How to Have Effective One-on-Ones (Copy Our Template)
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Why are one‑on‑ones the most important meeting for business growth?
Of all the meetings we do here, there's only one that we say is the most important meeting to advance your business. It's not a strategy meeting, it's not quarterly planning, it's one-on-ones with your team. Most leaders dread one-on-ones or don't do them at all. But when you do these the right way, one-on-ones actually give you back hours in your week, and they become So today Entree Leaderships Head Coach John Falkins will show you why you should be doing one-on-ones and how to do them effectively so you can accomplish more in your business.
Let's get to it. When I tell leaders that they should be having a weekly 101 with their team members, a lot of them look at me like I'm crazy. And I think it's because when they hear 101, they're picturing something like this. Alright, Mia, so it's time for our 101. Well, how how'd you week?
It's been good.
Yeah? It's been slow? Like you need more to do?
No. I mean next week will be busier, just one of those weeks ago slower.
Yeah. Did you get all that stuff done I gave you to do last week? Oh yeah, yeah. That was
quick. That was
Yeah.
What common objections keep leaders from holding regular one‑on‑ones?
A anything else? Mm. No, I well, good duck. If that's what you're expecting 101s to be like, or if that's what you've experienced before, it's no wonder you think they're a waste of time. But the only thing worse than having a bad 101 is not having one at all. Because most of the problems you're dealing with right now as a leader, miscommunication, a lack of accountability, small issues getting out of hand, are the exact problems 101s can help solve. So before we talk about how to do one, One-on-ones well, let's talk about why so many leaders avoid them in the first place. Probably the biggest reason leaders don't do one-on-ones is because they feel like they don't have the time. And I get that. You've got 17 fires burning, you're playing whack-a-mole with your inbox, and now somebody's telling you to add another meeting to your calendar?
That sounds terrible. And for some of you, it's not just the meeting itself, it's the frequency. Every week? Yeah, every week. Or at least every other week, if that's more realistic for your business. Because if you're leading people, you don't have time to not meet with them regularly. You're either going to spend 30 intentional minutes addressing issues, or you're going to spend the entire week getting interrupted by those same issues. It's your choice. Another objection that I hear is that 101s feel like micro Micromanagement. It can feel like that if all you're doing is sitting down and asking, hey, what did you do this week?
How can one‑on‑ones be reframed from micromanagement to proactive coaching?
Did you finish that thing? Did you talk to so-and-so? That's an interrogation. A one-on-one isn't about controlling people, it's about helping them succeed. One-on-ones give you the opportunity to get ahead of the problems before they get too big. That's not micromanagement, that's being proactive. Or maybe you're worried. That it'll just turn into a giant complaint session. I've heard leaders tell me, every time we meet, they just dump all their problems on me. It's like somebody's walking into your office and dropping a monkey off on your desk. And if your whole team does that, by the end of the week, you've collected 14 monkeys and you're running a full-blown circus. That's not the goal here. A 101 shouldn't end up with you owning.
Everybody else's problem. They need to take their monkey and they need to solve their own problem. And then they need to leave your office. It's their responsibility to own their next step. Or maybe the real reason you're not doing one-on-ones is because it's awkward. And yeah, of course it's awkward. Any new leadership habit is awkward. The first time you led a meeting was awkward. The first time you hired somebody was awkward.
What are the three core purposes of a successful one‑on‑one (trust, development, accountability)?
The first time you fired somebody is probably, for sure, awkward. Leadership is full of awkward moments, but avoiding awkward moments isn't a good enough reason to not do something. And trust me, it gets less awkward the more you do it. Despite all these objections, let me tell you why doing one-on-ones with people that you lead is worth it.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why are one‑on‑ones the most important meeting for business growth?
0:05–1:18
2
What common objections keep leaders from holding regular one‑on‑ones?
1:18–2:49
3
How can one‑on‑ones be reframed from micromanagement to proactive coaching?
2:49–3:58
4
What are the three core purposes of a successful one‑on‑one (trust, development, accountability)?
3:58–5:27
5
Which practical tips make a 30‑minute one‑on‑one valuable for both leader and employee?
5:27–6:57
6
How should leaders prepare and stay present during a one‑on‑one conversation?
6:57–8:17
7
Why should the setting of a one‑on‑one be flexible, and how does movement improve the dialogue?
8:17–9:44
8
How do you coach without rescuing—using the “monkey” metaphor to build employee problem‑solving?
9:44–10:53