Weekly One-on-One Meeting Template

Why should we hold a weekly one-on-one meeting?

A weekly one-on-one meeting provides a regular, structured opportunity to check in with employees and discuss working progress and blocks in the past week.

As the name suggests, it is held every week (usually at the same time period) between the manager and employee. And the ideal meeting duration is 30-45 minutes.

Holding a weekly check-in meeting with your direct reports will:

• Give you an opportunity to stay up-to-date on what's going on with employees.

• Allow you to provide coaching in a more informal setting. 

• Build trust and communication. When done well, they can be an invaluable part of a manager-employee relationship.

• Allow employees to feel seen and heard, creating a more positive and productive work environment, especially as it becomes easier to deliver individualized feedback and set goals for the coming week.

Tip: Set up recurring meetings

If we hold the weekly meeting at the same time each week, it’s best to schedule recurring meetings in your Google calendar so you don’t need to create the meeting each week manually.

Airgram weekly 1-on-1 meeting agenda walkthrough

When you’re setting up your meeting, make sure to include the following items on your agenda. Of course you can make changes to it based on the real situation.

Start with a general check-in [5 minutes]

Make sure you set aside some time at the beginning of each meeting to check in with everyone on a personal level. Start with some open-ended questions like ‘How was your week’’ and ‘What’s stressing you out this week’. 

You can also take the weekly meeting as a chance to keep tabs on your team's mental health and job satisfaction to keep them motivated.

Follow up with project progress [15 minutes ]

Following up provides an opportunity to celebrate successes and acknowledge employees who are meeting or exceeding expectations.

• Ask each team member to briefly summarize the project updates or statistics, so you have an overview of what’s going on.

• Don’t forget to identify any wins and give your recognition. 

• Identify areas where individuals are falling behind. 

If you have a motivated employee with whom you don’t follow up, their productivity will fall if they take this to mean their work is not being recognized. And if you have a low-performing employee, zero follow-ups will allow them to slack off.

Roadblocks getting in the way of work [10 minutes]

Discussing problems early on can help to prevent small issues from spiraling into bigger ones. 

Some common roadblocks include distractions, procrastination, and interruptions. Identify the specific issues that are getting in the way of your employee's work and develop a plan to address them.

How to use this Airgram weekly check-in template effectively

As any experienced manager knows, one-on-one meetings are a key part of maintaining an effective team. To make the most of these meetings, it's important to have a clear agenda; the Airgram team has not only created a template for you, but more.

1. Customize the template

Once you get this weekly meeting agenda in Airgram, you can customize the titles, talking points, and more to suit your own meeting.

2. Send the agenda to all attendees

Once you have developed the agenda, all meeting attendees can check it in advance and add their points they think are necessary to include.

3. Add action items and follow up

Airgram also allows you to set action items with due dates so that the person won’t forget the task and complete it before the deadline.

How to make the most of a weekly 1:1?

A weekly 1:1 helps managers and direct reports stay aligned and connected. Here are a few tips to make the most of a weekly check-in meeting.

Schedule and stick to it 

By having a set time and place, it will be easier for everyone to plan their schedules around the meeting and eliminate distractions. If possible, try to find a time when everyone can attend, and if there are any conflicts, resolve them in advance.

If you have no choice but to reschedule the meeting, do inform all participants in advance.

Come prepared with an agenda

An agenda helps everyone stay on the same page and ensures that important topics are covered. It also allows for a more structured discussion, which can be helpful when trying to reach a decision. 

If you're the one organizing the meeting, be sure to send out the agenda in advance so that everyone has a chance to review it and prepare any necessary materials.

Show concern for personal struggle 

The weekly one-on-one meeting is a vital opportunity for your employee to share both work-related and personal concerns. By creating an open, supportive environment, they will be more comfortable discussing sensitive topics that may be affecting their performance. 

Summarize key takeaways in meeting minutes

At the end of every meeting, it is important to take a few minutes to summarize what was discussed and to identify any action items that need to be completed before the next meeting. 

It can be helpful to send out meeting minutes within 24 hours of the meeting so that you both have a written record of what was discussed.