Most managers know that it’s important to schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their direct reports. But if you are one of those direct reports, do YOU know how important those meetings are?
It would help if you did, because no meeting is more abused than this one. It’s rarely planned and it’s the first thing to be rescheduled when things get tight, which is pretty much always. As a result, they are largely ineffective.
It’s time to fix that, and there’s no need to wait for the boss to do it.
Show initiative by coming to the meetings prepared with concise bullets outlining your current projects and where they stand, as well as a small number of questions that are appropriate for this setting. End each meeting by asking if there’s anything you should be doing differently, or any way to improve communication.
Here’s a news flash: This meeting is not mostly about the work. It’s about establishing and maintaining a trusting, effective relationship between supervisor and employee. And there’s no end to the benefits that flow from that.