Turn around unproductive one-on-one meetings with your manager.

How to ensure effective One-on-One: a practical framework for productive interactions with your manager that helps you grow according to your goals.

Note: this article was already published in my friends substack Ampli

I work at a large company and support many teams and engineering managers. A common problem I see is that employees often face unclear expectations, making them unsure of how to improve or move forward. They might talk about possible promotions and know they need to improve, but they don't know exactly what to do next.

When colleagues tell me about their ineffective one-on-one meetings, especially when they're struggling with unclear expectations, I use a reliable method. I offer a clear, practical plan to make these meetings more focused and result-driven. I make sure each meeting has clear goals and measurable objectives that help direct employee growth and make the next steps clear.

In this article, I will explain the method I use.

To ensure our one-on-one meetings are effective, we'll implement a popular framework known as the Improvement Kata. Developed by Toyota and rooted in the Scientific Method, this approach is not only effective but also straightforward, making it widely applicable in diverse sectors like business and healthcare. By using this structured method, we can foster clearer communication and more precise goals, directly tackling the ambiguity that employees face.

It consists of basic 4 steps:

Before we start:

You'll need a notebook or an online tool to record your manager's responses to your questions. Aim to take detailed notes, and if possible, capture their exact words. This is important because their answers will guide your next questions, as we'll discuss later.

Adding dates to your notes can be helpful, particularly as you develop a specific plan with your manager. This way, you can easily refer back to your notes and reflect on them

Step 1: Grasp the direction or challenge (What are we trying to achieve?)

During the initial part of your conversation, aim to understand the goals your manager has set for you. For instance, they might want you to develop certain skills in preparation for a promotion.

Guide the conversation towards these goals by asking specific questions such as:

• 'What goals do you have for me? Can we discuss your vision?'

• 'From your perspective, what is the ideal outcome or scenario?'

• 'What do you see as the primary challenge we should address first?'"

Ensure the answers to these questions are clear and defined. If anything is unclear:

1. Clarify all points by asking further questions.
   "What exactly do you expect as an outcome? Could you provide examples?"
   "Did I understand correctly what you expect?"

2. Prioritize the points mentioned in your notes.
   “From all the things that you mentioned, what would be the most important to focus on?”

It's crucial to clarify expectations thoroughly. Keep asking questions, delving into the smallest details. For example: If your manager says, "I expect you to take more responsibility as a Senior" seek further clarity:

"In what specific areas should a Senior take on more responsibility? What does 'responsibility' entail in this context? How about these other areas? Did I understand correctly what you mean...?"

If it is still not specific enough, then ask about how your progress will be tracked:

"What signs would indicate to you that I'm taking on more responsibility?"

By the end of this step, your goal is to have one or two clearly defined goals documented. For example, a vague statement from your manager might be: 'As a Senior, I expect you to take on more responsibilities and be more proactive.' We need to aim for greater clarity.

Aim for detailed goals such as: As a Senior, I expect you to:

1. Act as a mentor by facilitating team learning and effectively delegating tasks to promote team autonomy and efficiency

2. Proactively identify and communicate key technical dependencies within the department.

Step 2: Current condition (Where are we now?)

Now that you have an understanding of the future expectations, which might be something expected of you after a few months or even a year, it's essential to gauge how far we are from that point.

Let your manager know that you comprehend the vision, but now wish to focus on the current situation:

Now that I understand your expectations, could you provide feedback on how I'm currently performing?

What specific areas do you observe that require improvement?

Of the aspects you mentioned, which do you consider the most significant challenges at present?

It is important to gather very specific examples and take notes. You will better understand how your manager collects information and avoid taking steps that might be important in your opinion but not impactful in the eyes of the organization.

Following the example, it could be we gather this feedback from your manager:

Now we understand more clearly what particular things your manager expects you to change. You have a small list of things that your manager presented as Key changes to become senior.

Step 3: What is our Next Step? (next experiment) What do we expect? 

At this point, the conversation will be very focused on two or three key points. If there are too many points, we'll prioritize them and ensure that the highest priority is discussed in the greatest detail.

We will now take notes on the actions you will try, emphasizing the expected results your manager anticipates. First, we'll determine if your manager has specific ideas on where you could start taking action to improve. If not, we'll ensure that your ideas align with theirs:

Considering the current situation, do you have any initial ideas on actions I could take to start improving?

Would it be beneficial to try this idea? What about experimenting with this approach—do you think it might have a positive impact?

We'll gather multiple ideas where you and your manager are aligned. These could include:

• Idea 1: Organize knowledge-transfer sessions for significant projects where I am the sole knowledgeable person.

• Idea 2: Learn about the plans of other teams, especially those with dependencies, and relay that information back to my team.

Think of your ideas as experiments, with clear observations from your manager to assess their success. Later in step 4 you will reflect on those specific outcomes:

• Outcome idea 1: Other team members will be able to address questions from stakeholders regarding these significant projects.

• Outcome idea 2: We will include details about dependencies in our daily and planning meetings.

Step 4: Review the results and return to step 2.

During your next one-on-one, we can check if the ideas worked and decide whether to keep going in that direction or try something new. This step follows what you set as goals in step 3.

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Summary: Take control of your one-on-one

• Step 1: What are we trying to achieve? 

• Step 2: Where are we now?

• Step 3: What do we decide to try and how do we measure it?

• Step 4: Reflect during the next meeting and go back to step 2.

In conclusion, successful one-on-one meetings depend on a structured approach and clear goals. By applying the Improvement Kata framework, you can enhance the productivity of these sessions and align them with your career objectives. Focus on thorough preparation, active participation, and consistent follow-up to maximize the effectiveness of your one-on-one meetings.