More than 90 percent of employees say they are more likely to stay with an empathetic employer, according to a study from Businessolver. And few leaders are in as foundational a role as an employee’s direct manager, who has the ability to lead with compassion and act as a sounding board for direct reports. Many managers in Chicago tech use one-on-ones as a vehicle to do just that.
Giving an employee attention and a safe environment for them to speak candidly during one-on-ones makes them feel valued. Managers can drive empathy by prompting their employees to discuss their personal or professional concerns, then acting as an attentive listener and helping them find solutions to their challenges. Without micromanaging, managers should be sources of conflict resolution and skills development.
Potential questions to ask in one-on-ones:
- How are you doing? How’s life?
- Is there anything that you need from me or the company?
- Are you getting the help you need from your colleagues?
- What is the most inefficient workflow or process you own?
- What major roadblocks are you facing that I can help you solve?
- How would you rate your job satisfaction right now? How can I improve that?
- What skills or career areas do you want to grow?
Sports have played an instrumental role in how Chris Keenan approaches his one-on-ones as a director at Pricefx. Tapping into wisdom from an NFL coach and his own experience leading sports teams, Keenan said he’s learned to let engineers dictate the course of their meetings while also highlighting their skills and successes.
What is your approach to one-on-ones with engineers?
I recently read about NFL football coach Andy Reid and his approach to press conferences. He starts every one by saying, “It’s your time.” I adopted that as a guideline for my one-on-ones. It’s an employee’s time to bring up any accomplishments, blockers or issues that they want to discuss.
One thing I love about our culture is people always have a willingness to help and advise others if there is a technical question someone needs guidance with. When those questions inevitably do occur, I view my role as getting engineers to the right person who can help them figure out the answer to their question.
If I ask open-ended questions, the person I’m talking to will lead us where they want to go.”
What questions have you found to be particularly important to ask in one-on-ones?
I’ve found that if I ask open-ended questions, the person I’m talking to will lead us where they want to go, which is what I want to happen. I’ll ask, “How can I help you this week?” This conveys the message that I’m here to help them and not the other way around. I also like to ask, “What’s challenging you this week?” This gets the person thinking about areas they may be struggling where I can potentially help.
“What are the two things you did that you’re most proud of” gives employees a sense of accomplishment as they look back at the previous week. Years ago, when coaching my kids’ sports teams, someone once told me that for every course correction you give, find two things that the player did well. I’ve tried to adopt that ratio when talking with my team to recognize their success.
What’s one change you made that allowed you and your employees to get more from the meeting?
I’ve come to realize that when people discuss a challenge, they may not be asking me to solve it for them. They may just be providing information or looking for ideas and alternatives. So, I try not to be overly prescriptive in suggesting what to do. Of course, if they want a specific direction, I’m happy to provide that. But if they’re looking for ideas and alternatives, I try to give them a few different ways of thinking about the solution.
Amir Haq said listening as a direct manager is even more effective than devising a custom solution for an engineer facing a challenge. However, when that obstacle might be conflict resolution, Everspring’s CTO takes a proactive approach to smoothing things over between the employees involved.
What is your approach to one-on-ones with engineers?
I have a few areas I like to cover, depending on time. I like to start off by asking how the person is doing. That open-ended question can lead to a lot of different topics and can provide some useful insight into a person’s state of mind. I believe it’s critical to understand an employee’s mindset, as it can have a big impact on their work.
Second, I like to talk about company updates or provide more context around decision-making that may not be as clear on a day-to-day basis. Then, if needed, I address conflict resolution. If I notice any conflicts between members of the team, I use one-on-ones with each individual to dive deeper, share the other person’s perspective and build some understanding. Conversations may end up leading to a broader meeting with both team members and myself. Or I will ask team members to reach out to one another and come to a resolution with some guidance that I’ll provide.
Finally, I like to bring up specific feedback — positive or constructive — during my one-on-ones. I believe in providing feedback as close to real-time as possible and one-on-one’s are a perfect avenue for that. I like to save this topic till the end, especially if there is constructive feedback to provide because it could end up setting a negative mood for the entire check-in.
Try to listen more than speak.”
What’s one change you made that allowed you and your employees to get more from the meeting?
Treating one-on-ones as a shared responsibility between myself and my employees has been helpful in balancing the pressure of making sure we’re sticking to a consistent schedule. Additionally, one-on-one’s don’t need to be overly structured; don’t let an aim to have a “great” meeting get in the way of having a good one, even if it’s going for a walk and just talking. Finally, try to listen more than speak. Sometimes simply listening goes further than any solution created to help an employee.
One-on-ones are opportunities for employees to discuss whatever is on their minds, and Janet Barton reinforces that idea as operations director at Pizza Hut Connect. Meetings can range from being short and business-oriented to taking the full hour and catching up. Either way, Barton said she’s receptive to letting the meeting go where her direct reports want.
What is your approach to one-on-ones with engineers?
I tailor my one-on-ones to my team members. I have several team members who just want to chat and catch up while others are more private and prefer to stay focused on work-related items. My employees can spend our time in one-on-ones however they feel is most valuable. Some are quick, 15-minute touchpoints where we go through a preset list of topics. Others require an hour each week and are less formalized.
But regardless of the team member, I make sure to spend time each quarter discussing their career path. I ask whether they’re satisfied with their work and if we are on track to accomplish the goals we set forth for the year.
My employees can spend our time in one-on-ones however they feel is most valuable.”
What questions have you found to be particularly important to ask in one-on-ones?
Since we’re all remote due to COVID-19, it’s important for me to get face time with my team members over video to ask how they’re doing. Seeing them helps me gauge if they’re in a good mental space.
Outside of the pandemic, if I know about something personal going on in their lives, I typically start each one-on-one by asking for an update on that. For example, I may ask, “How’s the wedding planning going,” or, “How is your mom feeling?” For those who are more private, I often ask, “What are you working on right now,” or, “How are your projects going?”
What’s one change you made that allowed you and your employees to get more from the meeting?
Letting my team members cover anything they want at first and holding my questions until the end. Also, making sure engineers know they’re in a safe place where they can cover anything they want to, and that the conversation is fully confidential.
