Recurring 1x1 Questions

General principles

• One on ones are best when they create alignment, facilitate career development, and provide support
• One on ones are not meant for project updates (although in the absense of an agenda, that tends to be inevitable)

Questions to ask peers or reports

Generally, the subordinate is supposed to own the agenda for a one on one call, but that does not always happen. It’s helpful to have a list of questions to draw from to spark conversation during 1x1s.

Here are some I’ve found useful:

• Is there anything that should be on our team roadmap that’s not currently?
• What do you want to do but don’t feel like you have the time for?
• How can I best support you this week?
• What is one thing we can improve in the team?
• What’s frustrating you about your work these days?
• What do you need from me to be successful?
• What can I do better?

Questions to ask your manager (or a skip-level)

• What are your top priorities right now?
• What do you spend most of your time thinking about these days?
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