Stephen Turner
Akash Kumar
Jordan Lee
Taylor Scott
How to run a one-on-one that gives someone useful support
A manager–employee one-on-one is a regular conversation about the employee's work, priorities, challenges and growth. A good one helps both people see what support is needed and agree what happens next.
Prepare around the employee's real situation
Atlassian recommends a predictable schedule and a shared agenda both people can add to. Start there, then agree a rhythm that gives this person enough support. If you have to reschedule, book a new time. Don't let it quietly disappear.
Before the meeting, the employee can pick one situation they want help with and one question they want answered. The manager reviews the last agreed action. A good prep note might be: “Two teams want urgent analysis; I need help deciding which deadline moves.” It's concrete, and it doesn't need polish.
A 30-minute agenda you can adapt
Ask the employee which topic matters most before following the order below. A hard issue can reasonably take the whole meeting.
Keep routine project tracking somewhere you can both see it. When an update does come up, ask what it means for workload, expectations or support. A missed deadline might mean unclear priorities, a missing dependency or a skill to develop. Respond to the actual cause.
| Time | Conversation | Useful output |
|---|---|---|
| 5 minutes | Which issue would make today useful to discuss? | An agreed focus |
| 12 minutes | Explore a current difficulty using a specific example | Shared understanding of the obstacle |
| 8 minutes | Discuss a skill, responsibility, or feedback question | One realistic development step |
| 5 minutes | Repeat commitments and unresolved questions | Named actions for both people |
Example: two urgent requests
An analyst has promised a sales report on Thursday and a finance review on Friday. Both now need more work than expected. The manager asks which parts are essential, who depends on each and what's been communicated. It turns out sales needs a rough answer, while finance needs the full analysis.
The employee suggests a short sales estimate Thursday and the full finance review Friday. The manager will confirm that trade-off with both teams by tomorrow. The employee will write down the assumptions behind the estimate. That's a clear priority decision with actions on both sides, not “manage your time better.”
Give feedback the other person can work with
Point to a specific situation and its effect. For example: “In Monday's planning call we changed the estimate without explaining why. The delivery team couldn't update its plan.” Ask what the employee saw and what was missing before suggesting a fix.
Leave room for feedback the other way. The employee might say requests arrive with no clear priority. The manager can agree to rank work when assigning it. Either person's behavior can change.
Follow up without turning notes into surveillance
Write down each agreed action, its owner and the next check-in. Keep real commitments apart from ideas being explored. If the manager offered a mentor introduction, confirm it happened before asking about progress.
If you record one-on-ones in Bridge, the 1:1s recap template shapes the notes for this kind of meeting. Treat them as a draft, and check each action matches what you both agreed.
Agree what gets recorded and who can see it. Don't promise total confidentiality your workplace obligations can't support. A one-on-one can't replace a formal process when a concern needs one. Explain the next step and keep the employee informed.