1-on-1 meetings are key for any manager in order to build trust and rapport with their direct reports. They are also an important forum for giving feedback and coaching employees.
However, 1-on-1 meetings can sometimes feel like a waste of time if the manager is not prepared with the right questions to ask.
Here are 20 questions that every manager should ask during 1-on-1 meetings, and why they are important:
This first section is a group of questions that should be a part of your regular routine for several reasons
- they are the primary reason for meeting on a regular basis
- the biggest value drviers for your team members
- they provide the perfect foundation for any 1-on-1 routine, whether its conducted on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis.
How are things going?
This is a simple but important question to start off 1-on-1s with. It shows that you care about how your direct report is doing and that you are interested in hearing about their current projects and challenges.
What challenges are you facing?
This question gets to the heart of why 1-on-1s are important. By asking about challenges, you can help your direct report identify areas where they need support or coaching. You can also offer suggestions and resources to help them overcome these challenges.
What needs to change for you to overcome these challenges and to be successful?
This question demonstrates your commitment to supporting your direct reports and to helping them be successful. It also allows you to identify any areas where you may need to provide more support.
A second benefit of this question is to get your counterpart to start thinking proactively about the earlier question "What challenges are you facing?" Prompting this type of thinking builds a habit of proactive problem solving - not all solutions need to come from you, their manager.
What can I do to help you be more successful?
This question is a great follow-up to the previous question. It shows that you are willing to take action to help your direct report be successful. It also allows you to identify any areas where you can provide support in areas that may be beyond their control.
This next batch of questions can be sprinkled into your routine intermittently.
For example, if you meet weekly, then each week you could select a couple of these questions for the week, and rotate through them on a regular basis.
This will keep your meetings feeling dynamic and interesting from week-to-week, while also maintaining a certain level of consistency.
What do you think about our current project(s)?
This question shows that you value your direct report's opinion and that you want to hear their thoughts on the project. It also allows you to gauge their level of engagement and understanding of the project.
How do you think we can improve our process?
This question shows that you are always looking for ways to improve and that you value your direct report's input. It also allows you to get some great ideas from your direct reports on how to improve your process.
What are your thoughts on our current goal(s)?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding and engagement with the current goals. It also allows you to get their feedback on the goals and whether they think they are realistic or not.
What do you think we could do to improve our goal-setting process?
This question is a great follow-up to the previous question. It shows that you are always looking for ways to improve and that you value your direct report's input. It also allows you to get some great ideas from your direct reports on how to improve your goal-setting process.
What do you think is the most important thing we should be working on right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's priorities and to get their thoughts on what is the most important thing you should be working on. It also allows you to realign your priorities if necessary.
What are your thoughts on our current strategy?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding and engagement with the current strategy. It also allows you to get their feedback on the strategy and whether they think it is the right one for the company.
What do you think we could do to improve our strategy?
This question is a great follow-up to the previous question. It shows that you are always looking for ways to improve and that you value your direct report's input. It also allows you to get some great ideas from your direct reports on how to improve your company's strategy.
What do you think is the biggest risk we are facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current risks the team is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe are the biggest risks. This question can help you identify potential risks that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest challenge our team is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current challenges the team is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest challenge. This question can help you identify potential challenges that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity our team is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current opportunities the team is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest opportunity. This question can help you identify potential opportunities that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest threat to our team's success?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current threats to the team's success. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest threat. This question can help you identify potential threats that you may not have been aware of.
It’s also important to ask questions about bigger-picture ideas. Don’t be afraid to prompt conversations revolving around department-level or company-level subjects.
These are naturally larger conversations, so there’s no need to hound your team with these questions week after week, consider using them on a quarterly basis. This will allow bigger thoughts and ideas to develop and mature, making the conversations worthwhile each time you ask such questions.
These kinds of questions could also help you understand who on your team is most interested and capable in advancing their career to the management level, even if they’re not expressing it outright.
What do you think is the biggest risk our department is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current risks the department is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe are the biggest risks. This question can help you identify potential risks that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest challenge our department is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current challenges the department is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest challenge. This question can help you identify potential challenges that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity our department is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current opportunities the department is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest opportunity. This question can help you identify potential opportunities that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest threat to our department's success?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current threats to the department's success. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest threat. This question can help you identify potential threats that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest opportunity the company is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current opportunities the company is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest opportunity. This question can help you identify potential opportunities that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest risk the company is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current risks the company is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe are the biggest risks. This question can help you identify potential risks that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest challenge the company is facing right now?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current challenges the company is facing. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest challenge. This question can help you identify potential challenges that you may not have been aware of.
What do you think is the biggest threat to the company’s success?
This question allows you to gauge your direct report's level of understanding of the current threats to the company’s success. It also allows you to get their thoughts on what they believe is the biggest threat. This question can help you identify potential threats that you may not have been aware of.
Free Meeting Templates
Topicflow's team of in-house meeting experts has curated these free meeting templates, ready for you to use in your next 1-on-1s or team meeting. We've built these templates right into our app, so you can get started with just a click or two — it's free!
