The Answer
Sacred 30 minutes, rep-driven agenda, depth over breadth, one development question every time, and a written commitment from each side at the end.
Overview
The 1:1 is the single highest-leverage 30 minutes in a manager’s week, and most managers waste it.
Great 1:1s have structure but not rigidity.
Reps remember the manager who asked about their growth long after they’ve forgotten the manager who asked about their forecast.
Steps
- Make the 1:1 sacred. 30 minutes, weekly, owned by the rep, never canceled by the manager.
- Send a shared agenda template. Pipeline (10 min), coaching (10 min), development (5 min), personal (5 min).
- The rep drives the agenda.
- Spend the bulk of time on one specific deal or one specific skill. Depth beats breadth.
- Always ask one development question.
- End every 1:1 with one commitment from each side.
- Take notes the rep can see.
Pro Tip
Open 1:1s with a non-work question — not in a forced way, but in a real way.
Watch Out
Don’t use 1:1s to deliver bad news for the first time. The 1:1 is for ongoing development; serious conversations get their own meeting.
Want help implementing this in your org?
Talk to Nate →