Top 15 Questions to ask in 1:1 meetings

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Great managers cultivate supportive relationships with people to set them up for success: they encourage meaningful two-way communication, they empower employees to do their best, and they reward and recogniserecognize achievements. Managers wield serious influence in the workplace: they account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores. This means it’s imperative for leaders to make time to intentionally support peoples’ success. One of the best ways to achieve this is through regular 1:1 meetings that allow for two-way feedback and development conversations.

Delivering constructive feedback

Giving feedback for improvements takes practice – the key is to keep any criticism constructive. Managers are expected to deliver regular, actionable and direct feedback, but research shows that critically evaluating a person’s performance can actually hinder their development. That’s because criticism sparks a brain’s threat and defence mechanism, inhibiting chances to learn and develop.

Instead of using 1:1 meetings to tell people how you think they should improve, structure your feedback around what they’re already doing that’s working well. Contemporary performance management theory suggests that identifying and reinforcing desirable behaviours will help people grow, while focusing on failures will hinder personal development.

When you do need to provide constructive feedback, consider timing. When possible, call out undesirable behaviour as it happens and assist people to find a better approach. Consider the mix of feedback you’re giving each individual. The golden feedback ratio of 5:1 suggests that for every piece of negative feedback, we should deliver five positive takeaways. That way, people won’t feel overwhelmed with criticism.

Here are 15 questions to prompt meaningful, constructive development conversations.

What’s on your plate this week?

Ensure people’s priorities are in line with your expectations, adjust the order of priorities and consider redistributing work if some team members have more capacity than others.

Is there anything worrying you that you’d like to talk about?

Let people know you’re invested in their day-to-day happiness and development by regularly checking in on any concerns.

Last time we caught up you were having trouble with [x], how’s this going?

It’s important to address any pain points and blockers – use this opportunity to see how you can help. Don’t be afraid to ask follow up questions to get to the source of any ongoing problems.

Is there anything you’d like to ask me about the recent change involving [x]?

Most people would prefer to find out about big business announcements personally, rather than in the lunchroom or via mass email. Use 1:1 meetings to keep people in the loop: doing so will build a relationship of transparency and trust.

Do you feel your personal goals are in line with where the business is headed?

Making sure an employee feels their personal goals are aligned with the goals of the business has a big impact on employee engagement.

Are you happy with your work/life balance right now?

People who are satisfied with their work situation are more motivated, productive and engaged with what they’re doing.

What could we change about work for you that would improve your personal life?

We spend one-third of our lives at work, which means our professional and personal lives are intrinsically linked (whether we like it or not). Even a small change at work – like offering flexible arrangements, or an earlier start time – can have a huge impact.

I noticed you were having trouble with [x] last week: how can I help?

Rather than jumping to criticism, be curious about what’s blocking people’s success. You’ll be surprised what you’ll learn.

I thought it worked really well when you did [x]: how can you repeat that?

Find what’s working well and explore ways for people to scale that success.

What feedback do you have for me?

Build an open, productive relationship by nurturing two-way communication and feedback.

What would you like me to stop, start or continue to do?

Stop, Start, Continue is a retrospective technique that can help your team come up with action-oriented and practical ideas for improvement.

What do you think you’re doing well right now?

We learn best when someone else pays attention to our strengths and helps us to cultivate them intelligently. To encourage learning and development, frame your questions to discover strengths.

What energisesenergizes you about your role?

Learn what gets people out of bed in the morning, when possible amplify this aspect of their role to keep them engaged, motivated and inspired by their work.

What kind of training or experience would you like to be involved in?

Actively supporting people in their learning is one of the most important steps you can take to help them develop. Employees increasingly want to lead their own learning, so listen to what, when, where and how people like to learn.

What goals do you have for your career, and what are you doing to achieve them?

Career-level goals can often seem intangible and hard to reach. To make these large-scale goals seem more attainable, set mini milestones along the way. Use regular 1:1 meetings to track how people are progressing and celebrate each milestone as it’s met.

Asking the right questions opens the door to meaningful dialogue, however these conversations will only be effective if you’re actively listening and truly engaged with what people share with you. To get the most out of 1:1s, hold them regularly, keep asking questions and making space for the answers, take the feedback you receive on board, and work to put it into action as soon as possible. The investment will be well worth it.