By Stacey Sommerhauser, SPHR, SHRM- SCP, PHRca
If you can’t remember the last time you had a one-on-one meeting with each of your direct reports, or remember it being during your last annual performance evaluation meeting, well, some will tell you this is too darn long. Ken Blanchard says, “The number one motivator of people is feedback.” Ideally, employees will receive regular real-time feedback so there are no surprises. I recommend sitting down and having a one-on-one meeting with each of your direct reports monthly. If this sounds overwhelming or you think you don’t have the time, consider the boost in morale (and possibly performance/production) that could be a result of spending some quality time with your direct reports.
So, you ask “what is a one-on-on”? It’s pretty simple. A one-on-one is a time you set aside to meet with your direct reports to talk about them. You would discuss any topic on their mind, give each other feedback, and/or discuss professional development. The goal being ensuring employees have the resources to be successful and opening lines of communication.
Still seems overwhelming? Silvers HR is here to help. We have added new tools to our HR Library to assist you with one-on-one meetings, from sample email invitations to meeting agendas. While one-on-one meetings are geared toward topics the employee wants to discuss, they usually end with the employee soliciting your feedback on their performance.
Log in to our private client HR Library today to view all our performance related tools under the Sample Performance Management documents subheading.