2 min read for enhancing your 1x1s, Everyday conversations and the pitfalls
When we say 1x1s, I remember the old days playing Quake, where we would be in an arena, facing each other in a fierce battle. 😅Let’s get that clear, that’s not how everyday conversations should be with our direct reports or indirect reports.
Some areas to keep in mind; points that we always touch on in Everyday conversations:
- ⭐️Celebrating Success — Let’s celebrate success first
- 👋Checking in — Let’s check how things are going
- 💡Building Capability — the chance to do some coaching or share your own experience
- 😀Offering support — a friendly ear
- 🧐Tough conversations — Know how to have tough conversations, and pass your message in a concise and honest way.
Should I have an agenda or not?
Some people are more open than others, what works for one does not work for everybody, the same with having an agenda, there are people who talk freely about the subjects and do not need an agenda to follow, just someone to listen to and help them. However, there are people that you need to ask more questions to get a better conversation or reach some topics. You may want to keep an agenda for yourself, so you don’t forget about important topics.
My proposed agenda for most of my colleagues:
1. Your agenda (Their items)
2. My items (I always start checking the mood, and then touching some points from the above, e.g. celebrating success, sometimes tough conversations, etc.)
3. Any Training or activities in mind?
4. Any other feedback for the Team or RUN(Operations)
5. HR updates
6. Goals and Objectives
❤️Checking the mood!
Understand better the mood of the day, the wheel below takes the question “How are you feeling today” to the next level and makes it easier to start the conversation. Usually, I ask the colleague to choose 1 centre feeling and dive deeper into that.
🧐Tough conversations!
Having tough conversations is more common than we think, and certainly, you will get into this one day while doing your everyday conversations, being prepared is the best way to have those.
It takes respect and trust between you and your team to have a heart-to-heart chat and share feedback. It also takes courage and skill, they may not want to hear it, so how you land the message is really important.
Useful ways of starting it:
- What I saw was…it made me feel…
- I felt … when …
- How do you think it went? What were you hoping the outcome would be?
- What do you wish you had done differently?
- How can we make sure this doesn't happen again
Four mega top tips:
- Be honest and transparent
- Use facts, not opinions.
- Share your positive intent and your view.
- Work together to get to a resolution.
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