In a top restaurant, the chef does not rely on chance. Every course is perfectly prepared, the ingredients are coordinated and the processes are optimized. It can be the same with one-on-one meetings: With a well-structured form, you ensure that every conversation unfolds its full value – and doesn't come across as a hastily assembled dish. Do you see yourself as a top manager?
If so, conversations with employees deserve a diary entry for you as a manager – they are full of insights, developments and aha moments. But without documentation, details are lost. The same applies here: A well thought-out 1:1 form helps to identify patterns, make progress visible and draw real added value from every conversation.
Whether in a face-to-face, digital or virtual one-on-one meeting, 1-to-1 meetings provide space for feedback and therefore personal development, which is essential in today's working world. And in this article, I'll give you a good, simple form that you can use in your weekly, bi-weekly or monthly one-on-one meetings to have good conversations.
First of all: If you're still unsure about what good one-on-one meetings look like, take a look at our guide: The guide with 6 tips for successful one-on-one meetings.
Conducting One-on-One meetings - a few practical tips
According to the Harvard Business Review, almost half of Direct Reports rate their one-on-one conversations with their manager as suboptimal.
So, are you one of them? I don't think so – because you are smart enough to be inspired by a 1-to-1 meeting form. Nevertheless, I would like to give you a few simple tips that will make the one-on-one meeting with your employee even better:
- Change your perspective occasionally and ask: "If you were running your own 1:1, what would you do differently?"
- Occasionally open meetings with a completely unexpected question to get the other person thinking ("If your job was a movie – what genre would it be right now?"). I have more suggestions for you below.
- Deliberately leave small gaps in the conversation to give room for real thoughts instead of rushing through the meeting.
- Document not only to-dos, but also moods and developments so that you can recognize emotional trends over time.
- Talk about long-term issues before they become acute, so that major problems don't arise in the first place.
- At the end of the meeting, give a summary in your own words to clarify any misunderstandings immediately.
- Plan buffers before and after the meeting so that you don't seem rushed and your counterpart has your full attention.
If you take these tips into account, the following 1-to-1 form will serve you even better.
A simple, interactive form for One-on-One meetings
The fact that you clicked on this article tells me that you are a manager looking for a form for one-on-one meetings.
That's why you'll first find a doc form here, which should be a good accompaniment to a classic bi-weekly performance review, for example.
You can save the form as a Doc under the actual template, but alternatively also as a PDF or Word document. Simply click on the "Plus" toggle. You can also open it using the button in the Echometer tool, which allows you and your employee to edit the form interactively – and you will even be supported by an AI assistant.
👋 Welcome & Icebreaker
- How are you today, how has your week been so far?
📕 Topics Employee [name]
- ...
👈 Manager topics: Review
- What went well in the last 2 weeks?
- What were the challenges?
👈 Manager topics: Priorities & Goals
- What are your main priorities for the coming weeks?
- Where do you need my support?
🤚 Conclusion
- Is there anything else you would like to discuss?
⁉️ Mood check (survey)
Download template as printable PDF
Preview: PDF template
If you would like to download the above sample or template as a printable PDF, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Word document
Preview: One-to-One Meeting Microsoft Word Template
If you would like to download the above sample template as a Word document, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Docs
Preview: Google Docs one-to-one meeting template
If you want to edit the above sample template as Google Docs, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly by copying it.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Sheets
Preview: Google Sheets one-to-one meeting template
If you would like a template for weekly check-ins as an editable Google Sheet, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly and print it out, for example.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Excel or XLXS
Preview: Excel or XLSX template
If you would like to download the above template as a printable or editable XLSX, simply click on the image below. Then you can flexibly edit or print the template.
Click image to open ⬇️
As you can see, the main aim of such a one-to-one conversation is to zoom out. This is often very difficult in everyday life, which is why a dedicated block of time is necessary.
By the way, don't be fooled by the form: Basically, your goal should be for your intrinsically motivated employee to bring as many topics as possible to the table themselves.
Now let's move on to your Plan B: Good individual questions for your one-on-one conversation.
Good, simple questions that complete your 1-to-1 Meeting Form
Questions that can be introduced flexibly into the conversation are often helpful for a good conversation.
If you get off topic or the form doesn't go into enough depth, these can help steer the conversation in a productive direction. Here are some examples.
✅ General One-on-One Staff Meeting Questions to ask
- How are you (really) doing right now?
- On a scale of one (very bad) to ten (very good), how are you feeling right now?
- How focused are you at the moment on a scale of 1 to 10? And why?
- What's going through your head right now?
- What is slowing you down in your work at the moment?
- What's going well for you right now?
- What's not going so well at the moment?
🧑🎨 Creative One-on-One Staff Meeting Questions to ask
- If you had to characterize your mood as a weather report with regard to the project, your job in general and your tasks, what would it look like?
- How often do you feel overwhelmed or stressed at work? In which situations?
- What does a good break look like for you (fresh air, screens...)?
- What are you doing right now that isn't actually getting you anywhere?
- You get a magic wand and have one wish related to work: What would you wish for (excluding a higher salary)?
- What do you currently need to improve?
- What was your biggest challenge yesterday (or last week etc.)?
One of the most important goals of one-on-one meetings is, as mentioned, to zoom out regularly. For this reason, questions that embed the day-to-day work in a larger context are helpful.
I have also brought 17 questions for you as a manager that should enrich your one-on-one conversation.
🧘♀️ One-to-one questions with a focus on positives
- If you could add one responsibility or decision-making power to your role, what would it be?
- Which skill would have the greatest impact on your personal performance if you mastered it?
- What new things have you learned recently (privately or professionally)?
- When was the last time you helped another team member to develop?
- What are the 3 best things you want for yourself professionally in the next 1-2 years?
- When was the last time you experienced a state of flow at work? How easy is it for you to get into flow?
- What would you call the informal role you play in the team and why? (e.g. "Head of Happiness")
- What is currently inspiring you? What currently gives you energy?
🦋 One-to-one questions about improvements
- If you were the CEO of this organization, what would you do differently?
- What are things that drain your energy?
- What are you currently missing in your job?
- If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
- When did you find it difficult to change the context between tasks?
- When was the last time you contributed to a process improvement in our team?
- If you could delegate one of your responsibilities to someone else, what would it be?
- What things slow you down or regularly block your work?
- What question would you ask yourself if you were your coach?
All right. If that's still not enough for you... Now let's move on to an interactive form that takes an even more creative approach to the one-on-one conversation.
2 Additional interactive forms for One-on-One Meetings (Doc)
Having spoken to around 100 managers over the last few months, I have noticed a pattern.
Many supervisors occasionally incorporate small surveys into their one-on-one meetings. This means that they simply go through a few questions in a relaxed manner and ask their staff a) whether he or she agrees with a statement (for example from 1 to 7) and then b) why he or she answered in this way.
They expect the following from these micro-surveys in 1:1s:
- More variety and engagement in 1-to-1 conversations
- Taking on new perspectives
- Measurability of (soft) KPIs such as satisfaction over time
And of course, you can also make this idea part of your one-on-one meeting form. I have put together five statements that focus on reflecting important preconditions for every successful employee.
You can also download this form as a doc, but even better is the following: In our one-on-one meeting software, we have an integrated tool that visualizes the results over time as a metric and gives you tips with an AI assistant – feel free to take a look without logging in using the button below.
⁉️ Mood check (agreement from 1-7): Personal development
- "My work tasks usually progress very quickly, even if external feedback is necessary."
- "If I observe suboptimal behavior, I know how I can constructively draw my colleagues' attention to it."
- "I receive constructive Feedback both to my work and to my personal development."
- "I see an attractive career path ahead of me in the company." #Growth
- "In the last few weeks, I have often been able to use my Strengths at work."
This is what this survey looks like in Echometer:
Download template as printable PDF
Preview: PDF template
If you would like to download the above sample or template as a printable PDF, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Word document
Preview: One-to-One Meeting Microsoft Word Template
If you would like to download the above sample template as a Word document, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Docs
Preview: Google Docs one-to-one meeting template
If you want to edit the above sample template as Google Docs, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly by copying it.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Sheets
Preview: Google Sheets one-to-one meeting template
If you would like a template for weekly check-ins as an editable Google Sheet, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly and print it out, for example.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Excel or XLXS
Preview: Excel or XLSX template
If you would like to download the above template as a printable or editable XLSX, simply click on the image below. Then you can flexibly edit or print the template.
Click image to open ⬇️
As you can see, the statements address key preconditions of staff that feels happy.
Another prerequisite for healthy, productive employees is, of course, a good manager. Yes, I'm talking about you here.
And, of course, there are also statements that you can make as part of your one-on-one form. Specifically, here are 4 behavioral anchors that are also worth reflecting on every few months.
⁉️ Mood check (agreement from 1-7): Leadership quality
- "I'm really happy with my team leader." #JobSatisfaction
- "My team leader regularly zooms out to see the higher-level Team goalsexplain the strategy and the vision."
- "My team leader questions things in a constructive way." #Feedback #Leadership
- "My team leader sets an example of what he expects from us as a team." #Leadership
This is what this survey looks like in Echometer:
Download template as printable PDF
Preview: PDF template
If you would like to download the above sample or template as a printable PDF, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Word document
Preview: One-to-One Meeting Microsoft Word Template
If you would like to download the above sample template as a Word document, simply click on the image below. You can then edit or print the template as you wish.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Docs
Preview: Google Docs one-to-one meeting template
If you want to edit the above sample template as Google Docs, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly by copying it.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Google Sheets
Preview: Google Sheets one-to-one meeting template
If you would like a template for weekly check-ins as an editable Google Sheet, simply click on the image below. You can then edit the template flexibly and print it out, for example.
🚸 Attention: You must be logged in to Google to be able to copy (and thus edit) the template in the menu at the top left.
Click image to open ⬇️
Download template as Excel or XLXS
Preview: Excel or XLSX template
If you would like to download the above template as a printable or editable XLSX, simply click on the image below. Then you can flexibly edit or print the template.
Click image to open ⬇️
And, can you hardly wait to ask these questions in your one-on-one meeting? Very good, I'm glad.
If you would like more creative input, I can recommend our corresponding article: 129 Good One-on-One Meeting Questions (by a Psychologist).
15 Additional Forms for One-on-One meetings (as Doc, PDF etc.)
You've probably already guessed it. Of course, there are many more forms for one-on-one meetings that you will need sooner or later.
For example, I talk about forms for your one-on-one meeting about salary, your conversation with a difficult employee or with a completely new employee.
We have additional forms for all of these use cases, which you can find in this article: 15 Free Proven One-on-one Meeting Templates to Edit & Print
Conclusion: A simple form for One-on-One Meetings
Well, as you can see, although you can start with a simple meeting form –, there are many other things that are important for a successful meeting or for successful employee development.
You must not forget one piece of wisdom: There are countless questions you can ask – but the most important thing is that you tailor the interview to your employee.
Our AI meeting assistant for one-on-one meetings can also help you with this. If you want to find out more about it, take a look at our website: The best 1-on-1 meeting software.
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