The annual employee review - the time where your leader summons you to talk about your accomplishments the past year, evaluate your work, and plan your personal development for the year to come is out! Instead we need regular meetings that improve team communication, identify fixable issues before they transform into big problems, and increase employee loyalty. It's time for ongoing and relevant feedback, and 1-on-1s are a perfect way to achieve that.

1. How to Become
a Better Leader
With 1-on-1s
Based on
a handbook

2. The Annual Review is Out
We all know it - the annual employee review.
That’s NOT what this guide is about.
On average the Generations Millennials and
Centennials only work at the same place for 19
months. The 1-on-1 should be equally agile and
adapted to the spirit of the new media age.

3. 1-on-1:
A personal conversation between team
member and manager.

4. A 1-on-1 meeting is an opportunity to
break down barriers, to give and
receive useful and immediate
feedback, to connect with someone
who cares about our success, and
ultimately to build team loyalty.

5. The Art
of Asking...
… Good Questions
Download the full handbook here

6. “A sensible question is neither a delight nor
an annoyance.”
- Ernest Hemingway

7. A good 1-on-1 consists of well prepared and
relevant questions.
Although, “How are you doing” is a good start in
any conversation between two people, it just
isn’t enough. If you consider the 1-on-1
meetings as a continuous process where one
meeting relates to the next then it is useful to
lay down a plan to ensure you get around all
important topics over a period of time.

8. Six
Universal
Themes
for 1-on-1s

9. 8 Dos &
Don’ts
… of 1-on-1s
Download the full handbook here

10. Don’t
● Postpone or cancel meetings
● Make it all about the company
● Be inconsistent with frequency of
1-on-1s
● Have a hidden agenda

11. Do
● Prepare good questions in advance
● Check out the Six Universal Themes to
make sure you balance your questions
● Schedule ahead and prioritize the
chosen meeting cadence
● Make it your point to actually listen
● Talk about the things that really
matters to your employee
1
2
3
4

12. Do
● Give and receive feedback
● Take good notes
● Follow up on the things you have
discussed and agreed
1
2
3
4

13. Getting
Started
… with 1-on-1s
Download the full handbook here

14. Be realistic with your own time and with your
team member’s time but have in mind that
1-on-1 meetings are essential to lead, guide and
coach your people.
You know you hit a good 1-on-1 meeting
frequency when it is appreciated and prioritized
by both the leader and the employees.

15. Find a Suitable Frequency for
Your 1-on-1s
We suggest conducting 1-on-1 meetings either
biweekly or monthly - never pick lower
cadence than that. The annual cadence simply
doesn’t suffice anymore - and maybe never did.

16. “28% of my time is on 1:1s given that I am a
manager. 1:1s are a critical time for me to
help provide support for the people on my
team as well as get context on what’s
happening and how they’re feeling.”
- Julie Zhuo, Product Design VP
@ Facebook

17. Intro
Deck
… with Talking Points for 1-on-1s
Download the full handbook here

18. What inspires you at work? If it
makes sense to you, you can
write down the three things that
inspire you the most.
MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION
1

19. 1 THREE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:
● Are there any work-related skills you would
like to improve?
● What would it mean to you to learn new
things?
● If you think creatively, is there a way you
can start learning these things already
today?

20. Is there anything, which is
unclear or confusing about your
work or your role here?
STRATEGY, PERFORMANCE & WORK
ALIGNMENT
2

21. 2 THREE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:
● What would you like me, as a manager, to
help you with right now?
● Do you need clarification from any other
team members or other people in our
organization?
● What would it mean to you to have these
things clarified?

22. Is there anything you would like
to learn or anybody you would
like to learn from?
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT & COMPETENCES
3
Download the full handbook here

23. Find more talking points
and insights:
Download the full handbook here

24. 3 THREE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:
● Are there any work-related skills you would
like to improve?
● What would it mean to you to learn new
things?
● If you think creatively, is there a way you
can start learning these things already
today?

25. How do you prefer to give and
receive feedback and what does
feedback mean to you?
FEEDBACK, INNOVATIONS & COMPANY
LEARNINGS
4

26. 4 THREE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:
● When was the last time you got/gave
feedback?
● Do you think feedback is important and
why/why not?
● Could we improve the way we work with
feedback in our team and if yes, how?

27. Download the entire
handbook here
www.duuoo.io