Why the Weekly One-On-One Meeting is So Important

The purpose of a weekly one-on-one meeting with each member of your staff is to drive alignment and improve communication. It’s one of the most effective ways to keep your employees engaged and on track to reach your business goals.

When I worked as an engineer at a Fortune 200 company, we had a culture that encouraged weekly staff meetings and regular one-on-ones between managers and their team members. These meetings were a necessity for cascading key information and communicating priorities across a large organization.

As a young professional, those weekly one-on-ones with my manager were instrumental to my development. They were more casual and informal compared to other business meetings, which went a long way towards building mutual trust and respect with my manager.

As a result, I always left those meetings feeling empowered to move forward with my projects with more confidence.

The weekly one-on-one benefitted me as well as my manager. We used that meeting to make sure we were on the same page. I could ask for help and he could give me advice and feedback.

The key to getting the most out of the weekly one-on-one is to do it consistently. This can be an understandable challenge for small businesses with limited resources.

Making it a priority

Doctors and other small business owners obviously do not have the same resources as a large corporation. They often have to wear multiple hats to keep their business running smoothly. The time commitment alone can make it admittedly difficult to prioritize one-on-ones.

On top of that, the small interactions Doctors have with their team every day may leave them feeling that a scheduled one-on-one is unnecessary. They may believe that a formal one-on-one should be viewed as big company decorum that’s out of touch and irrelevant to how they manage their staff.

But the truth is that there are enormous benefits that doctors and other small business owners leave on the table when they fail to engage their staff in one-on-ones.

Successful businesses are led with intention. Scheduling time to meet with your employees as individuals is a great way to foster engagement, improve communication, and drive alignment.

Fostering Engagement

Everybody enjoys receiving positive feedback. People want to know that their efforts are being noticed and appreciated.

ays at the office can be fast and sometimes stressful. Taking a moment out of your busy week to spend uninterrupted time with an individual staff member goes miles towards developing a good relationship and fostering engagement.

A one-on-one provides an opportunity for you to reassure your team member that you care about the work that they do. Ask detailed questions about the projects they’re working on and encourage them to raise concerns and ask for help.

Improving Communication

Frequent one-on-one meetings help to improve communication and build trust.

Depending on their role at the office, it’s very likely that your interaction with some of your staff members may be little more than a passing greeting in the hallway. A one-on-one meeting gives you a chance to really develop a relationship with that staff member.

Ask about their family. Get to know them as a person and not just as your employee. This type of close relationship with your colleagues comes more naturally at small businesses, but it still requires an intentional effort.

When you build trust and rapport with your team members, they will feel more comfortable speaking up when issues arise. You’ll be in a more informed position to take action sooner and avoid larger problems down the road.

Aligning Priorities

The weekly one-on-one allows you to check in on what your employees are working on. You can ask questions about the progress they’ve made and ensure that they are still aligned with your expectations.

These conversations can help you evaluate when an employee is ready for more responsibility. Don’t wait until the end of the year to recognize that a particular team member may be able to contribute in a greater capacity.

Conversely, if there are gaps in a staff member’s performance, now is a great time to provide constructive feedback. It’s much better to be proactive and coach them from the onset. A weekly one-on-one is a great tool to keep a pulse on each employee’s development opportunities.

Conclusion

One-on-ones are a great tool for engaging your staff and boosting productivity throughout the organization. They help build better relationships and improve communication through proactive management.

It can be difficult for doctors and small business owners to prioritize such meetings with their staff. But maintaining regular dialogue with your team is a sure way to improve individual performance and move you towards your business goals faster.