When things are going wrong in a management relationship, the common denominator is usually unstructured, low substance, hit-or-miss communication. With the added complications of managing some combination of remote, hybrid, and in-person employees, managers are more prone to low-structure communication than ever.
The key for managers is to replace the unstructured, low substance, hit-or-miss communication with a regular one-on-one dialogue with every person they manage:
- Make expectations clear
- Track performance and provide ongoing candid feedback
- Provide support, direction, troubleshooting, and guidance
- Hold people accountable to expectations set in advance
- Recognize and reward in line with performance
Many managers feel they are communicating with their people plenty, maybe even too much. But team meetings and group huddles are not replacements for structured, one-on-one dialogues. Just because managers are in a lot of team meetings does not mean they are having structured, substantive conversations within those meetings.
Ten tips for adding more structure to one-on-ones
The first step to improving management communication is establishing more structure during dedicated one-on-one time. When in doubt, managers should remember to refocus conversations on the work. These ten tips are a good place to start:
- Set aside one hour per day dedicated to one-on-one management conversations.
- Managers with larger teams should concentrate on a one to three people per day.
- A good rule of thumb is to go no more than two weeks between one-on-ones.
- Follow a regular format with each person, customized for that person.
- Always start with top priorities, open questions, and any work in progress.
- Ask direct reports to prepare in advance of their one-on-ones.
- Consider holding meetings standing up, with a clipboard in hand, to keep them quick and focused.
- Don’t allow one person to do all the talking.
- For remote employees, one-on-ones should be conducted with no less rigor and discipline than those in-person.
- If there is a chain of command, use it. Focus first and foremost on any managers on the team. Talk with them about how they are managing.
Follow structure with substance.
Talk about what’s going right, wrong, and average with the work. What needs to be done? What are the next steps? And the next steps after that? Spell out expectations in clear and vivid terms, every step of the way:
- Regularly remind everyone of broad performance standards.
- Turn best practices into formalized standard operating procedures and implement them.
- Focus on concrete actions within the control of the individual employee.
- Monitor, measure, and document individual performance in writing.
- Follow up and provide regular, coaching-style feedback.
- Follow through with real consequences and rewards based on performance in relation to pre-established expectations.
Identify problems and solve them sooner
One-on-ones are also where managers can answer employees’ questions as they come up. Get input from employees throughout the process. Learn from what employees are learning on the front line. Think through potential obstacles and pitfalls together—make back-up planning part of every work plan.
Every step of the way, stay on the lookout:
- Are there problems hiding around the corner or just below the surface?
- Are there small problems that can be solved now so they don’t turn into bigger problems soon?
- What resources need to be obtained?
- Which key people in interdependent roles should be engaged?