This guidance describes if and how to use lists and agendas during your One on Ones.

We get questions all the time about lists and agendas during One on Ones. Here are the answers.

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This guidance tells you what to do when directs resist One on Ones because they are a form of “micromanaging.”

What do you do when one of your directs complains that they don’t need/want/like One-on-Ones because they say they’re a form of micromanagement? Are they right? What the heck IS micromanagement, anyway? Can I leave them out of the process?

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This guidance completes our recommendations on how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.

Many managers tell us they can’t do One on Ones because they travel too much. Mark laughs at this, having missed maybe 2-3 O3s in 20 years while logging millions of seat miles in the air. Here’s how to do it right.

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This guidance recommends how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.

Many managers tell us they can’t do One on Ones because they travel too much. Mark laughs at this, having missed maybe 2-3 O3s in 20 years while logging millions of seat miles in the air. Here’s how to do it right.

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This guidance tells you how to avoid the mistake of “Agenda Fascism” in One on Ones

We made up the term “Agenda Fascism”. It means demanding someone follow an agenda even when doing so defeats the purpose of the agenda. Many managers mistakenly practice agenda fascism in their One on Ones. Here’s how it happens, and how to avoid it.

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This guidance tells you how to do One on Ones with your directs who work a different shift than you do.

One of the common reasons we get for NOT doing One on Ones is that some managers have folks working on different shifts than they themselves work. After we get over being nonplussed, we tell the manager it can be done easily. They tell us their directs don’t actually WANT time with their boss.

But trust us, they do. Here’s how.

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This guidance describes some simple improvements most managers can make to help them take better notes during their One on Ones.

Sometimes pedestrian things loom large. One on Ones are the most important recommendation we make. We get LOTS of questions about them. In the forums, from clients, in email, and at conferences. Over the years, we've gotten used to being asked about how to take notes, or, often, how does Mark take notes during HIS O3s?

What's funny about this is the sense we get that some very simple operational details seem to really capture people's attention. Herewith, then, are our simple note taking recommendations that we love and others swear by too.

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This cast concludes our guidance on the right way to conduct One on Ones with your contract employees.

We always recommend one on ones for directs. Always. But, in most organizations there are plenty of not crystal clear relationships. There are project managers, and other managers we do admin stuff with, but maybe we never see them.

It makes it messy. We define your directs as those folks who would think of you as their primary boss, OR that you would write the end of year review for, and be the primary person discussing pay with.

The issue with all of these concepts is that we often have to create things to look at to help us decide, but things like reviews and pay are really PROXIES. What really matters – even though it can be confusing at times, is: whom do you supervise whose work makes a significant difference in your ability to deliver the results that the organization needs?

Which opens the door for contract employees. You supervise their work, and they do make a significant difference in your outcome. Can you, and if you can, HOW do you have Contract One on Ones? And, are there laws to consider?

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This guidance describes the right way to conduct One on Ones with your contract employees.

We always recommend one on ones for directs. Always. But, in most organizations there are plenty of not crystal clear relationships. There are project managers, and other managers we do admin stuff with, but maybe we never see them.

It makes it messy. We define your directs as those folks who would think of you as their primary boss, OR that you would write the end of year review for, and be the primary person discussing pay with.

The issue with all of these concepts is that we often have to create things to look at to help us decide, but things like reviews and pay are really PROXIES. What really matters – even though it can be confusing at times, is: whom do you supervise whose work makes a significant difference in your ability to deliver the results that the organization needs?

Which opens the door for contract employees. You supervise their work, and they do make a significant difference in your outcome. Can you, and if you can, HOW do you have Contract One on Ones? And, are there laws to consider?

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This cast concludes our recommendations on why and how to meet weekly, or regularly, with your peer managers.

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