How do you structure a one-on-one doc?
Dongyoung Kim, CPO
A one-on-one doc is where you prepare for and record the meeting, and it needs only three parts: the prep the team member writes in advance, notes taken during the meeting, and the action items you agree on. Questions to ask are better chosen for each situation than fixed in the doc. Keep it short and use the same frame every time, starting each meeting by checking last time's action items.
The one-on-one doc at a glance
A one-on-one doc is easiest to use when split into three parts: before, during, and after the conversation. Here is who writes each part and when.
| Part | Written by | When |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prep | Team member | Before the meeting |
| 2. Meeting notes | Leader, or both | During the meeting |
| 3. Action items | Leader and team member | End of the meeting |
Prep is short for preparation: the step where leader and team member organize and share their thoughts before the conversation to make the one-on-one more effective. The fields and tips below are Orblit's suggestions.
- 1
1. Prep
The team member writes it before the meeting.
- 2
2. Meeting notes
The leader, or both, take notes during the meeting.
- 3
3. Action items
The two of you agree on them at the end.
- 4
Next meeting
Start by checking last time's action items.
The next one-on-one picks up from step 1 again.
1. Prep (the team member writes it in advance)
Prep is where the team member organizes their thoughts before the one-on-one. Knowing in advance what they want to discuss lets the leader come prepared with the information and answers they need.
| Field | How to fill it in |
|---|---|
| What I did and what went well this period | One or two lines, about the process more than the result |
| What is blocked or where I need help | Be specific, down to who could do what to unblock it |
| What I want to talk about | The one or two most important topics |
| How I am doing | A score from 1 to 5 and a one-line reason |
| What I would like from my leader | Choose from feedback, information, a decision, or support |
Noting what you want from the leader on each topic speeds up the conversation. The same topic is handled differently depending on whether you want an opinion, a decision, or just to let the leader know. Share the prep by the day before so the leader can read it in advance.
2. Meeting notes (written during the meeting)
During the conversation, record what you will want to look up at the next one-on-one. Checking last time's commitments first and noting discussion and decisions separately makes it easier to pick up the thread next time.
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Date and attendees | When, and who took part |
| Check last time's action items | Done, in progress, or on hold |
| Team member's topics | Key points and things the team member said worth remembering |
| What we talked about | Topics the leader raised beyond the team member's, and what was said |
| Feedback from the leader | What went well and what the leader hopes for next |
| What we agreed | The direction and decisions settled together |
| One-line look back | Whether today's conversation helped, and what to change next time |
3. Action items (written at the end of the meeting)
Finally, record the commitments from the conversation as action items. Writing down who does what, by when, and how it will be checked keeps commitments from fading.
| Who | What | By when | How we will check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team member | Share a draft project schedule | Friday | Check at the start of the next one-on-one |
| Leader | Align priorities with the engineering team | Wednesday | Share the result with the team member on Wednesday afternoon |
It is good for the leader to own action items too, not just the team member, and around three at a time is enough. If no commitments remain after a one-on-one, the next conversation starts from scratch.
Five ways to use a one-on-one doc well
A one-on-one doc tends to go well for the first few meetings and then turn into a formality. To keep using one, remember these five points.
- Keep it short. If there are too many fields, filling it in becomes bigger than the conversation.
- Keep adding to one place. A single document per team member makes past notes easy to find.
- Read the previous notes first, starting with the action items.
- Leave fields the team member fills in. It signals that the team member leads the conversation.
- Put the conversation before the format. Topics outside the doc are welcome.
The doc only holds the conversation; good conversations come from the questions and the flow. What to ask when filling in each part is in the one-on-one questions list, and when and how to use the doc across the whole one-on-one is in how to run a one-on-one.
If you use a tool instead of a document
A doc you build yourself is a good way to start, but organizing notes and finding and checking past commitments is still up to you. Orblit provides a basic one-on-one question template and a shared meeting note that leader and team member edit together, and it records the conversation and organizes it into a summary and action items. The Basic plan is free to start with no credit card. Learn more at Orblit 1on1 and Pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q.What format works best for a one-on-one doc?
- A document, a notes app, or a spreadsheet all work. What matters is that it accumulates in the same place so you can find past notes right away.
- Q.Who fills out the one-on-one doc?
- The team member writes the prep, the leader (or both) takes the notes, and the two of you set the action items together. When the team member writes part of it, that signals the team member leads the conversation.
- Q.Should the team member see the one-on-one notes?
- Orblit offers a shared meeting note that leader and team member edit together. Which notes to share and which to keep private depends on your organization's policy, but it helps to tell team members in advance. This is Orblit's suggestion.
- Q.Should questions go in the one-on-one doc too?
- Yes. Write the questions you chose in the meeting notes and record the answers alongside them. See the one-on-one questions list for examples.
Sources
- 5 Signs Your One-on-Ones Aren't Working · Harvard Business Review (Jen Dary) · 2024-06-03