding checklist; we would revisit her capacity after the renewal proposal. |
| [MANAGER ROLE AND AUTHORITY] | Enter your role and what you can decide or change directly. | Director of customer success. I can adjust account assignments and meeting cadences, but headcount and compensation require VP approval. |
| [MEETING LENGTH] | Enter the number of minutes available for the meeting. | 30 |
How to use
- Bring the prior meeting’s commitments and replace vague impressions with dates, examples, and observable work facts.
- Paste the agenda into the shared document before the meeting, leaving room for the direct report’s additions.
- During the recap, agree on an owner and proof of completion for each action instead of recording broad intentions.
- Send this follow-up: “Turn these meeting notes into a neutral action recap for Maya, with only shared commitments and no private manager notes.”
Variations
New manager check-in
Use this during the first month of managing someone new to you.
Prepare a [MEETING LENGTH]-minute first-month one-on-one with [DIRECT REPORT ROLE]. Known work context is [WORK CONTEXT], and my authority is [MANAGER AUTHORITY]. Create an agenda that learns their preferred communication, decision-making, feedback, recognition, workload signals, career interests, and essential working agreements without seeking private medical, family, or protected information. Include open questions, a section explaining what I can and cannot decide, and a written agreement template. End with two modest commitments for each person. Before answering, check that questions are optional where personal and that no commitment exceeds my stated authority.
Performance expectations
Use this to prepare a factual conversation about work expectations and support.
Prepare a [MEETING LENGTH]-minute conversation with [EMPLOYEE ROLE] about these documented work expectations and examples: [FACTS AND EXPECTATIONS]. Available support and relevant policy are [SUPPORT AND POLICY]. Create a respectful agenda, neutral fact-based questions, a clear restatement of the expected standard, a support plan, dates for reviewing progress, and a note-taking template. Do not infer intent, diagnose capability, or draft disciplinary language unless I provide approved policy wording. Identify what must be confirmed with HR or my manager before the conversation. Before answering, flag any conclusion not supported by the documented facts.
Career development
Use this when the direct report wants a concrete growth plan.
Create a career-development one-on-one plan for [DIRECT REPORT ROLE] who is interested in [CAREER DIRECTION]. Their demonstrated skills and current opportunities are [EVIDENCE AND OPPORTUNITIES], and organizational constraints are [CONSTRAINTS]. Produce a [MEETING LENGTH]-minute agenda, questions that separate aspiration from readiness evidence, two to three stretch-assignment options, skills to practice, sponsor or training needs, and a 90-day plan with observable milestones. Do not promise a promotion, title, compensation change, or opening. Before answering, verify that proposed opportunities are realistic within the stated constraints and distinguish manager support from organizational decisions.
Tips
- Keep one-on-ones separate from project status meetings; ask for the work signals that a dashboard cannot show, such as unclear decisions or relationship friction.
- Record observations with date and context before discussing them, because labels such as “unresponsive” do not tell someone what to change.
- Close the loop on last meeting’s commitments before introducing a new development plan or process change.
- Use private manager notes carefully and keep shared notes limited to agreed decisions, actions, and appropriate work context.
FAQ
What should a manager ask in every one-on-one?
Ask about priorities, blockers, support needed, feedback for the manager, and commitments from the previous conversation. The exact questions should change with the person’s current work and goals.
Should one-on-ones include performance feedback?
Yes, timely factual feedback can belong there, but serious performance issues may need a separate documented process. Do not let a routine check-in obscure formal expectations or required HR guidance.
Can AI summarize private one-on-one notes?
It can, but remove unnecessary sensitive details and follow your organization’s privacy and data-handling rules. Keep factual observations separate from interpretations.