How to Pull Off 1:1 Meeting with Your Manager

A 1:1 (one on one) is a regular meeting between two people in an organization, usually between a manager and an employee. For employees, the 1:1 meeting helps you get direct feedback and stay guided along the projects you are currently working on. It creates a safety net around your project since whenever it starts getting off a tangent, these “check-in” meetings with your manager will hopefully set it back on course before it is too late. During the session, you will have a chance to bring up difficulties you face at work that are hard to say otherwise in the regular working time.

Now that you get that the 1:1 meeting holds a great importance for your work, you definitely do not want to mess it up, right? Here are 3 tips to follow through for having a successful 1:1 meeting with your manager:

Before the meeting - Be organize

Preparation is the most detrimental part for the success of your meeting. A good, meaningful meeting with your manager is the one that once you come out, you feel more resourceful and confident in your work.

First, secure a regular time slot for the meeting. This not only helps you get more organized but also gives off a signal to your boss that you are taking your professional and personal goals very seriously. Second, list down the things you want to discuss beforehand. A 1:1 meeting usually only lasts for 30-60 minutes hence you are encouraged to communicate effectively and purposefully. A pro-tip is to have your list written down on a spreadsheet which is accessible to your manager as well so they can check on it too before entering the room.

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During the meeting - Rose, thorn, bud method

Rose, thorn, bud is a communication method recently recommended by Google’s Product Marketing Manager, Jeff Su, for a successful 1:1 meeting. Basically, start your meeting with a follow-up on the progress of your tasks. This section should show that you are following through your manager's advice and guidance and, as a result (symbolized as Rose), successfully overcome a problem or conflict. After that, move on to the “thorns” of your project. Lay out carefully to your manager on difficulties you are facing. The last part is “bud”, which is the section where you can focus more on your personal growth. You can ask questions outside your workfields, like tips on work-life balance, to your manager in this section. 

After the meeting - Be accountable

After the meeting, set 10 minutes aside to carefully go through your meeting notes to make sure you do not miss on anything. After that, list down the follow-up actions that need to be done before the next 1:1 meeting. Doing this right after the meeting will reduce the risk of you forgetting the tasks and make you always on top of the game. If your manager happens to forget one of their follow-up tasks, never hesitate to send them emails as a reminder. Obviously, you need to be mindful of these emails since you do not want to accidentally offend him.

1:1 meetings are not only available between you and your manager. It can also happen between you and your HR, supervisor, mentors, or even your own CEO. Regardless of who you are talking to, 1:1 meetings can be the right place for you to impress your bosses. On top of that, it is definitely the right time and place to learn from them firsthand, a rare opportunity to come by. Opportunity never knocks twice, so do not waste your chance!

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