Let’s get this out of the way: you’re not leading if you’re skipping your 1:1 meetings with employees.
We know, the calendar is packed. There’s always a deck to review, a fire to put out, or a meeting that somehow outranks your standing check-in. But here’s the truth: those small, quiet conversations you bump or breeze through? They’re the most powerful leadership tool you have.
Great leadership doesn’t happen in all-hands meetings or offsites when you present your ideas for the future or recap the past. It happens in the hallway, on the Slack thread, during side chats in Zoom meetings, and most of all, in one-on-one meetings. That’s where trust is built, alignment is clarified, hard truths are heard, and momentum starts. It’s not flashy. It’s just effective.
But even the best intentions can slip. One-on-one meetings can quietly shift from essential touchpoints to awkward status checks—or worse, disappear from the calendar entirely. What starts as a great connection point can easily become stale, rushed, or reactive if you're not paying attention.
How do you know if your 1:1 meetings aren’t working?
Most of the time, when a one-on-one meeting is off track, no one says it out loud. It’s not usually a dramatic failure—it’s a slow drift into unproductive habits that drain energy and waste time. The good news? There are clear warning signs that your 1:1s need attention. If you notice any of the following, it's time for a reset. Here are a few signs:
- You’re canceling or rescheduling them often (and calling it "time back").
- You don’t prepare—you just show up and wing it.
- You do all the talking.
- Your team doesn’t bring much to the conversation.
- You finish the meeting without clear next steps.
- You leave feeling like you checked a box, not like you built anything.
Most one-on-one meetings are broken. The 1:1 Playbook helps you fix them—with better questions, stronger structure, and conversations your team actually looks forward to.
If any of that sounds familiar, it’s time to reset how you run 1:1 meetings.
You don’t need a 10-point plan or a corporate script. You just need to show up, listen more than you talk, and make the conversation meaningful. Ask questions that go deeper than "what are you working on?" Create a space where feedback isn’t scary and growth isn’t vague.
This kind of leadership isn’t loud. It doesn’t look like heroics. But it’s what builds resilient, high-performing teams.
T L ; D R - If your one-on-one meetings feel flat, they probably are. Consistency, presence, and a few good questions go a long way. You don’t need to be perfect—you just need to show up. The 1:1 Playbook can help you reset and reenergize how you lead 1:1 meetings with your team.
