Sample output
Made on 27 October 2026
Biweekly 1:1 — 30 minutes
Opener
“What’s been taking up the most mental space for you lately—at work or otherwise?”
Agenda
1. Their topics — 10 min
- “What would be most useful to discuss today?”
- Let them set the order and depth.
- Avoid immediately turning concerns into solutions.
2. Workload, engagement, and blockers — 7 min
- “I’ve noticed you’ve been quieter lately. I don’t want to make assumptions—has anything changed in your workload, motivation, team dynamics, or how supported you feel?”
- “Is there anything you’ve stopped raising because it hasn’t felt worthwhile or safe to raise?”
3. Growth and career check-in — 8 min
- “It’s been about six months since we last discussed promotion and growth. How are you feeling about your trajectory now, and what progress—or lack of progress—are you seeing toward the next level?”
- Clarify expectations, evidence, opportunities, and sponsorship needed.
- Agree on one concrete next step rather than promising an outcome.
4. Commitments and close — 5 min
- Summarize what you heard.
- Confirm actions, owners, and dates.
- Ask: “What’s one thing I could do differently before our next 1:1 to support you better?”
- Check whether anything important was left unsaid.
Signals to Listen For
- Short, guarded, or unusually neutral answers
- “It’s fine,” “doesn’t matter,” or “I’m just heads-down” without specifics
- Reduced ownership, curiosity, or interest in future work
- Frustration about unclear expectations, recognition, or promotion criteria
- Feeling overlooked, underused, micromanaged, or excluded from decisions
- Repeated blockers that have not been addressed
- Burnout signals: fatigue, cynicism, overload, withdrawal, or low motivation
- Mentions of limited learning, stalled scope, or no visible path forward
- Lack of trust or psychological safety
- Interest in transferring teams, changing responsibilities, or external opportunities
- A misma