[Last updated 1/29/23]
Hello! If you are reading this, it’s likely because we are working closely together and have weekly touchpoints scheduled. The below is a living document of my personal philosophy on 1:1s and how we can make the most of our time together. ✨
I've found that the weekly touchpoint helps us stay in close flow on progress, challenges, and career discussions. Also, as a remote-first company without IRL watercooler run-ins, it's nice to have time carved out to check-in with each other on multiple dimensions, from work to life.
Folks who've worked with me for a while know that I am always looking for ways to reduce the number of standing meetings on the cal. However, our 1:1s are decidedly NOT one of those! :) I expect us to have weekly 1:1s, usually around 30 min. I will do my best to make sure that we keep the times consistent so we can both plan; however, if rescheduling is needed from either side, let's try to keep it rescheduled for the same week.
There are various philosophies on how to spend 1:1 time. Some people prefer for it to be 100% employee-driven, and are cool with it being totally unstructured. Other people see the personal life check-in as a waste of time and would rather spend the time as a dedicated working session.
My personal take: I like to take a hybrid approach, where we spend the first few minutes checking-in with each other on how things are going (work and life), before moving on to a pre-set agenda of high-leverage topics.
I find that the personal check-in helps us both better understand any work/life context that may impact our work together and — more importantly — helps us continue to develop our relationship.
At the same time, I also strongly prefer to see an agenda of topics to discuss in our shared 1:1 doc, at least a few hours in advance. You will frequently see me add items that come to mind throughout the week, and I'd encourage you to do the same as well. Doing a little bit of prepwork will help us ensure we're tackling the most important topics every week.
Every quarter, I'd also like to align on your work goals — usually project-based plans that are typically tied to larger company goals and priorities. In addition, I want to check-in on your top 3-5 personal goals and how I might be able to support you in achieving them. Personal goals are things that you personally spend your time on (vs. the broader team), and can involve things such as "I want to further develop my skills in [x]" or include lifestyle goals like "I want to make sure I get outside for a walk every day." As you continue to develop in your career, I'd love to be an accountability buddy for making sure you get the time, space, and support you need to grow.
In terms of what to talk about, I think our agendas can span a range of topics, including: