One-on-one meeting template

A one-on-one meeting is an opportunity for managers and their direct reports to have an honest conversation about performance, progress, and priorities. When done well, they strengthen employee engagement, build trust, and help keep expectations aligned. 

Workleap’s one-on-one meeting template, available here and through Workleap’s Officevibe platform, is the perfect 1:1 reference guide. Download it today to learn how to plan, run, and track productive and meaningful bi-weekly meetings. 

What is a 1-on-1 meeting?

A one-on-one meeting is a dedicated time slot for a manager and team member to discuss work-related matters like their performance or roadblocks impacting their workflow. The point is to build trust, improve communication, align on goals, and support growth.

Here are five benefits of one-on-one meetings: 

1. They help you gather feedback: One-on-one meetings are an opportunity to gather employee feedback, giving you insight into what’s working well, what’s not, and anything happening behind the scenes.
2. They build trust: More face time from regular meetings strengthens managers’ working relationships with their reports.
3. They help you spot friction early: Ongoing talks can help you identify challenges and prevent bottlenecks before they slow your team down.
4. They boost engagement: Regular discourse helps show your workers you care about their progress and any issues they might be facing, boosting engagement and satisfaction.
5. They keep everyone aligned: One-on-one meetings are a great chance to review personal and business objectives, progress, and expectations.

1-on-1 meeting questions that spark meaningful conversations 

An effective one-on-one meeting template encourages honesty and reflection through a range of different question types. Use these eight sample one-on-one meeting questions to move past surface-level insights and start having meaningful discussions with your employees.

Engagement 

• How do you feel about your current projects? 
• How connected do you feel to your team’s priorities?

Growth

• Are there any skills you’d like to build?
• Where do you see the most opportunities for learning and professional development? 

Challenges 

• Is there anything slowing down your work or creating friction in your daily tasks?
• How can the company help you overcome any challenges you’re facing?

Recognition 

• What have you done recently that you’re proud of?
• Do you feel supported and recognized by leadership and your team?

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Best practices for effective 1-on-1 meetings 

To keep 1:1s feeling productive and natural rather than awkward and stiff, here are a few best practices to follow: 

• Be consistent: When you keep a consistent schedule, your employee will get used to reflecting on their work. Many companies find that a bi-weekly cadence works best for managers and their reports. 
• Send the agenda beforehand: A meeting agenda gives your employee time to think about what you plan to talk about. 
• Focus on the employee: Always remember the conversation is about this particular employee, not their colleagues or leadership. Listen to them and encourage them to talk about their aspirations and any challenges they might be facing.
• Turn notes into action items: Making notes throughout the meeting will give you something to reference in future sessions. They’ll also help you create objectives that keep everyone accountable. 
• Always circle back: Follow-ups on previous discussions help your employees see that the meeting is about them, rather than just being a calendar-filling admin task. 
• Use Workleap Officevibe: By automating everything from agenda-setting to note-taking, Workleap Officevibe makes sure nothing falls through the cracks. 

Make your meetings easier with Workleap’s 1-on-1 meeting with manager template

Workleap’s free 1:1 template helps you build better meetings that result in stronger manager-employee relationships. With its help, you’ll learn how to stay focused and create a clear, structured agenda with visible action items. 

If you’re ready to level up your workplace even further, try out Workleap Officevibe. This AI-powered platform helps you keep 1:1s organized, with agenda templates, talking points, shared notes, follow-ups, and reminders.

Download the template here to start making your one-on-one meetings easier today.

FAQs 

What do you write in a one-on-one meeting invite?

Keep it simple. Include the meeting’s purpose, a short agenda, and a note inviting the employee to add any topics they want to discuss. This will help your direct report arrive prepared. 

What shouldn't be discussed in a 1:1?

A one-on-one meeting works best when you focus on your employee. Skip things like team-wide announcements and conversations about your colleagues.

How long should a one-on-one meeting last? 

Since one-on-one meetings should be carried out regularly, you likely won’t need to talk for more than 30 minutes. That should be plenty of time to discuss priorities and check on progress without the meeting becoming unfocused or overwhelming.