If Sherlock Holmes was the leader of a team, what would he do? Yes, that's right. He would attract ridicule by wearing his Deerstalker cap in the office and online calls. But that's not what I mean.
Sherlock Holmes is very intelligent, so he would quickly come to an obvious conclusion: The relationship and communication with his team members is one of his key levers for team success. And there is one meeting in particular that is designed to do just that: the one-on-one meeting with his colleagues (for which there are some professional one-on-one templates, but more on that in a moment).
So, Sherlock, do you already place an appropriate value on 1-to-1 conversations? Or are your one-on-one conversations part of the 52% addressed in the quote below? Either way, this text will help you take your one-on-one conversations to the next level. In particular, our free sample templates and sample agendas for one-on-one conversations will help you.
"52% of employees lose attention in meetings in the first 30 minutes".
Goal and purpose of one-on-one meetings
As already indicated above, one-to-one meetings have different objectives. From a bird's eye view, it is simply about leading employees in a personal conversation (whether with or without a professional 1-to-1 meeting template).
If I lead poorly, my best employees will quit in the worst case scenario without me being prepared for it. Another consequence would be that the team's goals are missed because the team members' activities are not coordinated. Both would reflect extremely poorly on my skills as a manager or boss. So here we are at the first goal of good one-on-one meetings (bad one-on-one meetings tend to lead to the reaction you see in the following picture...).
Based on this, the first goal of one-on-one meetings is to build a good, trusting and respectful relationship with my team members. Only then will conflicts and tensions be openly communicated to me. It is also the only way I can fulfill my role as a servant leader or coach and help employees to develop further. Good one-to-one templates, whether printed or digital, can of course help with this.
Not in all one-on-one meetings, but in many, the second key objective of regular one-on-one meetings is to ensure that the activities or tasks of my team members are being carried out correctly. The extent to which I need to intervene here depends heavily on the maturity level of my direct report. In principle, however, the one-on-one meeting (whether virtual or in the office) can be a good opportunity to solve blockages in current tasks, to challenge and to refer to team colleagues in the right places in order to strengthen intra-team communication.
I would like to give you one specific tip at this point to help you achieve the goal of good one-to-one conversations: adapt it to your direct report. Some people want more feedback, for example, while others want more guidance on their current activities. This can also be seen in these statistics on Generation Z, for example.
"76% of Generation Z employees want more opportunities to learn and apply new skills."
Before we get to our free printable templates, sample agendas, samples and questions for one-on-one conversations, I'd like to leave you with some critical food for thought.
Why you shouldn't use (printable) 1-to-1 templates
When managers ask me for a template or sample agenda for one-on-one meetings, I become cautious. What exactly are they trying to achieve? That's why I'd like to make a brief checklist of what characterizes good and bad one-on-one meetings:
Characteristics of good 1-to-1 conversations:
- Conversations are full of energy
- Regular moments of success or satisfaction because tasks have been completed
- Measurable skill improvements (e.g. through surveys)
- Sometimes you are a little nervous before these conversations (for example, because you want to share constructive feedback).
- Both interlocutors take regular follow-ups with
Characteristics of poor 1-to-1 calls:
- After the small talk, there are no more topics
- 1-to-1 are moved
- You've forgotten the names of your employees' two children again
- 1-to-1s are not prepared by either side
My point is: Do you think you make your 1-to-1 meetings better by using the same template or agenda for every meeting and for every team member? I hope not.
It is better if you adapt both in each case. I therefore recommend that you use a variety of templates or forms for your particular situation in order to achieve the above goals: energetic, productive 1:1 conversations. The printable templates below can help you do just that.
Incidentally, the content of the templates comes from the Echometer software for 1-to-1 calls. So if you want to make it particularly easy for yourself, just try out our tool for free.
Template questions: How do you start the one-on-one meeting with employees?
For the question "How to start a one-on-one meeting with employees", I can refer you to the above: To honestly hear the opinion of your employees, you need a good relationship with them. A good relationship helps to create the conditions for good one-on-one conversations: A relaxed conversation atmosphere.
Whether junior or senior, direct reports regularly get nervous when talking to their own boss in person. They have the attitude: "Don't say the wrong thing". This attitude is, of course, poison for a good conversation and a relaxed atmosphere. A poor basis for any good one-on-one meeting agenda.
This is where a little trick or tip for good one-on-one meetings comes into play: meeting icebreakers, i.e. check-in questions that break the ice of the conversation and reduce the nervousness of your direct report. Here are some suggestions for good and fun one-on-one meeting icebreakers:
To start: one-on-one Icebreaker meeting
- How is your day/week going so far?
- How are you feeling right now, on a scale from 1 (bad) to 10 (good)?
- Have you done or planned anything exciting at the weekend?
- Is there a book, movie or series that you would recommend?
- What's the weather like where you are: sunny, stormy, rainy, foggy, cloudy?
- If you could have one thing done today, what would it be?
- Has there been anything you've been particularly happy about recently?
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the printable one-on-one meeting templates for face-to-face meetings.
First of all: You can of course also adapt the free templates and forms to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
So, let's get started with a standard template for weekly or monthly one-on-one meetings.
Typical topics in one-on-one meetings
Based on the free professional templates and forms above, you can of course also predict what the typical topics in one-to-one employee appraisals are. You can use this to prepare yourself mentally for any difficult questions.
So here are some examples of typical one-to-one meeting topics and questions that could come from your employees. These are, of course, theoretical scenarios – you're lucky if your team members would all bring these topics so actively onto the agenda. It should be helpful in any case:
Example topics and questions from employees in 1-to-1 meetings
- Reflect on priorities
- Possible topic: "I'm not sure whether I should focus on task A or B – Which priority do you think takes precedence?"
- Alignment: What makes good work
- Possible topic: "How can we ensure that my work meets the expectations of the stakeholders? Are there specific examples of how you recognize 'good work'?"
- Give feedback
- Possible topic: "I would like to know what you thought of my presentation in the last product demo to the customer – is there anything I could improve?"
- Challenges and blockages
- Possible topic: "I'm having trouble getting support from the marketing team, which is delaying my project. Can you help sort this out?"
- Personal development and career goals
- Possible topic: "I'm interested in the new project in the Backend Software Team – do you think I have the right skills for it, or is there something I should learn first?"
- Workload and well-being
- Possible topic: "I have the feeling that the current workload is not feasible without compromising quality – can we talk about how we could adapt this?"
- Ideas and innovations
- Possible topic: "I have an idea on how we could make process Z more efficient – can we discuss this briefly to see if it makes sense?"
- Relationships in the team
- Possible topic: "I notice that communication with my colleague Max is sometimes difficult – do you have any ideas on how I could tackle this better?"
- Need for support
- Possible topic: "I need more context on the goals of project – could you tell me what the end purpose is, or who I could talk to about it?"
- A look into the future
- Possible topic: "What important projects or changes are coming up that I should prepare for?"
So, do you feel better prepared for your next one-to-one performance review? If not, I have attached a FAQ below if necessary. But for now, let's draw an interim conclusion.
Conclusion - Good One-on-One meeting templates
One-on-one meetings are an indispensable tool for any boss who values effective and appreciative collaboration. This article has not only shown how important such meetings are for team development and company success, but also offers practical free templates, sample agendas, questions and icebreakers to increase the quality of these meetings.
The key to successful one-to-one meetings lies in adapting them to the needs of each individual team member. Instead of relying on rigid, printable templates, you should make meetings flexible in order to discuss operational challenges as well as strengthen the relationship level.
Whether it's about priorities, feedback or personal development – the approaches presented here will help you to have energetic and productive conversations. Use the tips to remove blockages, build trust and unleash the full potential of your employees. This will not only make your team more efficient, but also more motivated and satisfied.
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
"52% of employees lose attention in meetings in the first 30 minutes".
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
"52% of employees lose attention in meetings in the first 30 minutes".
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Good one-on-one meeting templates
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
Let's finally get to the heart of this article – the one-to-one meeting templates.
You can of course also adapt the template to your language in German, Spanish, Dutch, French or Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish. To do this, simply change the language in the top right-hand corner of our website and the template will appear in your language.
Examples of individualized invitations to employees for 1-on-1 meetings
However, if the reason for your regular appraisal interview is of an individual nature, you should also include this in the invitation email and perhaps even in the subject line. Here are a few examples and templates of how this can look in the email invitation or email request.
Template example 1: Email invitation for one-to-one meetings with new employees
A common reason for starting a new 1-on-1 meeting series is the induction and training of new colleagues. In this scenario, the following text or template is suitable for the email invitation: Hello [name of employee],
Welcome to the team! I hope you already feel that you are in good hands with us and have gained some positive initial impressions.
To provide you with the best possible support during your induction period, I would like to introduce regular 1:1 meetings with you. These meetings provide a platform to clarify your questions, talk about your progress and any challenges and help you to settle in well with us.
I would like to arrange our first meeting on [date and time]. The appointment lasts about [duration] minutes. Please let me know if that works for you. I will then add the series of dates to our calendars.
I suggest that we keep our joint notes on the preparation of the 1:1 meetings here so that we can both access them: [link].
I look forward to getting to know you even better and working with you!
Best regards
[Your name]
Before we go any further, I would like to give you a quick tip on how to take the one-to-one meeting to a new level yourself: With our 1-1 meeting software Echometer.
Not only will our interactive conversation templates make your conversation more fun and productive, but effective actions will suddenly be organically on the table. Give it a try, for example by simply trying out the template below:
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Mood as weather
- If you had to describe your emotional state as the weather, how is the weather in your project or your tasks at the moment?
How is the weather in relation to your employer, your personal life and your private life?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Communication
Where do you see your team: How are contributions distributed?
Where do you see yourself? What role do you play, depending on the meeting?
What would be a first step to ensure that contributions are distributed more evenly within the team?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Fail forward
When was the last time you had the feeling that you had made a mistake with something?
How did you react to this mistake?
What would be a constructive view of this "mistake"?
What are the next important mistakes you need to make to get closer to your goals?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Learn from the best
Who in your team do you look up to and why?
What are the things you want to learn when you think about your colleagues in the company and beyond?
Get in touch with the people you want to learn from.
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Conflict types
Name a recent conflict you had in your team.
Take a look at the 5 different conflict styles: Can your behavior and attitude be classified into one or more of the conflict styles?
How could you have handled the conflict better?
It can be particularly sensitive if the reason for the 1-to-1 meeting or appraisal interview is the employee's performance problems. The following example of an email text should probably be adapted to the situation:
Not only performance problems, but also regular conflicts and communication problems can be a reason to introduce 1:1 meetings or regular appraisal interviews. The following example or template for the invitation email addresses this directly:
Conclusion - Are you still missing something to prepare for your 1:1?
This text should hopefully have given you a good feel for what can be included in the email request for a regular 1-1 meeting. We have also given you a few examples and templates for the subject line that should help you.
If you're a little more creative and want an unusual name for your one-to-one meeting series, you can find some examples on this topic in our blog.
Do you have the feeling that you can get even more out of your one-to-one meetings? Then our 1-to-1 meeting software Echometer can help you. With our interactive meeting templates, not only will your meeting become more fun and productive, but effective actions will suddenly appear organically on the table. Give it a try, for example by simply trying out the template below:
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Mood as weather
- If you had to describe your emotional state as the weather, how is the weather in your project or your tasks at the moment?
How is the weather in relation to your employer, your personal life and your private life?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Communication
Where do you see your team: How are contributions distributed?
Where do you see yourself? What role do you play, depending on the meeting?
What would be a first step to ensure that contributions are distributed more evenly within the team?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Fail forward
When was the last time you had the feeling that you had made a mistake with something?
How did you react to this mistake?
What would be a constructive view of this "mistake"?
What are the next important mistakes you need to make to get closer to your goals?
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Learn from the best
Who in your team do you look up to and why?
What are the things you want to learn when you think about your colleagues in the company and beyond?
Get in touch with the people you want to learn from.
1:1 Meeting Tool Template: Conflict types
Name a recent conflict you had in your team.
Take a look at the 5 different conflict styles: Can your behavior and attitude be classified into one or more of the conflict styles?
How could you have handled the conflict better?
