Tips for having effective 1:1 meetings
1. Use Yuppl, of course!
2. Schedule them in
Weekly, fortnightly, or monthly - whatever frequency you decide, make sure to set up a recurring calendar entry for them.
3. Stick to the schedule - never cancel
Try hard to make every meeting. If you can't make it, postpone it rather than cancelling. Cancelling means that you don't value the other person's time.
4. Be present and listen
Focus your attention on the person and what you need to talk about.
This is time for them.
5. Follow a structure
Discuss updates on actions from last meeting.
Go through your talking topics and take short notes
6. Talk about the right things
It is tempting to only talk about the current workload and leave out feedback and professional development. But these topics are important. They give your staff an opportunity to engage and think about what they, you and the organisation could be doing better.
7. Follow up
When actions are generated by the meeting make sure you get yours done so that your staff see you taking ownership for things they raise with you. And have the same expectation of them.
Some people are uncomfortable about using their phone in 1:1 meetings as they feel it indicates people are not paying attention to the meeting. This is easily dealt with.
Simply place your phone on the table where it is visible to both people rather than hold it in your hand. This way both parties know the attention is on Yuppl and the 1:1
