Monthly one-on-one meeting template walk-through:

Why have 1:1s monthly?

If you lead a larger team of people who are doing similar roles, monthly one-on-one meetings are great. If this is the case, don't forget to still sync up between meetings via other communication tools.

Why one hour?

If you only meet once per month, there's likely a lot to talk about between each 1:1. By scheduling an hour for this meeting, you'll give yourselves the time needed to work through the meeting agenda and have meaningful conversations.

1. What was your work and non-work highlight of the past month?

It's always great to start every meeting off on a positive note. Maybe they completed something at work that they're extremely proud of and excited to share with you. Celebrating workplace wins is a great way to motivate your team.

Asking about a personal highlight also offers some great benefits. First, it works as a great icebreaker, easing you and your direct report into the meeting. It also allows the opportunity for each of you to learn something new about one another!

Remember that this is a two-way question. You should both come prepared with an answer. ?

2. Goals: How are you tracking and feeling about all things numbers/statistics?

It’s good to keep your goals at the top of the agenda because it allows you to focus on how you can best move the needle. If your direct report isn't feeling great about the numbers, maybe they're running into a lot of blockers, or they weren't realistic in the first place.

When you're able to discuss your goals on a frequent cadence, it allows you and your team the flexibility to pivot and/or improve processes.

3. What, if anything, feels harder than it should be in your day to day work?

Whether it's processes that need improving or something is going on in their personal life that requires them to spend more time working remotely; This question offers a great opportunity for you to discover and discuss any issues that need to be solved.

This question is open-ended enough to allow for a wide range of conversations to spur, from growth-focused ones to workplace culture improvements.

4. How have you felt about my level of presence/support over the past month?

As a leader, you want to know whether or not your team feels supported. After all, employees feel more motivated and engaged in the workplace when they feel like they're heard and cared for.

This is a great way to ask for specific feedback from your direct reports. Maybe they want to meet more frequently, or maybe they're happy with your level of support. You won't know until you ask (and continue to ask!)

5. What is one thing I could experiment with doing differently this month to help you more?

This is a question to ask direct reports. For any employee, upward feedback can be scary and intimidating. However, using a word like "experiment" feels less like a demand or that something is wrong. Instead, it gives off the impression that you're more open to changing things up. This makes it easier for direct reports to provide valuable feedback.

During this conversation, be curious. Dig for more information. Most importantly, be supportive. Once you receive an answer, make a small commitment and be sure to follow-through. Then, when you meet again a month later, you can ask them how they felt about the change.

6. Do you feel you’re getting enough feedback on your work? If not, where would you like more feedback?

Similar to the previous question, this is another way to help direct reports feel comfortable sharing upward feedback with you. If they don't feel supported enough, a consistent stream of feedback is a great way to ensure that they feel this way.

However, remember that every direct report is different, so what is considered frequent or enough for one, could feel very minimal for another. That's why it's so important to add this agenda item to every one-on-one meeting across all of your direct reports.

7. What is one thing you’d like to do more of outside of work this coming month?

This is a great question to end off every monthly one-on-one because it gives you a guaranteed talking point for your next meeting. If a direct report shares that they'd like to network more in the next month, it gives you an opportunity to introduce them to valuable and relevant professionals. After a month passes, you can ask, "What was the most memorable conversation you had this past month with people you networked with?"

On the flip side, they can share that they'd like to dance more outside of work. Not only will it offer you a fun and personal talking point for your next one-on-one, but you'll also learn a little bit more about their interests outside of work.

This agenda template is a starting point for your monthly 1:1 and should help you lay the foundation for productive conversations with your team!