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Suggested talking points for your 1:1 meeting with your report.

Jesús Cerviño
  • Updated

Having effective 1:1 meetings is not easy, to detect problems and understand what motivates or worries the other person, it is necessary to ask the right questions in the right way.
To do this, we offer you 6 categories of specifically selected questions that will help you have useful conversations with the people you manage during a 1:1

Talking points aiming to:

  • Detect burnout & mood problems.

  • Detect work environment problems.

  • Generate personal bonding.

  • Develop professional goals and careers.

  • Understand and improve personal satisfaction.

  • Be a better manager.

Detect burnout & mood problems

Use these questions to detect if this person is at risk, understanding what is bothering them most and how is it impacting their mood.

  1. From 0 to 10, how happy are you at work?

  2. When was the last time you felt demotivated at work?

  3. What is the most boring part of your job?

  4. Right now, what worries you the most about work?

  5. What would you change in your day-to-day life at the company to make it perfect?

  6. What are the things that keep you from doing your job better?

  7. For you, what is the best time to work?

  8. Have you felt exhausted in the last few weeks?

  9. What is the most stressful/frustrating moment you have experienced in the last few weeks?

  10. What would you change and what would you never change about your co-workers?

  11. From 0 to 10, how is your relationship with your colleagues?

 

Detect work environment problems

With these questions, you will be able to understand what factors of the work environment and the company would need to be modified to favour this person becomes a #1fan of the company.

  1. What do we have to do for you to have the most excellent work environment?

  2. What is the last decision made by the company that has caused you disappointment?

  3. Is there a time when you have not felt proud of being part of this company?

  4. What should we change in the company so that you feel it is the best place you have ever worked in?

  5. Do you feel aligned with the company's values?

  6. Do you think the company provides the necessary information and means for you to do your job?

  7. What 3 aspects would you improve on the company’s communication procedures?

  8. If you run the company, what would be the first thing you would change?

  9. What is the greatest benefit of working in this company?

  10. What is the greatest strength of the company?

 

Generate personal bonding

These questions are intended to generate or improve the personal relationship between both of you.

  1. How do you see your work-life balance?

  2. If you could have any job for the rest of your life, what would it be?

  3. What are your top 3 priorities in life?

  4. Do you have an idol or someone who inspires you?

  5. What would you say characterizes you or is very much your own?

  6. What bothers you the most from a person? and what do you value the most?

  7. What is the worst thing about remote work?

  8. Where would you like to go on your next vacation?

  9. What series, movie or book would you recommend to a friend?

  10. What would you like to do that you have never done before?

 

Develop professional goals and career

With these questions, you will be able to detect areas of improvement in terms of work objectives and career development within the company. Also, they will help you understand how their career expectations are affecting their mood

  1. What professional objectives would you like to achieve in the next 6 to 12 months? Why?

  2. What would you like to be doing in a couple of years?

  3. What would you improve about the company's career development plan?

  4. How are you progressing with your goals?

  5. Do you feel comfortable with the set objectives? Are they achievable?

  6. How would you feel if you do not manage to complete your objectives?

  7. What can we do to help you achieve your goals?

  8. Have you had the opportunity to learn and grow during the last year?

  9. Are we correctly stimulating people's professional development in the company?

  10. Do you have the necessary means to achieve your goals?

  11. What is the main obstacle when you are not able to complete your objectives?

  12. Who would you like to learn from the company? What would you like to learn?

  13. What do you see positive in the objectives we have set? And negative?

  14. From 0 to 10, how supported do you feel in your professional development?

 

Understand and improve personal satisfaction

You can use these questions to understand whether or not the person is motivated in the company and to detect the main factor that generates it.

  1. Have you received recognition in the last few weeks for your work?

  2. Are you getting all the feedback you need to do your best at work?

  3. What are the 3 main factors that make you motivated at work?

  4. Are you clear about what is expected of you at work?

  5. Are the working conditions optimal for you?

  6. What do you think would change and improve your day-to-day work?

  7. Does your job entail a challenge for you?

  8. Is your work as you expected it to be? If not, what has changed that does not motivate you?

  9. Are you clear about the objectives and strategy of the company?

  10. What could we do in the company to keep you and your team motivated?

  11. What could we do to improve the work environment?

  12. How is working remotely affecting you?

  13. What can we do to improve the team’s performance?

  14. As a team, what should we stop doing and what should we do more often?

  15. Do you feel you are doing your best? If not, what do you think we should do in the company so you can do it?

 

Become a better manager

This list of questions can help you evaluate your work as a manager and what factors you can improve.

  1. Do you think I could improve the amount of quality time I allocate on managing tasks?

  2. If you had to choose 3 soft skills to be the perfect manager, what would they be?

  3. Do you think that as a manager I know how to delegate responsibilities to other people in the team?

  4. What would you improve from the feedback I give you and the team as a manager?

  5. Do you think that as a manager I know how to manage the direction of the team?

  6. Do you find my communication clear and easy to understand, or is there something I can do to improve it as a manager?

  7. What do you like the most about my managerial style? And what do you dislike?

  8. What do you think I should do more as a manager? And what less?

  9. What could I be doing better as a manager?

  10. What do you think we can improve from this meeting?

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