11 Questions to Ask Your Employees (& Your Manager) in One on One Meetings [Template]
How to Ask the Right Questions in One-on-One Meetings: An Essential Guide for Managers and Employees
One-on-one meetings between managers and direct reports are one of the most powerful tools available for driving employee engagement, productivity and development. Regular face time with each team member provides managers an opportunity to build trust, provide coaching, gain valuable insights, and ensure alignment on goals and expectations.
Yet many managers fail to realize the full potential of their one-on-one meetings. They treat them as a mundane checkbox item, something to rush through without much thought or preparation. Or worse, they dominate the conversation and fail to create space for the employee to share their perspective.
The key to unlocking the power of one-on-ones lies in asking the right questions. Thoughtful, probing questions are the heart of an effective one-on-one meeting. Questions encourage employees to reflect, open up, and share what‘s really on their mind. They spark meaningful discussions that build relationship and trust. And they surface important information and insights that busy managers might otherwise miss.
Good one-on-one questions also benefit the employee by making them feel heard and valued. One-on-ones should be primarily focused on the employee‘s experience, goals, challenges and development. Giving them ample opportunities to drive the agenda and share their thoughts fulfills the coaching and relationship-building functions of the one-on-one.
With this in mind, here is a comprehensive guide to help managers and employees alike have more productive, meaningful one-on-one conversations by leveraging effective questions:
One-on-One Meeting Best Practices
Before diving into specific questions, let‘s review some tips and best practices for one-on-one meetings:
Schedule them regularly. Whether weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, pick a consistent cadence and stick to it. Don‘t reschedule or cancel one-on-ones unless absolutely necessary. This demonstrates that you value and prioritize the meetings.
Allow enough time. 30-60 minutes is ideal for most one-on-ones. You want ample time for in-depth discussion without it feeling rushed.
Come prepared. Review your notes from the previous one-on-one and jot down key points you want to follow up on. Look at the employee‘s recent work and metrics to identify potential topics to explore. Have a loose agenda in mind but be flexible based on what the employee wants to discuss.
Focus on the employee, not you. Aim for the employee to do 70-80% of the talking. Ask open-ended questions, listen actively, and resist the urge to jump in with quick fixes or your own anecdotes. Remember, the goal is to understand their perspective and help them find their own solutions.
Take notes and document action items. Capture key insights and next steps so you can refer back and hold each other accountable. Share the notes with the employee afterwards.
Use one-on-ones for coaching and development. While it‘s fine to discuss tactical items and project updates, don‘t let them dominate the whole meeting. Carve out time to focus on the person, their overall experience, goals and growth. Build in coaching by asking questions that prompt the employee to problem-solve and reflect.
Now that we‘ve covered the fundamentals, let‘s get to the most important part – the questions! Feel free to adapt these based on your specific situation and the employee‘s role and experience level.
20 Essential Questions for Managers to Ask in One-on-Ones
What‘s top of mind for you right now? This open-ended question allows the employee to share whatever is most important to them. It‘s a great way to kick off the one-on-one and ensure their key priorities or concerns get airtime.
What‘s the highlight of your week so far? What are you most excited about? Celebrating wins and positive moments fosters a good relationship and a balanced conversation.
Where are you feeling stuck? Are there any blockers I can help remove? This surfaces challenges and provides an opportunity for you to offer assistance or guidance.
How are you progressing towards your goals? What‘s one thing you can do to move forward? Regularly revisiting goals creates accountability and alignment. Asking them to identify a next step builds problem-solving skills.
What part of your job is most energizing these days? What about your role or projects is particularly motivating or interesting to you? This question yields insights into the employee‘s strengths and passions. You may uncover new ways to leverage their skills.
What relationships are most important to your work right now? How can I help you nurture them? Discussing key stakeholders, collaborators and mentors emphasizes the importance of building networks and social capital.
In what area would you like to grow or improve? What skills do you want to develop? This communicates your investment in their long-term development and helps you identify potential stretch assignments or learning opportunities.
Do you feel you‘re getting enough feedback on your work? How else can I support you? Asking for feedback on your own performance as a manager models openness and builds trust. It ensures the employee is getting the right level of support.
How are you feeling about your workload and bandwidth? This helps you keep a pulse on capacity and spot potential burnout. Discuss what adjustments could alleviate overload.
What‘s one thing about the team or company that‘s not working well? What‘s one thing that is? Zoom out and collect useful feedback on team dynamics and the broader organizational context.
How can we improve our one-on-one meetings? Regularly reflect on the format and content of your one-on-ones to keep them productive. Ask what they find most and least valuable.
What can I do to make your job more enjoyable? Show employees you care about their satisfaction and well-being, not just their output. Even if you can‘t act on every suggestion, listening goes a long way.
What‘s your biggest win this month? Your biggest learning? This question promotes a growth mindset by normalizing learning from failure and success.
When do you feel most productive? What slows you down? These insights can help you tweak processes, tools and work habits to optimize performance and motivation.
Who on the team do you admire and why? Explore what attributes and contributions the employee values in their colleagues. This spotlights positive examples and uncovers hidden talent.
Looking back, what work are you most proud of? Connect their efforts to meaningful impact and purpose. Reflect on how they‘ve grown and progressed.
What part of our strategy or mission still feels fuzzy? Where would you like more clarity? Uncover gaps in understanding and alignment so you can course correct and improve communication.
If we could wave a magic wand, what would be an ideal outcome for you this quarter? Think big picture about what success looks like. Encourage them to articulate aspirational goals.
How are you feeling about our team culture? What would improve your sense of belonging? Inclusion and psychological safety fuel engagement and collaboration. Elicit their honest feedback and ideas.
Imagine it‘s one year from now and you‘re feeling very satisfied with your growth and progress. What happened? Take a long-term view of their career trajectory and aspirations. Work backwards to define development goals and plans.
Beyond your core job duties, what other projects or opportunities interest you? This uncovers ways to expand their role, build new skills and boost motivation through novelty and challenge.
7 Questions Employees Can Ask Their Manager in One-on-Ones
While managers should drive most of the questions, employees can make one-on-ones more productive by proactively soliciting feedback and initiating discussions about their growth and development. Here are some questions to get you started:
What‘s one thing I could do differently to be more effective? Requesting specific, constructive feedback demonstrates your desire to learn and improve continuously.
What skills or competencies do you think are most critical for me to develop to advance in my role/career? Ask your manager to help you identify the most high-impact development priorities given your goals and performance.
How can I improve the way I communicate and work with you or the team? Get tactical tips for collaborating and building relationships based on your manager‘s preferences and team norms.
What examples can you share of how I‘ve grown and progressed since I started in this role? Prompt your manager to reflect back on your journey and acknowledge specific ways you‘ve developed new skills and made an impact.
Are there any projects or opportunities coming up that would help me build new skills? Express your interest in stretch assignments and enlist your manager‘s support in seeking out growth experiences.
What do you see as my strengths and unique value on the team? Understanding how your manager views your talents can boost confidence and help you lean into your natural assets.
What‘s the #1 thing I could do to make your job easier? Show that you care about being a good partner to your manager and proactively contributing to their success as a leader.
The one-on-one meeting is a manager‘s secret weapon – if used wisely. By asking powerful questions, you create meaningful conversations that boost employee engagement, performance and growth. The best one-on-one questions prompt employees to reflect deeply, share openly and solve their own challenges. They communicate that you value their perspective and care about them as a whole person, not just a means to get work done.
Employees, too, can make the most of this valuable face time with their manager by preparing thoughtful questions and discussion topics. The more you treat one-on-ones as a two-way dialogue vs. a transactional update or top-down critique, the more impact they‘ll have.
Committing to consistent, well-structured one-on-one meetings is a major investment – of time, attention and energy. But like any good investment, the compounding returns are well worth it. You‘ll notice the benefits in your team‘s engagement, productivity, resilience and retention. Not to mention your own development and fulfillment as a manager.
Ultimately, one-on-one meetings are about building relationships. By following these tips and asking these essential questions, you‘ll create the trust, psychological safety and growth environment that brings out the best in your people. And when employees feel valued and supported, there‘s no limit to what they can achieve.
