In sticking with our theme of Creating More Effective Meetings this month, today we’re going to take a closer look at how you can swap out the Pain for the Gain in your next 1:1 meeting.

One-on-one meetings drain energy from the room when all they focus on are status updates, new assignment details, and past-to-do-item recaps. Zzzzzzz….

One-on-one meetings inject energy into the room when they focus on development, growth, and exploration of potential. Yeeeee….

Energizing conversation starters certainly aren’t challenging to think of, yet when meetings become stale, it’s somehow harder to remember to interject them into the session. 

Take a look at these 1:1 Meeting Kickstarters and throw a few into the mix during your next meeting!

Assessing Leadership Capabilities:

  • What two leadership capabilities seem the most relevant to your current job responsibilities?
  • What two things could you do this week to practice one of those qualities?

Assessing Emotion: 

  • What part of your job energizes you and how are you making time to prioritize it?
  • What consistent frustrations are you facing and who can help you minimize or eliminate them?

Assessing Priorities:

  • What’s one big boulder you’re working on now and why is it important to your goals?
  • Are there “low-value” activities that are keeping you from making progress on that boulder and how can you kick them to the curb?

Before your next 1:1 meeting, remind yourself that these meetings are rooted in relationships and not driven by task orientation. You’ll notice a shift from drudgery to development, for both you and your partner. 

Good luck and drop me a note on how it goes!