OKRs for All

CHAPTER 20Key Business Rhythm: 1:1 Meetings

Who needs to be involved: A manager and their direct report.

What needs to happen: In a world where “virtual meeting fatigue” is a very real thing, squeezing in yet another meeting to your already jam‐packed schedule might not seem very appealing, which is why structuring 1:1s effectively is so important.

As a leader in your organization, your direct reports are counting on you to give them the feedback they crave to be productive at work. What's more, it's in your best interest to hear from the front lines of your business so that you can make informed decisions. Enter the 1:1 meeting, designed around your OKRs to create continuous feedback loops.

Before the Meeting

Select the frequency of your meetings:

• Weekly 1:1s are the most common, especially between managers and direct reports. Scale back to biweekly if that feels like too much, using Slack or email for a quick offline check‐in during the off week.
• Monthly or quarterly 1:1s are best for touching base with other key employees in your organization, or for companies where a manager has a very large number of directreports.

Choose a day and time: Most managers choose early in the week for 1:1s, in order to set action items that need to get done that week, or late in the week to review progress and prepare for the following week. Much like getting a workout in before you start your day, choosing a time earlier in the morning makes it less likely that your day gets away from you ...