4 things to bring to your next 1:1

A buddy of mine described his employee like this:

"I love how she runs her 1:1s with me. Always has an organized agenda. Makes my life easy!"

I totally agree. Some of my best employees were also great at managing their 1:1 time with me.

The sad part?

Most employees squander this opportunity. They're too busy, so they don't prepare for their 1:1s. They end up rambling through updates, and leave without moving their work or their careers forward.

Please don't make this mistake. If you want to stand out, you need to play a different game.

Instead of thinking of yourself as a passenger in your 1:1. Think of yourself as a driver.

I want you to take responsibility for having a great 1:1 with your boss. Leverage this precious 1:1 time to share key updates, remove your blockers and advance your work and career.

Today I'm going to show you how to do just that.

The best part?

You don’t have to do much to have a great 1:1 with your manager. All it takes is coming prepared to discuss four key areas:

• Projects (your work)
• Players (your direct reports)
• Position (your career)
• Yourself (your well-being)

You won’t cover all four in every 1:1, but you'll talk about projects pretty much every time.

That’s why today’s email is all about helping you have valuable project conversations with your manager.

One way to prepare for the project conversation is by making sure you have answers to the following questions:

• What are you (or your team) working on?
• What’s not working, and where do you need support?
• What’s working well?

What are you (or your team) working on?

Show up prepared to share key updates with your manager. A good idea is to prioritize your updates by impact, not a full rundown of everything you're working on. The more senior you are, the smaller the list.

To make the most of your limited time. I recommend creating a shared document and dropping in your updates ahead of time, ideally 24 hours before your 1:1. This gives your manager a chance to add comments or ask questions directly in the doc, and also ensures both of you are aligned. [Reply back if you need a 1:1 template]

 
What’s not working well?

If you’re stuck on a problem, use your 1:1 to get your manager’s input. The goal isn’t to use the meeting as a venting session. It's okay to vent occasionally, but if every meeting turns into a venting session, your manager will start to lose patience.

A better approach is to clearly state what you need from your manager. Instead of saying:

• “I’m so frustrated with the CFO. He wants us to switch vendors in the middle of the year. We can't do this. I need your help!"

Try getting specific:

• "I'm having a difficult time convincing the CFO that we can't switch vendors in the middle of the year. I've shown him the numbers and the effort involved but he's not moving. Here's where I need your help. I'd like for you to explain the negative impact of the move. My hope is that if you echo my talking points, he'll be more willing to budge. If you agree, I can set up a call with the three of us. What do you think?"

What’s working well?

Along with sharing your blockers, make sure to highlight what’s working well. If you don’t regularly remind your manager of the progress you and your team are making, you’re missing an important opportunity to demonstrate your value.

Don’t assume your manager knows all the great work you’re doing. Make it a habit to share at least one win, big or small in your 1:1s. If you don’t have a win to share, share what you’re excited about or the progress you’re making. Your manager should never have any doubt about the value you bring to the team.

Few meetings on your calendar are as high-leverage as your 1:1s with your manager. A little preparation is all it takes to take it to the next level. The 1:1 template I've put together will help you do just that. Hit reply. I’ll send it over.