6 benefits of one-on-one meetings (1-on-1s)
One-on-one meetings are a valuable tactic practiced by successful leaders. When implemented correctly, these brief, weekly check-ins improve employee performance and their results in measurable ways. As a leader, 1-on-1s provide you with the opportunity to get to know your people exceptionally well so that you’ll have better access to unfiltered information. This will allow you to increase performance across, and drive results for, the entire organization.
Here are specific benefits of these 1-on-1 meetings:
1. They strengthen relationships between leaders and their teams.
Your people—like anyone else—rely on the basic human need to feel validated. Face-to-face communication lets them know that their insights and concerns are appreciated and taken into consideration.
2. They improve productivity.
Weekly 1-on-1s boost productivity and cut wasted time. What’s critical to note is that the amount of time you spend holding ad hoc conversations with your employees, communicating by email, and tracking down crucial information will be condensed almost entirely. This brief 1-on-1 communication provides a high-level overview of current issues and progress.
3. They build team loyalty.
Employees trust your leadership if you meet with them regularly for one-on-one meeting. Loyalty requires frequent and consistent meaningful interactions.
4. They benefit everyone.
Not only will you have the opportunity to discuss needs, goals, and expectations, but you’ll also give your team an advantage by providing your undivided attention. Within this time, your employees have the chance to relay their progress and receive clear direction for upcoming priorities.
5. They deliver meaningful, personalized feedback.
Providing feedback for your employees can be uncomfortable, but one-on-one meetings offer the ideal opportunity for letting your directs know how they’re doing, and what you expect from them moving forward—it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.
6. You can check-in on goals, and clearly align on progress and next actions to attain goals.
It’s in this meeting where you can do the necessary ongoing review of how your team member is performing in relation to their goals. It is here you can give specific feedback on the progress and where you can both discuss next actions to hit the objective.
One-on-one meetings take the guesswork out of management. When you know your people well, you can access unfiltered information that you can use to make informed, forward-thinking decisions to drive exceptional results.