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We recommend that you start this 1:1 template with a meeting that is 50-90 minutes every other week.
The following template is modeled after a 50-minute meeting.
Pre-work For the direct report - at least 24 hours before the meeting
- Pre-write your Good Things or Celebrations
- Populate topics and issue proposed solutions — Please refer to the Issue / Proposed Solution template (1-1)
- Check off past actions
- Create 1-3 new actions for each goal or OKR
- Prepare written feedback for your manager in your 1:1 tool or performance management toll\
For the manager - at least 24 hours before the meeting
- Pre-write your Good Things or Celebrations
- Populate topics
- Prepare written feedback for your direct report in your 1:1 tool or performance management toll
For both - day of the meeting
- Manager to read issue proposed solutions and add comments
- Manager to read through direct reports’ past actions and new actions. Prepare questions and comments
- Both will read the entirety of the entries from the other person
Template for written feedback
Your current rating for your job function, 1-5, is …
- 4-5 is above expectation
- 3 is at expectation, and you can outperform by following next-level guidance.
- 2 is below expectation, and you can quickly improve with next-level guidance.
- 1 is far below expectation. I am now putting you on a written Performance Improvement Plan.
What you did that I liked is ...
What you need to do to get to the next level is …
Synchronous
Connection: Good things or Celebrations (5 minutes)
- Good things
- You each verbally share 1 personal good thing and 1 work good thing
- Celebrations
- You each celebrate 1 thing about the other person
Coaching (20-25 minutes)
- Cover topics and questions. Drive to decisions and action items.
- Cover issue proposed solutions. Drive to decisions and action items.
Accountability (8- 13 minutes)
- Goals/OKRs: What are the 3 goals or OKRs that you’re working towards?
- Past actions
- Manager to coach through any blockers or missed action items
- New actions
- Manager to provide feedback on new actions by challenging your direct report to think bigger, or helping your direct report to deprioritze by simplifying their actions
Transparency (7 minutes)
- You will both be verbally giving each other feedback and make the other feel heard.
- Please share Feedback: Receiving: the 5 A’s with your direct report and ask them to follow the framework
Magic questions
You should ask these quarterly for career development and motivation. You can add this as a topic.
Please refer to Motivating your team for the full write-up on magic questions
"How are you feeling about your life at work, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
"How are you feeling about your personal life, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
"How are you feeling about your Work From Home (WFH) setup, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
"How are we performing as a company, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
"What is it like to work with the rest of the team, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
"What is it like to work with me, 1-5?"
- If the answer is <3, then "What would make it an 3?"
- If the answer is 3 or 4, then "What would make it a 5?"
Post 1:1
- Manager will cause the direct report to document all action items with due dates to their action tracker
- Manager will track their own action items
About the Author
Sabrina Wang is a CEO coach for extraordinary leaders of Series A to Unicorn companies. She is a founder, CEO, and operator who brings real-life experiences in building products and scaling revenue into her coaching. She is a writer, creative, and trained meditation teacher.
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