It’s fairly understood that great leaders don’t lead processes; they lead people. You’re probably aware, too, that great bosses have truly honed their skills in the areas of communication, information sharing, clarifying expectations, and celebrating wins.
Within the context of great leadership, though, comes crazy-busy days, last minute interruptions, sudden calls to meetings, paperwork, and more. If you’re spinning in one of these moments in time, this at-a-glance checklist might help you focus on continuing the maximize your leadership impact when you’re in a pinch.
These aren’t necessarily questions that apply when you’re having a ‘difficult’ performance conversation. These are questions that you should consider routinely asking your people so your 1:1s are more robust and meaningful. The following one-on-one questions, plus the follow-up prompts, can help you build trust, remove roadblocks, and grow your teams.
Before you ask a single question, remind yourself why you’re there. The goal of a 1:1 is to learn how you can be a strong resource for your people and to understand what the company is doing well and what it needs to do differently. This conversation belongs to them and not to your agenda.
1. What’s going well for you?
Opening with wins sets a positive tone and helps you spot what’s working.
Potential Probing Questions:
2. In your own day-to-day work, what’s not going as well as you might like?
This question invites honesty about obstacles before they become bigger problems. Focusing on their own work keeps your conversation on a constructive path.
Potential Probing Questions:
3. What are your goals for your own growth and how might you keep building your expertise?
It’s important to recognize that career development conversations are one of the strongest drivers of employee engagement and retention. Employees who see a future with you are far more likely to stay.
Potential Probing Questions:
4. What do you think this division (or company) needs to improve?
Your employees see problems that may never reach your line of sight. Asking this question signals that their perspective matters and often reveals your best improvement ideas.
Potential Probing Questions:
5. How can I be a better resource for you?
This is the question many leaders skip, yet it is one of the most valuable questions you can ask. Asking for upward feedback models the openness you want from your team.
Potential Probing Questions:
6. Did we make any decisions today? If so, let’s clarify.
This question is for clarification. Close every one-on-one by checking for understanding. Confirm any next steps that emerged, who owns what, due dates, expectations, etc., so that nothing falls through the cracks.
These aren’t necessarily questions that apply when you’re having a ‘difficult’ performance conversation. And, they're not questions suitable for your weekly team meetings. These are questions that you should consider routinely asking your people in a one-on-one conversation.
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