One-on-ones (1:1s)

One-on-one meetings (1:1s) are the most critical tool in an Engineering Manager's toolkit. They are recurring, dedicated conversations between you and each of your direct reports. Unlike status updates, 1:1s are owned by the engineer and focused on their productivity, career development, motivation, and wellbeing.

Purpose & Value

Regular 1:1s serve as an early-warning system for team issues. They help you build trust, understand individual motivations, align personal goals with organisational priorities, and address performance problems before they escalate.

Structure of an Effective 1:1

While the format can be flexible, a standard 30-minute weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 works best when structured around the 10/10/10 rule:

Their 10 Minutes (The Engineer's Time): They set the agenda. Let them talk about whatever is on their mind—current challenges, frustrations, ideas, or personal life. Do not interrupt with status checks.
Your 10 Minutes (The Manager's Time): Share feedback, update them on organizational changes, ask coaching questions, and discuss performance.
Future 10 Minutes (Career & Growth): Discuss long-term career aspirations, skill development, training opportunities, and action items.

Key Focus Areas for Engineering Managers

As an EM, use this time to coach rather than direct. Focus on these core areas:

Wellbeing and Morale: Ask open questions to gauge stress levels and prevent burnout (e.g., "How are you feeling about your workload?").
Productivity and Roadblocks: Help clear technical or organizational dependencies that are slowing them down.
Feedback Loop: Deliver small, continuous pieces of feedback rather than saving them for annual reviews. Ask for feedback on your management style too.
Career Growth: Discuss progression framework goals and career plans regularly.

Best Practices

Never Cancel: Reschedule if you must, but cancelling sends a message that the engineer is not a priority.
Write Things Down: Keep a shared document for meeting notes, goals, and agreed action items. This creates accountability and tracks progress over time.
Listen Actively: Avoid multitasking or looking at notifications. Focus fully on the conversation.

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