Bi-Weekly One-on-One Meeting Template

Should one-on-ones be weekly or bi-weekly?

A one-on-one meeting is a dedicated time for a manager and team member to connect on work, career growth, and team collaboration to improve performance.

However, they can quickly fill up a manager's calendar, consume productive time, and impede growth rather than drive it. That's why it's crucial to get the frequency of one-on-ones right. 

Weekly or bi-weekly?
It depends on the number of direct reports a manager has. What's the feasible cadence that will accommodate every employee on your calendar? 

Weekly meetings work best for managers with small teams. For a larger team where a regular time slot is not guaranteed weekly, bi-weekly one-on-ones are perfect. 

Bi-weekly one-on-one meeting template walk-through

Unlike status update meetings, bi-weekly one-on-ones are free of many formalities. A manager needs to connect with the employee to make the most of their time together, and a template facilitates the process.

Icebreaker

Icebreaker questions are good lead-ins to one-on-ones. They help establish rapport, set a positive atmosphere, and kick off the meeting in a friendly style. Below are some questions that help set the tone for your next gathering.

• How are you doing? How did the past two weeks go?

• What's the best thing happening in the last two weeks?

• Are you proud of the work you do here?

Retro on the last two weeks

Help team members reflect on the past two weeks. Talk about what they've been able to achieve and the practice they employ to achieve it. 

In the event of no achievement, ask what lessons they've learned and how you can help them.

• What have we accomplished since the last meeting? Note achievements on key projects.

• Have any of your goals changed since the last time we discussed them?

• What's one thing your team can do to improve performance?

Obstacles

Obstacles are what's stopping employees from achieving their goals. The best place to talk about them is in a one-on-one meeting. 

Tools, time, and resources are the core obstacles to completing a project. A manager should be ready to discuss these blockers and guide team members to overcome them.

• What do you think feels more complex than it should be in your day-to-day work?

Looking ahead

Once you've highlighted the achievements and obstacles of the last two weeks, it's time to look ahead. Now you can discuss future target metrics and pipelines. 

• What's a skill you think you can learn that will help you perform better?

• Which would you choose if you could improve one skill between this meeting and the next?