Speaker 0 00:00:00 From Romano Leadership, I'm Oscar Romano. This is Learn Reflect Lead Leadership and D E I A development for mission-driven individuals and organizations. This episode is titled Every one-on-One Check-In should include these five key topics. This episode is for you if you're an employee looking for ways to improve your one-on-one check-ins with your manager. If you're a manager looking for ways to improve your one-on-one check-ins with your employee, or if you're an employee or a manager who doesn't use a one-on-one check-in agenda, but is looking for one today we're gonna talk about one-on-one check-ins and what you can do to improve your one-on-one check-ins with others. Have you heard something like this from a manager before?
Speaker 0 00:00:48 So what's on your mind today? What do you wanna talk about? What's going on? Tell me something if if there's no agenda after the those questions, it can lead to a frustrated direct report. So let's review the basics behind the one-on-one Check-In one-on-one check-ins between a manager and their direct report are a sacred space Managers risk harming the relationship with their direct report when they aren't prepared. It's true what they say. Employees don't quit their jobs, they quit their managers. Managers. In many situations, the managers the closest connection a person has with their job. Employees count on their managers for so much, so it's up to the managers to do right by their employees.
Speaker 0 00:01:43 Managers are responsible for developing, motivating and connecting with their direct reports that that's up to them, nobody else. And the prime place to do that is during one-on-one check-ins. But there are some mindset barriers that can get in the web. And I choose to believe that everybody wants to be a great manager, they all wanna succeed and they all wanna help their direct reports succeed too. But here's some barriers that managers might need to address when looking to improve their one-on-one check-ins. Number one, who's got the time? When you move into a manager role, you're responsible for your work and out of your direct reports, and there's so much more to complete within the same amount of time. Preparation for check-ins can be the first to go when you get busy. Number two is an agenda necessary. You might think that regularly meeting with your direct report is enough.
Speaker 0 00:02:48 I don't need a an agenda if I meet with them every week. Do I? You believe having a rough outline in your head is good enough for your direct report? Number three, what about their input? You may want your direct reports to feel like they're part of the process. So you don't want to waste time creating a lengthy, detailed one-on-one plan. You know, you might not want it to seem like you're micromanaging your direct reports. So what about the direct reports perspective? Well, I want set a client, let's call him Francisco, who told me he wished his manager was more prepared for their check-ins at the time. They only ever seemed to focus on project updates, but Francisco wanted to feel like his manager cared about his development. Since their primary touchpoint was a one-on-one check-in Francisco placed a lot of weight on that check-in is really important to him.
Speaker 0 00:03:44 And Francisco told me that there were five things that he wanted from his manager during each check-in, they're really important to him. And here are the five key check-in topics that Francisco used to improve his check-ins with his manager. Every manager should incorporate these five one-on-one check-in topics into the direct reports, check-in meetings, use them in your one-on-one check-in. Agenda number one, trust building. You're never done improving your relationship with your direct report. An effective team dynamic starts with a solid foundation of trust. You can leverage purposeful questions to help continue building trust with your direct reports. And you can check out an app that we have called Buildup Teams that have thousands of questions that you can use. Number two, feedback to your direct report. The primary vehicle by which you can develop your direct report is feedback. Direct reports deserve clarity on their progress in the role, and feedback helps you give them that clarity.
Speaker 0 00:04:56 Feedback tells your direct report how they're doing and what what they're doing well and where they can improve. Number three, feedback from your direct report. Because development isn't a one-way street direct reports can provide managers with valuable insights through feedback. Managers can leverage this newfound information to improve their work. Asking for feedback also shows that direct reports that their managers value their opinion. Number four, goal tracking. Effective managers set goals to maintain high level performance with their teams. But setting goals doesn't matter if you're not tracking goal progress. You can energize your direct reports by checking in with them about their goal progress at every check-in. And number five, status updates when managers are up to date on their employee's work. Employees are seven times more engaged and when employees feel ignored, employees are 15 times more disengaged. People wanna feel like their manager acknowledges their progress. Show your direct report that you care by preparing for your next one-on-one check-in. Make it easy on yourself and save some time by incorporating the five key one-on-one check-in topics that we just talked about today. So it's time to commit. Which of the five key check-in topics do you need to focus on,
Speaker 0 00:06:30 Which are already strengths of yours and which are our weaknesses? So I have an offer for you. Could you use a proven one-on-one check-in agenda template? Well, you know, just check the notes for a link to a one-on-one check-in agenda that incorporates the five key check-in topics that I share. I've used it before and I've had plenty of success with it and still have my clients so it can be yours now. All you need to do is click on my link, let me know how it goes. Thanks. That's it for this episode of Learn, reflect Lead. Thank you for watching on YouTube or listening via podcast. If you're interested in more, you can find
[email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn at Romano Leadership. If you like this episode, please share it with your friends. Subscribe and leave a review. I'm Oscar Romano. Until next time.
