Conduct a 1:1 Session
This document is a strategic tool designed to transform your 1:1 sessions from a "status check" into a partnership-driven refactoring session.
This document is a strategic tool designed to transform your 1:1 sessions from a “status check” into a partnership-driven refactoring session. By shifting the focus from project updates to growth, state updates, and long-term vision, this template ensures your daily activities align with your future career aspirations.
My Take on 1:1s: The Partnership Protocol
I don’t treat 1:1s as a reporting line; I treat them as a shared partnership. While it’s tempting to default to the ‘famous project status,’ I believe that is a manual task a manager should perform daily through the system’s natural flow. Status is data; the 1:1 is about human oxygen.
These sessions belong to the team member. As a leader, your job is to provide the ‘unvarnished truth’ while creating a space safe enough for them to share their own ‘scars’ and breakthroughs. You must educate your team on how to own this time moving them from the ‘Invisible Cage’ of seeking permission to a place of radical accountability.
When you stop using 1:1s for throughput and start using them to strengthen the human-system contract, you aren’t just managing; you’re building the character of the future society that has to live in the structures you’ve built.
Why Use This Document?
Standard 1:1s often suffer from “trust leaks” where the true state of performance is hidden. This document provides a structured framework to:
Align Vision: Ensure your immediate work supports your 5 to 10-year professional goals.
Audit Growth: Identify the best strategies to improve performance by balancing technical knowledge with the right professional behaviours.
Remove Blockers: Use the “One to One Notes” to address “red tape” and logistical hurdles that prevent you from reaching your next Career Level (Levels 1–4).
Quantify Impact: Maintain a continuous Achievements Timeline to turn your work into a “diary of success” for annual reviews and promotions.
How to Use This Template
To move away from “hearing your own echo” and towards a true partnership, treat this document as a collaborative log updated before and during your sessions:
Lead with the “State”: Instead of listing tasks, discuss your current “state” your motivation, progress through the Induction Period, and where you feel “stuck”.
Review the OJT Matrix: Use each session to score your technical knowledge (e.g., Terraform foundations) and professional behaviours (e.g., collaborating and sharing ideas) on a scale of 1–5.
Audit Your PDP: Check the status of your Formal (E-learning like AZ400), Informal (Mentoring), and On-The-Job training to ensure you are consistently learning.
Log Achievements Weekly: Don’t wait for a review to record a win. Note down what you did, when you did it, and crucially the business value it brought.
Refactor via Notes: Use the One to One Notes section to record specific agreements made with your manager, ensuring both parties are accountable for clearing the path for your growth.
I. The Partnership Foundation
Before the session, both parties should align on the long-term strategic vision. This prevents the 1:1 from becoming a “check-in” and keeps it focused on the “Organizational API” alignment.
Long-Term Vision: Review the employee’s 5–10 year goals and aspirations.
The Partnership Agreement: Reiterate that this is the employee’s time to discuss how they feel, where they are stuck, and what they need to grow.
II. The “State Update” Dashboard
Instead of discussing tasks, use the On-The-Job-Training (OJT) and Personal Development (PDP) logs to discuss the “state” of their progression.
Click above to access the full template.