How frequently should I hold 1:1 meetings with my team members?

Busy managers often wonder whether they should have 1:1 meetings with all team members or just the direct reports and should they have 1:1s weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Here are some rules of thumb for creating the 1:1 meeting cadence:

1. Large organizations - weekly
2. Small organizations - monthly
3. Skip level manager with managers as direct reports - All direct reports plus 1/3rd team members selected at random.
4. Manager with less than 5 direct reports - All team members.
5. Managers with more than 5 direct reports - Minimum 1/3rd of the team selected randomly.

What is the difference between daily stand-up meeting and one-on-one meeting?

1:1 meetings are private conversations between a manager and his or her team members. 1:1 meetings provide an excellent opportunity for managers to coach their team members.

Daily stand-ups have a specific objective and should be highly focused. They are most effective when the focused on either

a) what the team members worked yesterday? or

b) what the team members will work on today?

These meetings are bound to waste time, when recognition, motivation, engagement and such other things are packed into these meetings.

Can I discuss my career path with my manager during 1:1 meetings?

1:1 meetings are set up with a shared agenda. You certainly can add your career path as an agenda item.