---
name: one-on-one-template
description: "Designs 1:1 meeting templates with check-in questions, career development discussion, and action items for effective manager conversations."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# One-on-One Template

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Create a structured template for recurring 1:1 meetings with team members
- Design check-in questions that surface real issues and build trust
- Include career development and growth conversations in 1:1s
- Standardize how you run 1:1 meetings across your team

**DO NOT** use this skill for performance reviews, meeting agendas for group meetings, or project check-ins. This is for the recurring manager-report 1:1 relationship meeting.

---

## Core Principle

THE 1:1 IS THE TEAM MEMBER'S MEETING, NOT YOURS — IT EXISTS TO SURFACE WHAT YOU WOULD NOT HEAR OTHERWISE, BUILD TRUST, AND REMOVE OBSTACLES FROM THEIR PATH.

---

## Phase 1: Meeting Design

Define the cadence and structure.

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Team member role** | "What role is this 1:1 for?" | No default |
| **Relationship** | "How long have you worked together?" | New relationship |
| **Frequency** | "How often will you meet? (weekly, biweekly)" | Weekly |
| **Duration** | "How long is each meeting?" | 30 minutes |
| **Format** | "Video call, phone, or in-person?" | Video call |
| **Current pain** | "What is not working in your current 1:1s (if any)?" | No structure |

**GATE: Confirm meeting parameters before building the template.**

---

## Phase 2: Build Template

Create the 1:1 meeting template.

### Standard 1:1 Template (30 minutes)

```
## 1:1 Meeting: [Manager] + [Team Member]

**Date:** [Date]
**Duration:** 30 minutes

---

### Their Updates (10 min)
*Let the team member lead. Ask open questions, listen more than talk.*

- How are you doing this week? (Personal + professional)
- What is going well?
- What is challenging right now?
- Is there anything blocking your progress?

### Priorities Check (10 min)
*Align on what matters most and clear obstacles.*

- What are your top priorities this week?
- Are they the right priorities? (Validate or redirect)
- What do you need from me to get them done?
- Any decisions you need me to make?

### Growth and Development (5 min)
*Rotate through these themes — pick 1-2 per meeting, not all.*

- What did you learn this week?
- What skill do you want to develop?
- Is there a project or opportunity you want to take on?
- How are you feeling about your career trajectory?

### Action Items (5 min)
*Both parties leave with clear commitments.*

| Action | Owner | Due |
|--------|-------|-----|
| | | |
| | | |

### Notes for Next Meeting
[Carry-forward items, topics to revisit]
```

### Question Library

Rotate questions to keep 1:1s fresh:

**Engagement and Satisfaction:**
- What is energizing you right now?
- What is draining you?
- On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you at work? What would make it a point higher?

**Feedback:**
- What is one thing I could do differently as your manager?
- Is there anything you are not getting feedback on but wish you were?
- What feedback do you have for the team or company?

**Strategy and Alignment:**
- Do you feel clear on priorities? Where is it murky?
- Are you spending time on the right things?
- What would you stop doing if you could?

**Relationship and Trust:**
- Is there anything you have been wanting to bring up but have not?
- Do you feel you have enough autonomy?
- How can I better support you?

**GATE: Present template for review and customization.**

---

## Phase 3: Running the Meeting

Guidelines for effective 1:1 execution.

### Before the Meeting

- Both parties add topics to a shared document 24 hours before
- Review notes from the last 1:1 — follow up on previous action items
- Come prepared to listen, not just to update

### During the Meeting

- Start with their agenda, not yours
- Listen to ratio: aim for them talking 70%, you talking 30%
- Take notes on commitments and follow-ups
- If they say "everything is fine" — dig deeper with specific questions
- Address difficult topics early, not in the last 2 minutes

### After the Meeting

- Summarize action items in the shared document within 1 hour
- Follow through on your commitments before the next 1:1
- If a sensitive topic came up, check in via message within 48 hours

### Shared Document Structure

```
## 1:1 Running Document: [Manager] + [Team Member]

### [Date]
**Their updates:**
**Priorities:**
**Growth topic:**
**Action items:**

### [Previous Date]
...
```

---

## Phase 4: Evolve

Adapt the 1:1 format as the relationship matures.

### Cadence Adjustments

- **New team member (first 90 days):** Weekly 1:1s, 30-45 minutes
- **Established relationship (90+ days):** Weekly or biweekly, 30 minutes
- **Senior/autonomous team member:** Biweekly, 25 minutes
- **During crisis or change:** Return to weekly regardless of seniority

### Quarterly Relationship Check

Every 3 months, ask:
1. "Are our 1:1s useful? What would make them better?"
2. "Is the cadence right?"
3. "Is there a topic we keep avoiding that we should address?"

### 1:1 Self-Audit

For the manager:
- Am I following through on commitments?
- Am I doing more listening than talking?
- Am I asking about growth, not just tasks?
- Am I canceling or rescheduling 1:1s too often?

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Status update meetings** — if the entire 1:1 is project updates, it is not a 1:1. Status updates belong in standups or async.
- **Manager talks the whole time** — this is their meeting. Your job is to ask, listen, and unblock.
- **Canceling regularly** — canceling 1:1s tells the team member their development is not a priority.
- **Only talking when things go wrong** — 1:1s should happen consistently, not just when there is a problem to address.
- **Same questions every week** — rotate questions. The same template every week becomes stale.

---

## Recovery

- **Team member says nothing is wrong (but something clearly is):** Build trust over time. Ask specific questions: "How did the [specific project] go?" is better than "How are things?"
- **1:1s feel like a waste of time:** The template is probably wrong or too rigid. Ask the team member what they would find useful and redesign together.
- **User manages too many people for weekly 1:1s:** Biweekly is the minimum. If that is not feasible, the team structure needs to change, not the 1:1 cadence.
- **Team member is also the user's only report:** 1:1s are still critical. Use them for alignment, development, and building the relationship that makes remote work function.
- **Difficult feedback needs to be delivered:** Do not wait for the 1:1. Address it sooner. But if it comes up in a 1:1, address it in the first 10 minutes, not the last 5.
