Monthly meeting agenda template for use by managers and their direct reports. Typically time allotted for the meeting should be 1-hour, with this document completed prior to the meeting by the direct report, and shared with the manager at the time of the meeting. By Andrew Suzuka.

1. Monthly 1-on-1 Meeting Agenda
(by Andrew Suzuka)
This form is to be completed in advance of every monthly meeting by the direct report. Prior
to the meeting, two completed copies should be printed and used as the agenda during
every monthly one-hour meeting between the direct report and manager.
1. Reflect on successes/challenges from the month prior. Try and name at least
three for each.
Learning through reflection is key, which this section is partially focused on. It also ensures
the manager is acutely aware of the personal successes and challenges that their direct
report feels have been the most critical in the past month. It also gives the manager a
platform to show signs of appreciation for things their report might have feel have gone
unnoticed (i.e. long hours to ensure a product launch, a recent engagement, anything…)
2. Set short-term goals (w/dates) for the upcoming three months. Let’s discuss
how to help you get there.
People are initially hired to complete a specific set of tasks, but great people, the ones
with the greatest potential to positively affect change across your organization, want to do
more. While some might be seen as overly ambitious, a manger’s job is to provide their
team the opportunity to stretch for more. The easiest way to do this is by setting near-term
goals that the most driven and committed employees will complete in half the time and
then ask for more. A manager’s job is to enable that greatness to shine through, and
ultimately have the organization less and less dependent on its managers.
3. Review status of long-term goals. Focus on the next 1-3 years. Let’s develop
a plan (or discuss the status of one in action) to ensure you’re tracking
towards each.
The greatest initial answer to this topic is when a direct report says “I don’t have any”, as
that gives the manager the chance to change the dynamic from a manager-employee to
mentor-employee. This question and subsequent actions are what allow managers to show
they truly care about their direct report, and what would make them the most fulfilled on a
professional basis. If the answer is doing something other than the employee was hired
for, how the manager responds and supports that openness will be absolutely career
defining, and should be taken with extreme consideration and thought.

2. 4. Review your job description to ensure accuracy. If it has changed, ensure to
revise and file it accordingly.
What if your direct report dropped off the face of the earth tomorrow? Is the job
description you gave them upon hire (if any) reflective of everything they’re doing for you
today? If not, how will you know what’s needed to replace them should that challenge
ever arise? If you’re giving your report more and more work, this is not only a chance to
officially recognize that fact, but it also provides a platform to discuss if/when the workload
becomes imbalanced (possibly leading to a drop in quality, frustration, and/or turnover).
Furthermore, it provides both you and your report the backup often required when it
comes time to ask HR, finance, or department heads for that annual promotion or raise.
5. Briefly review your latest annual review. Let’s make sure we’re tracking
towards any areas identified for improvement.
Annual reviews can be great eye-openers, but more often than not they are one-and-done
and forgotten until the next year, thereby negating any potentially productive and positive
career-improving results. Therefore, it’s important to briefly address the key areas of
improvement at least once per month. The goal should be to help your staff develop
further and faster than planned, so that the following year there are little to no reasons
preventing you from supporting their promotion or raise, and equally important, there are
no surprises in terms of constructive feedback during their next review.
6. Feedback for me on how I could be a better manager for you. This is
welcome anytime, but at least try and give me something to work on each
month.
Staff (understandably) aren’t comfortable giving their bosses feedback, which leads to
water cooler chatter and pent up issues that affect working relationships. This is especially
true of manager’s who abide by the “my way or the highway” approach. Here we try and
flip the script and push the direct report towards a more transparent relationship. The
toughest job is on the manager who will need to not only encourage direct, constructive
feedback for themselves, but more importantly how they react and apply these learnings
from that point forward. In short, if your staff don’t believe you are open to change, they
won’t bother giving you their advice (or their commitment).