Do you have a one-on-one with your team members every month? If not, it’s time to start! One of the most important parts of being a manager is understanding what makes your team tick. The best way to do this is by asking them questions about their work and their perceptions of work.
You should set up a meeting with your team members to ensure that they are on the same page as you regarding company goals and their individual roles. For this, it is important to ask questions during one-on-one’s so that the conversation becomes more interactive rather than just monologues back and forth.
The reason why we need to ask these questions is also that we need to know what you are doing in order to measure your success. In addition, if everyone is on the same page regarding company goals and individual roles then it would be easier for us to achieve company KPI’s which will lead to more efficient results.
Clients sometimes ask for input on how to conduct great one-on-one meetings with their team members. One suggestion is to ask good questions. A recent blog post at Soapbox provided 9 helpful Questions to ask during one-on-one’s
Here are some other thoughts…
How often should these meetings occur?
The best time for these is weekly, bi monthly or biweekly is acceptable.
Ask open ended questions that will prompt conversation instead of yes/no answers.
If someone feels obligated to attend, workplace relations will suffer.
What are the goals of these meetings?
These should include tasks that need to be completed and problems within the workplace that can be addressed during this meeting.
Do you feel comfortable bringing up your concerns here or would rather schedule a separate meeting?
This is an important question to ask since everyone prefers different workplace dynamics.
Are there any concerns on your end?
It is important to let the employee know that they can voice anything at this time so they do not feel pressured or uncomfortable when bringing up an issue in future sessions.
What questions would you like me to ask during these meetings moving forward?
This final question is a great way to find what should be included in future meetings and also lets the employee feel as though their voice is being heard.
What do you think? Which questions are missing? Are there any you don’t like? I’d love to hear your experiences!
Also read out post about the 10 questions leaders should ask in meetings
Thanks to Brennan at Soapbox for the great content!
Dr. Jeff Suderman is a futurist, consultant, and professor who works in the field of organizational development. He partners with clients to improve culture, leadership, teamwork, organizational alignment, strategy and organizational future-readiness. He resides in Palm Desert, California. Email: jeff@jeffsuderman.com
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