running-effective-1-1s

SKILL.md

Frameworks for running productive one-on-one meetings drawn from seven product leaders.

Emphasizes coaching over advising: shift to curiosity and empower reports to solve problems rather than providing immediate answers

Recommends dedicated deep-dive conversations on past (life story), future (dreams), and present (career action plan) to build long-term development

Includes monitoring for joy and recovery as performance indicators; treat lack of daily joy as a risk requiring intervention

Suggests reports own the 1:1 agenda; manager provides support for their success, not status updates

Flags common pitfalls: status-update theater, always advising, skipping career conversations, ignoring wellbeing, and manager-driven agendas

Running Effective 1:1s

Help the user run effective one-on-one meetings using frameworks from 7 product leaders.

How to Help

When the user asks for help with 1:1s:

Understand the relationship - Ask about their role, the report's tenure, and current dynamics

Identify the purpose - Determine if the 1:1 needs to focus on tactical work, career development, or emotional support

Suggest structure - Recommend appropriate formats based on the situation

Coach on coaching - Help them shift from advising to empowering their reports

Core Principles

Coach, don't advise

Rachel Lockett: "Great leaders know that when you try to advise and have the answer all the time, you're not actually equipping your team to go solve the hard problems. You're training your team to come to you with all of the hard problems." Shift energy into curiosity when a report brings a hard problem. Avoid the urge to provide the answer immediately.