Free template
1 on 1 meeting template
A good 1 on 1 meeting template covers a check-in, the employee's topics, blockers, feedback both ways and next steps. Below is a manager's agenda, an employee prep sheet and a bank of questions to keep the conversation useful.
Manager's 1 on 1 meeting template
Keep this as one running shared document per person, with the newest meeting at the top. The employee adds their topics before the meeting, and their topics go first. The growth section is monthly, not weekly.
1:1 - [Employee name] / [Manager name] Date: [Date] Length: [30 min] 1. CHECK-IN (5 min) How are you doing, really? Anything outside work I should know about? Notes: 2. THEIR TOPICS FIRST (10-15 min) [Employee adds topics to the shared doc before the meeting] - [Topic] - [Topic] Notes: 3. PRIORITIES AND BLOCKERS (5 min) What are you focused on this week? What's slowing you down? What can I unblock, decide or remove for you? Notes: 4. FEEDBACK (5 min) Feedback for them: [one specific thing that went well, one to try differently] Feedback for me: What should I start, stop or keep doing? Notes: 5. GROWTH (monthly, 5 min) Progress on [goal / skill]. What would you like to learn next? Notes: ACTION ITEMS [ ] [Task] - [Employee / Manager] - due [date] [ ] [Task] - [Employee / Manager] - due [date] FOLLOW-UPS FROM LAST TIME [ ] [Item from last 1:1] - done? [yes / no / update]
Employee's 1 on 1 prep template
Spend five minutes on this before each 1:1. Coming with your own topics makes the meeting yours, and keeping a list of wins makes your next performance review much easier to write.
MY 1:1 PREP - [Date] WINS SINCE LAST TIME - [What I finished, shipped or learned] WHAT I'M WORKING ON NEXT - [Priority 1] - [Priority 2] WHERE I'M STUCK / NEED HELP - [Blocker] - what would help: [decision / intro / time / resources] QUESTIONS FOR MY MANAGER - [Question] FEEDBACK I'D LIKE - [Specific thing: a presentation, a document, how I handled X] CAREER / GROWTH - [Goal, skill, project I want to be considered for] AFTER THE MEETING Agreed next steps: - [ ] - [ ]
How to run a 1 on 1 with this template
- Share the document a day ahead. Ask the employee to add their topics. Add yours underneath.
- Start with the person, not the project. A two-minute check-in tells you more than any status update.
- Let them talk first. Work through their topics before yours. Status updates that could be a message don't belong here.
- Ask about blockers directly. "What can I unblock for you?" is the most useful question a manager can ask.
- Trade feedback. Give one specific piece, then ask for one about yourself, and thank them for it.
- End with action items. Write who does what by when, and check them off at the start of the next 1:1.
1 on 1 question bank
Pick two or three per meeting. Rotating through groups keeps 1:1s from turning into status updates.
Check-in and wellbeing
- How are you doing, honestly, on a scale of 1 to 10?
- What has been the best part of your week? The hardest?
- How is your workload right now: too much, too little, about right?
- Is anything outside work affecting you that you want me to know about?
Priorities and blockers
- What are you focused on this week?
- What is slowing you down or getting in your way?
- Is there a decision you are waiting on from me or anyone else?
- If you could drop one task, which would it be?
Feedback for the manager
- What is one thing I could do differently to help you more?
- Is there anything I do in meetings that gets in your way?
- Do you get enough context on why we are doing things?
- Am I giving you enough feedback, or too much?
Team and company
- How is it going working with the rest of the team?
- Is there anyone you would like to work with more, or less?
- Is there anything about how the team works that you would change?
- Do you know how your work connects to the company's goals?
Growth and career
- What skill would you like to get better at this year?
- What kind of work gives you the most energy?
- Where would you like to be in two years?
- Is there a project or responsibility you would like to take on?
Be present in the conversation
Hark records and transcribes calls on your own computer, so remote 1:1s don't need frantic typing. Nothing is uploaded for transcription and no bot joins. Free forever.
Common 1 on 1 mistakes
- Cancelling when busy. Moving a 1:1 is fine. Skipping it often tells people they're not a priority.
- Turning it into a status meeting. If the update could be a message, make it a message.
- Saving feedback for reviews. Small, regular feedback avoids surprises later.
- No notes. Without a running document, promises get forgotten and patterns go unnoticed.
- Forgetting follow-ups. Always start by checking last time's action items.
Should you record a 1 on 1?
Sometimes. 1:1s are personal, so only record when both people are comfortable, and always ask first; recording laws vary and some require everyone's consent. Some people prefer it for coaching sessions, career conversations they want to revisit, or remote 1:1s where typing notes gets in the way of listening.
If you do record, Hark keeps the recording and transcript on your own computer. It works with any call app because it records your microphone and, on Windows and Linux, your computer's audio (on a Mac it records the microphone only). It transcribes locally in English and remembers voices you name, so future 1:1s are labeled automatically. With a subscription or the 2-day preview, Claude can write meeting notes from the transcript; that sends the transcript text, not the audio, to Claude.
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Frequently asked questions
What should be on a 1-on-1 meeting agenda? +
A good 1-on-1 agenda has a quick personal check-in, the employee's own topics, current priorities and blockers, feedback in both directions, and once a month a conversation about growth and career goals. It ends with action items and a check of last time's follow-ups.
Who should set the agenda for a 1-on-1? +
Ideally the employee owns most of the agenda, because the meeting is their time with their manager. A shared document where both people add topics before the meeting works well. The manager can add items too, but the employee's topics should come first.
How often should 1-on-1 meetings happen? +
Weekly or every two weeks is common, usually for 30 minutes. New team members and people going through big changes often benefit from weekly meetings. The most important thing is consistency: avoid cancelling, and reschedule rather than skip.
What questions should a manager ask in a 1-on-1? +
Open questions work best, such as "What is on your mind this week?", "What is slowing you down?", "What could I do differently to help you?" and "What would you like to be doing more of in six months?" Pick two or three per meeting rather than running through a long list.
Should you take notes in a 1-on-1? +
Yes. Short shared notes help both people remember what was agreed and make it easy to spot patterns over months, which helps with performance reviews. Keep them in one running document, newest meeting at the top, and write down action items with an owner each time.
Record, transcribe and remember every meeting
Hark records your calls on your own computer, transcribes them privately, and learns who is speaking. Free forever, with a 2-day preview of AI meeting notes.