[2 Min Read] Why 1:1s Are Your Most Important Meeting

In your leadership, are you neglecting the most important meeting of your week? As we’ve spoken with countless leaders at influential organizations across the country, we’ve continued to find that taking time to meet one on one with team members seems to be less and less of a priority. In fact, many leaders fail to set aside time for this entirely. So, why are these meetings so critical to the health and success of your organization? 

As a leader, your primary responsibility is not to execute on the team’s goals single-handedly. Your job is to build teams that execute the vision. With this in mind, 1:1s are the best opportunity you have to do three things with your team: 1. Reinforce the vision; 2. Strategize execution; and most importantly, 3. Show your team that you care more for them than for their work. 1:1s exist for your team to get guidance, empowerment, a listening ear, and coaching from you. 

Before you can show that you care, you need to ensure your heart is in the right place. If you are going through the motions, your 1:1s won’t be effective. Your team can pick up when you’re not being authentic. You need to be healthy, focused, and intentional as you enter your 1:1s.

More than anything else, if done correctly and consistently, your 1:1s will strengthen the relationship between you and your team. Constantly remind yourself of what it was like to sit in their seat. Build empathy. This is the one meeting your team has your undivided attention, which makes it a sacred time. 

With constant growth and change, it’s easy for your team to go unnoticed and feel left behind. It’s your job as the leader to be present in these meetings. When you’re in your 20th meeting, remember it might be their first this week: reset, take a breath, and be the leader you know you can be. 

Once your team trusts you and knows you care about them, everything improves. From feedback, to loyalty, to communication, to productivity, and beyond. 

We will leave you with this:

“Cultures where important things get left unsaid are unproductive, unpleasant and frankly toxic to the business.” - Alex Turnbull, CEO & Founder of Groove

Ready to start implementing effective one to ones with your team? Dig into our definitive how-to guide on the one to one meeting. We’ll walk you step by step through the process and even share a downloadable template to get you started.

Until next time, lead on.

The Leadr Team