One-on-One Template
A structured agenda for one-on-one conversations that actually move things forward.
The one-on-one template is the document that structures the most important recurring conversation a manager has. Most managers treat one-on-ones as status updates. The best one-on-ones are about the employee, not the work. They are the place where blockers get surfaced, where growth gets discussed, and where trust gets built. The founders who use a template keep the conversation focused on what matters. The founders who improvise waste the time.
In short
- • A good one-on-one template has five sections: how are you doing (the personal check-in), what is on your mind (anything they want to discuss), what is going well (recent wins), what is blocking you (specific obstacles), what do you need from me (specific asks). The order matters. Starting with the personal check-in creates the space for the harder questions.
- • A 2022 study by the management firm Gallup of 200 managers found that the managers who used a structured one-on-one template had 41 percent higher team engagement scores than those who did not. The structure produced the consistency that employees valued.
- • The template prevents the most common one-on-one failure: the manager dominates the conversation with status updates and tactical decisions. The template forces the manager to listen. The employee who feels heard is more likely to surface the issues that matter. The employee who feels talked at will save the issues for someone else.
The structure
A good one-on-one template has five sections: how are you doing (the personal check-in), what is on your mind (anything they want to discuss), what is going well (recent wins), what is blocking you (specific obstacles), what do you need from me (specific asks). The order matters. Starting with the personal check-in creates the space for the harder questions.
A 2022 study by the management firm Gallup of 200 managers found that the managers who used a structured one-on-one template had 41 percent higher team engagement scores than those who did not. The structure produced the consistency that employees valued.
What the template prevents
The template prevents the most common one-on-one failure: the manager dominates the conversation with status updates and tactical decisions. The template forces the manager to listen. The employee who feels heard is more likely to surface the issues that matter. The employee who feels talked at will save the issues for someone else.
The template also prevents the second-most common failure: avoiding hard topics. The structured agenda includes space for blockers and asks. The manager who uses the template can ask the hard question. The manager who improvises avoids the awkwardness by staying in the comfortable zones.
Using the template well
Take notes during the one-on-one. The notes become a record of what was discussed and what was agreed. The founders who maintain these notes get several benefits: they can follow up on commitments, they can track patterns over time, and they can demonstrate that they listen by referencing past conversations.
End every one-on-one with a clear action: who is doing what by when. The action makes the conversation real. The founders who end with action get a return on the time invested. The founders who end with vague commitments get the same friction three weeks later when the issue resurfaces.
How to use this template
Use the meeting to surface progress, blockers, decisions, support needed, feedback and development—not merely to exchange status. Record commitments and owners. Review recurring issues across meetings because repeated blockers can indicate a system or role problem rather than an individual problem.
How to use this tool
- Fill it with one real situation rather than hypothetical inputs.
- Record the evidence behind each important field.
- Make the smallest decision the tool is designed to support.
- Set a review date and update the tool when the evidence changes.
Good output: another person should be able to understand what was decided, why, what remains uncertain, and what happens next without needing a separate founder explanation.
Take it into your work
Do something with what you just read.
Save it for later, mark the passage that matters, or open your SOE workspace and keep thinking.
Takeaways
What to carry forward
- → The template also prevents the second-most common failure: avoiding hard topics. The structured agenda includes space for blockers and asks. The manager who uses the template can ask the hard question. The manager who improvises avoids the awkwardness by staying in the comfortable zones.
- → Take notes during the one-on-one. The notes become a record of what was discussed and what was agreed. The founders who maintain these notes get several benefits: they can follow up on commitments, they can track patterns over time, and they can demonstrate that they listen by referencing past conversations.
- → End every one-on-one with a clear action: who is doing what by when. The action makes the conversation real. The founders who end with action get a return on the time invested. The founders who end with vague commitments get the same friction three weeks later when the issue resurfaces.
Use the one-on-one template. Take notes. End with action. The founders who run structured one-on-ones build trust, surface blockers early, and develop team members faster than the founders who improvise.