Most people recognize that there are benefits to holding one-on-one meetings with employees. Even so, it’s not easy to make time for them given all the demands of day-to-day work that go along with running a business.
When business owners and leaders understand the true value of these meetings, though, it’s hard to deny that they might be one of the most important things they can do for the long-term health of their business.
In Organizational ReWilding, the practice of holding regular supervisor-employee meetings is called the One-to-One Process. The term encompasses not only the meetings themselves, but also the cadence of the meetings, as well as the prep and follow-up work that are involved.
One of the most common objections to one-on-one meetings is that they’re not necessary because “we’re always communicating at work.” While it’s true that executives, managers, and supervisors spend a good portion of their day communicating with their team, it is common for the communication “loop” component to be lacking or non-existent. Communication with direct reports is often focused on the work at hand, and is not a loop, but rather a one-way street from supervisor to employee.
By contrast, One-to-One Meetings provide time for a supervisor and direct reports to lift their heads above the day-to-day commitments and task-focused discussions in order to spend time engaging in mutually beneficial dialogue.
The 3-Part Purpose of the One-to-One Process
The purpose of the One-to-One Process is to establish a two-way communication loop between a supervisor and employee that accomplishes three things: 1) promotes proactive inquiry, 2) creates personal accountability, and 3) builds a bond of trust.
Following are definitions of what each of these objectives looks like in practice.
Proactive Inquiry. This refers to actively seeking understanding through open-ended questions. Throughout the One-to-One Process, it is critical that the supervisor encourages candid conversation, prompted by questions that allow the employee to answer openly. Under these conditions, subjects will arise that otherwise would stay buried.
Personal Accountability. By setting out commitments each session, and then revisiting them at the sessions following, the One-to-One Process gives individuals the opportunity to hold themselves personally responsible for the follow-through, or lack thereof, on their commitments. This applies to both supervisors and employees.
Bond of Trust. The reality is that employees don’t leave their jobs, they leave their bosses. The impact a supervisor has on a direct report is unmatched. The One-to-One Process, when executed well, facilitates an atmosphere of trust between an employee and his or her supervisor. This trust allows employees to share information and thoughts to which the supervisor would otherwise not be privy. Situations that could be detrimental if employees lacked a trusting working relationship with their supervisor can often be mitigated or even avoided altogether simply by the existence of this bond.
The concepts from this article were taken from One-to-One Process: Practicing consistent two-way communication between employee and supervisor. Available through The ReWild Group and Amazon, the book explores in-depth this and other concepts while providing illustrations to help business leaders incorporate the ideas into their organizations. Get your copy today to start benefiting from the One-to-One Process in your company.