I suspect it would be incredibly rare to find a manager who thinks that they have too “few” meetings. Indeed, estimates suggest that the typical manager spends around 23 hours a week in meetings. This is compounded by the general futility of most meetings, with few yielding any kind of productive outcome.

In Glad We Met, UNC Charlotte’s Steven Rogelberg suggests that it’s not necessarily the number of meetings we have but rather the type of meeting that is the problem. He argues that whereas the typical meeting has around 4 participants, the most effective use of a manager’s time is in 1:1 meetings.

The benefits of 1:1s

“The best leaders recognize that 1:1s are not add-ons to the job; 1:1s ARE the job of a leader,” he explains. “Most importantly, a 1:1 meeting is for the direct to meet their needs, orchestrated and facilitated by the manager.”

Rogelberg outlines several ways in which limiting meetings to 1:1 can benefit, including:

• Greater employee engagement – Gallup data reveals that just 15% of employees who don’t meet regularly with their manager are engaged at work, with the obvious consequences that stem from that.

• Boosting team member success – 1:1s are a vital part of servant leadership and help managers check in on how employees are doing and what support they need to be as productive and successful as possible.

• Building relationships – It’s increasingly well understood that managers should care for the whole employee, and having regular 1:1s is a great way to really get to know the employees you lead.

• Employee growth and development – They also help identify skills roadblocks that are holding employees back and develop a roadmap for how to develop to be as successful as possible both now and in the future.
• Increasing life satisfaction – Relationships are key to happiness at work, and having regular 1:1s can help boost life satisfaction for both manager and employee alike.

Making 1:1s better

Despite these benefits, research from Rogelberg suggests that around half of employees involved in such meetings found them to be sub-optimal. He outlines several things managers can do to ensure that 1:1 meetings are more effective.

This process begins before the meeting itself, where the groundwork needs to be laid. For instance, if your focus on 1:1s is new then this shift in focus needs to be communicated to your team. Ideally, you should strive to tie the meetings in with the values of the organisation and yourself as a manager.

You should also determine the cadence of your meetings, with Rogelberg suggesting that the ideal approach is either to meet once a week for 30 minutes; meet every other week for up to an hour; or mix these depending on the needs of individual team members.

It’s also important to consider the location of your 1:1. For instance, Rogelberg’s research suggests that in-person is usually best, with the manager’s office the ideal location. This can be variable, however, and there are some who prefer meeting at their own desks and some who prefer more casual settings, such as a cafe or even a walking meeting. The key is to consider the needs of the meeting and individual and also the suitability of the venue to meet those needs.

It’s also important to consider the agenda of each meeting. It can be tempting to assume that the 1:1 nature of the meeting makes them less formal and more free-form, but Rogelberg argues that an agenda is nonetheless crucial to the success of the meeting and should not be overlooked. Ideally, this agenda should be co-created with your direct report.

During the meeting itself, you must set an example by ensuring that your devices are switched off and you’re fully committed to the meeting. It’s also important that you bring the right mood and energy level to the meeting as this can be contagious. It’s also important that you strive to listen far more than you talk, with Rogelberg suggesting that the direct report should talk as much as 90% of the time during the meeting.

Finally, the meeting should end with clear takeaways and action items for both parties. Ultimately, these meetings should be an ongoing endeavor, with the repetition affording you an opportunity to get better at them over time such that they become an invaluable part of your management toolkit. While meetings can often be an unproductive drain, 1:1 meetings offer a real opportunity to become a better manager.