One-on-One Meeting Template: Agenda, Questions and Actions
A private shared one-on-one template with both agendas, useful questions, a worked workload example and commitments for managers and employees.
On this page
A useful one-on-one meeting template gives both people space to prepare, puts the employee's concerns near the top and ends with clear commitments from each side. Use a private shared document for topics, brief agreed notes and follow-up. Keep routine project status elsewhere so the conversation has room for support, feedback and development.
The template below is for a recurring manager–direct report conversation. It is not a substitute for your organisation's formal performance, safeguarding, grievance or HR procedures.
Copy this one-on-one meeting template
Put this in a document both people can access. Check that its sharing settings include the intended people only. Keep open actions in the same place between meetings so you can see whether anything changed.
ONE-ON-ONE — [employee] and [manager]
Date: [date and time zone] · Next conversation: [date or to arrange]
Who can access this document: [agreed people]
Previous commitments
| Commitment | Owner | Agreed date | Update / help needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| [What we agreed last time] | [Name] | [Date or not agreed] | [Done / still open / changed, and why] |
Topics the employee wants to discuss
- [Topic; what would be useful: listening, advice, a decision or practical help]
- [Topic]
Topics the manager wants to discuss
- [Topic and context; avoid surprises that could have been raised earlier]
Workload and priorities
- What is most important before we meet again?
- What is competing with it?
- What should stop, move or get additional support?
Feedback and development
- Feedback either person wants to give or request:
- Skill, responsibility or longer-term direction to explore:
- One next experiment, support request or follow-up, if agreed:
Brief agreed notes
- [What we need to remember; distinguish facts, concerns and decisions]
- [Unresolved item; no agreement yet]
New commitments
| What will happen | Owner | Agreed date | How we will know / follow up |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Specific next step] | [Name] | [Date or not agreed] | [Evidence or next conversation] |
Before we close
- Did we cover the employee's priority topic?
- Does either person need to correct the notes?
- Is any sensitive matter better handled through a separate approved process?
You do not need to fill every section every time. Bring the most important conversation forward rather than rushing through headings. The document is a support for the conversation, not a questionnaire someone must complete to earn attention.
A 30-minute agenda you can adapt
This is a suggested starting point, not a rule about how long a meaningful conversation must last.
| Time | Focus | Useful output |
|---|---|---|
| First 3 minutes | Check in and choose the priority topic | Agreement on what matters today |
| Next 5 minutes | Revisit previous commitments | Close, change or unblock them |
| Next 12 minutes | Discuss the employee's topic and needed support | Understanding, a decision or a specific offer of help |
| Next 7 minutes | Feedback, workload trade-offs or development | A useful next step if one is needed |
| Final 3 minutes | Read back commitments and open questions | Both people know what happens next |
A difficult topic may take the whole meeting. Agree what can wait and schedule time for anything that still needs attention. Do not manufacture an action item when the useful outcome was simply understanding a concern.
For other meeting types, use the meeting agenda template collection. This page goes further on the ongoing relationship, privacy and follow-through specific to a 1:1.
Prepare on both sides
For the employee: add the topic that would most help you, alongside enough context to make it discussable. Say whether you want listening, advice, a decision or help removing a blocker. Bring a concrete example when you can; you do not need a polished presentation.
For the manager: read the shared topics, check your previous commitments and make room for questions about your own actions. If a difficult or formal topic needs to be covered, give appropriate notice and follow your organisation's procedures. Do not save urgent feedback or serious concerns for a future routine 1:1.
Both people can add topics as they arise during the week. GitLab's public 1:1 handbook describes a consistent agenda contributed to by both people and a document shared privately with the manager and team member. That is a useful example of the practice, not a requirement to copy another company's cadence or management style.
Questions that lead to a useful conversation
Pick a few that match the situation. Asking every question in order can feel like an interview.
| Situation | Question | Follow-up that makes it practical |
|---|---|---|
| Priorities are unclear | “Which two things are competing for your time?” | “What needs to move if both cannot fit?” |
| A blocker keeps returning | “Where does the work get stuck?” | “What could I change, decide or escalate?” |
| You want feedback as a manager | “What have I done that made your work easier or harder?” | “What would a better approach look like?” |
| Work is going well | “What would you like to do more of?” | “What opportunity or support would help?” |
| Development stays vague | “What responsibility would you like to be more confident with?” | “What is a small, realistic way to practise it?” |
| Someone has no agenda | “What would make the next week easier?” | “Would it help to discuss it now or think and return to it?” |
Do not treat a short answer as proof that someone is disengaged or afraid to speak. They may need time, prefer written preparation or simply have little to raise that day. Ask without diagnosing their motives.
Worked example: turn “too busy” into a shared decision
This example is fictional.
Topic: Priya is covering customer escalations while preparing an onboarding guide. Both have been described as urgent.
Unhelpful note: “Priya needs to manage time better.” It records a judgement without explaining the competing priorities or the manager's role.
Useful agreed note: “Customer escalations remain the priority this week. The onboarding draft will move to 6 November. Daniel will confirm cover for the Tuesday support shift by 30 October. Priya will flag any further clash before starting additional onboarding work.”
| Commitment | Owner | Agreed date |
|---|---|---|
| Confirm Tuesday support cover | Daniel | 30 October |
| Share the revised onboarding draft | Priya | 6 November |
Still open: A longer-term support rota. No permanent change has been agreed.
The manager has a commitment as well as the employee. The record separates a decision made today from a broader problem still to solve. In your own meeting, write only the dates, responsibilities and decisions actually agreed.
Keep notes proportionate and private
Agree what the shared note is for and who can access it. Record enough to follow through without collecting unnecessary personal detail. A note marked “private” is not a guarantee that no one else can ever access it; organisational policy and applicable law still matter.
Do not put manager-only observations inside a document shared with the employee and rely on a heading to hide them. If separate records are needed, handle them through your organisation's approved systems and policies. Avoid exporting health, grievance, compensation or other sensitive material into a general meeting tool merely because it can generate a summary.
Full recording or transcription should be a deliberate choice, with appropriate permission and a clear purpose. Manual notes may be more suitable for a sensitive conversation. If you use Meetings Brief's summary generator, submit only material you are authorised to share: the text goes to Anthropic's AI, daily limits apply, and the output needs review. See the privacy policy. The copyable template works without using AI.
Adapt the template to the relationship
- First 1:1: discuss how each person likes to prepare, receive feedback and ask for help. Agree document access and a starting cadence.
- New role or changing priorities: revisit expectations and dependencies more frequently while the situation settles.
- Stable routine: keep written status brief and use more of the conversation for feedback, decisions or development.
- Career discussion: allow enough time for aspirations, realistic opportunities and concrete support. Do not promise a promotion or role change that has not been approved.
- Repeated cancellations: discuss whether the schedule works and agree a replacement when needed. Do not silently carry open commitments forward indefinitely.
Frequently asked questions
Who should own the agenda?
Both people should be able to contribute. Give the employee's concerns real space while also making the manager's necessary topics visible. Ownership means influence over the conversation, not responsibility for doing all its preparation.
How often should we meet?
Choose a cadence together based on the support needed, work changes and both people's availability. Weekly or fortnightly can be starting options; review whether the arrangement is useful rather than treating a frequency as a universal standard.
Is a 1:1 the same as a performance review?
No. A recurring 1:1 is an ongoing conversation; a formal review follows the organisation's evaluation process. Relevant feedback can arise in either, but do not disguise a formal process as an ordinary check-in.
Can a 1:1 be asynchronous?
A shared written exchange can handle routine updates and preparation when it suits both people. Agree when a real-time conversation would be more useful, particularly for ambiguity or sensitive feedback. Do not assume one format works for everyone.
What should we do with the notes afterward?
Check that both people recognise the commitments, keep open items available for the next conversation and use your agreed access and retention rules. If someone needs a wider project update, create a separate appropriate summary instead of sharing the private 1:1 document.
Sources and scope
Practice source checked 24 October 2026. The template and worked example are original drafting aids, not claims of measured management outcomes.