One On Ones - How Much Personal?

Many managers are worried about talking about personal topics in One On Ones. They shouldn't be - it doesn't happen that often… and it's a sign of trust, too.

Managers who don't do One On Ones throw up a lot of objections to them. They don't have time is the classic rebuff. But there are plenty of others: don't know how, think they're unnecessary, don't value relationships, it's about the work.

And, many managers are afraid that because there's no work-only rule, or that they can't set their own agenda. And they also worry that too much "personal stuff" will come up. But the personal stuff fear isn't born out by the data. Nor does it turn out to be a bad thing, based on our data. It's a good thing, and you'll get used to it.