One on One Meeting Agenda

A one-on-one meeting is a regular, private conversation between a manager and an employee. Done well, it’s the most useful half hour of the week for both of you: problems get raised early, feedback flows both ways, and career goals don’t get lost in day-to-day work. A simple agenda is what keeps it from turning into another status update.

Below you’ll find free one-on-one meeting agenda templates in Microsoft Word, a sample 1:1 agenda, ready-made agendas for six common situations, and 40 questions to ask in your next one-on-one.

Free one-on-one meeting agenda templates

Download a template, open it in Word or Google Docs, and share it with your employee or manager before the meeting so both of you can add topics.

One-on-one meeting agenda example

This is a typical 30-minute weekly 1:1 between a manager and a team member. The employee’s topics come first, because a one-on-one is mainly their meeting, not the manager’s.

Keep a running agenda in one shared document and add each week’s notes below the last. Over a few months it becomes a useful record of goals, feedback and progress, which makes performance reviews far easier to write.

What to include in a one-on-one meeting agenda

1. Check-in. A few minutes on how the person is doing, at work and in general.
2. Employee’s topics. Questions, concerns or ideas the employee wants to raise.
3. Progress on priorities. A short look at goals and current work, not a full status report.
4. Blockers and support. What is slowing them down and what help they need.
5. Feedback. Specific feedback from the manager, and feedback for the manager.
6. Growth and career. Skills, learning and longer-term goals, at least once a month.
7. Action items. What each person will do before the next one-on-one.

One-on-one agendas for different situations

Not every 1:1 has the same purpose. Use these agenda outlines for the most common types of one-on-one meetings.

Weekly check-in

The standard 1:1 for staying in sync and catching problems early. Keep it to 30 minutes.

1. How are you doing this week?
2. Your topics and questions
3. Top priorities and any blockers
4. Quick feedback
5. Action items

First one-on-one with a new manager or employee

Use the first meeting to get to know each other and agree on how you will work together.

1. Background, experience and what you enjoy most about your work
2. How you prefer to communicate and receive feedback
3. Expectations for the role in the first 30, 60 and 90 days
4. How often to meet and what these meetings should cover
5. Questions from both sides

Career development

Hold a career-focused 1:1 at least once a quarter, separate from day-to-day work.

1. Where the employee wants to be in one to three years
2. Skills they want to build and strengths they want to use more
3. Training, projects or mentors that could help
4. Manager’s view of their growth so far
5. Next steps before the next career conversation

Performance and feedback

For discussing results, recognizing good work and agreeing on improvements.

1. Results against goals or key metrics
2. What went well and should continue
3. One or two areas to improve, with examples
4. Support or resources needed
5. An agreed plan with dates to check progress

Problem-solving

When a specific issue needs attention, such as a difficult project, a conflict or a heavy workload.

1. Describe the problem and its impact
2. What has been tried so far
3. Possible solutions and the pros and cons of each
4. Agree on a solution and who does what
5. When to check whether it worked

Skip-level one-on-one

A meeting between an employee and their manager’s manager, usually every one to three months.

1. What is working well on the team
2. What gets in the way of doing great work
3. Ideas for improving the team or company
4. Questions about company direction and strategy
5. Anything the employee would like leadership to know

40 one-on-one meeting questions to ask

Good questions turn a 1:1 into a real conversation. Pick two or three for each meeting rather than working through a list.

How to run a great one-on-one meeting

Tips for managers

• Protect the time. Move a 1:1 if you must, but avoid cancelling it, since cancellations tell people they are a low priority.
• Listen more than you talk. Aim for the employee to speak most of the time.
• Keep status updates out of the meeting where possible. Use a written update or the team meeting instead.
• Write down action items and follow up on your own promises first.
• Save serious concerns for a private, focused conversation rather than raising them at the end of a routine check-in.

Tips for employees

• Add your topics to the shared agenda a day before the meeting.
• Bring problems with a possible solution, even if it isn’t perfect.
• Ask for specific feedback, such as “What could I have done better in that client presentation?”
• Use the time to talk about your goals and growth, not only your current tasks.
• Keep notes so you can track progress and refer back to earlier conversations.

How often should you have one-on-one meetings?

Related meeting agenda templates

You may also need a team meeting agenda, management meeting agenda, training agenda or meeting minutes templates to record decisions. Or browse all meeting agenda templates.