Skip to main content
Log in

What are 1-1 meetings and how do you make them truly effective?

The essential guide to running 1-1 meetings that drive alignment, feedback, and growth.

If you’re treating 1-1 meetings as status updates, you’re missing their real value. When done right, they’re one of the most effective tools for coaching, aligning on expectations, and driving week-to-week performance. In this guide, we’ll break down what 1-1s are (and what they aren’t), share simple agenda formats that work, and explain how to turn these conversations into a core part of your performance enablement process.



What are 1-1 meetings and how do they support coaching

1-1 meetings, also known as one-on-one meetings, are recurring, structured conversations between a manager and their direct report. Far from being status updates, they are dedicated spaces for reflection, support, and development. In the context of performance enablement, 1-1s are the most direct and personal opportunity managers have to provide tailored employee coaching. Coaching, in this setting, means guiding individuals toward growth by connecting expectations, feedback, and observed behaviors into actionable development. At Taito.ai, we see 1-1s as the foundation of effective coaching: they align personal expectations with role goals, uncover blockers, and spark meaningful conversations that help employees progress week by week—not just during formal reviews.


"When done well, 1:1s are a dedicated time for both people to invest in the relationship."

Julie Zhuo, The Making of a Manager (2019)

Why 1-1 meetings matter for employee coaching and performance enablement

As companies evolve from top-down performance reviews to continuous development cultures, regular 1-1 meetings become a cornerstone of high-performing teams. From our interviews with 100+ People and Tech leaders across European tech companies, one insight is clear: consistent, intentional 1-1s unlock growth at every level.

A great 1-1 meeting is not about checking boxes. It’s about:

  • Re-aligning on priorities
  • Addressing blockers
  • Driving reflection and ownership
  • Delivering real-time employee coaching

These conversations foster trust, clarify expectations, and bring day-to-day performance into focus. When employee coaching happens continuously instead of quarterly, it builds momentum that sticks.



How employee coaching powers performance enablement

Within the performance enablement model, employee coaching is not reserved for formal reviews or high-performers only. It’s the ongoing practice of helping each person succeed based on their individual context.

At Taito.ai, we define employee coaching as structured support driven by:

  1. Expectations: Clear, role-specific definitions of success
  2. Feedback: Timely input tied to those expectations
  3. Observations: Data, behavior patterns, and real work signals

Managers transform these into action by:

  • Guiding problem-solving
  • Recommending resources
  • Challenging thinking
  • Sparking reflection

When coaching is grounded in expectations and feedback, it becomes less about evaluation and more about enablement.


"A 1:1 is not a status meeting. It’s the employee’s meeting."

Michael Lopp, Managing Humans (2007)


How to run 1-1 meetings that enable employee coaching

From our research, here’s how top managers make their 1-1 meetings matter.

Keep them regular—and employee-driven

Cadence matters. Whether weekly or biweekly, great 1-1s are consistent—and employee-led. Let direct reports shape the agenda, supported by structured coaching prompts. Use a shared doc or tool to track themes, feedback, and growth signals. This ensures the conversation is rooted in what matters most to them—not what you need to check off.

Anchor to expectations

1-1s should revisit personal expectations: Are goals clear? Are they still relevant? Are there gaps? When meetings connect to expectations, coaching becomes grounded and actionable.

Incorporate continuous feedback

Timely feedback—peer or project-based—should inform 1-1s. Don’t wait for reviews. Coaching grounded in real-time insight helps employees course-correct and build confidence.

Track themes over time

1-1s are not one-offs. Over time, patterns emerge. Are the same concerns coming up repeatedly? Is motivation dipping? Tracking these trends transforms 1-1s from scattered check-ins into a storyline—essential for coaching momentum.

Include growth conversations

Not every 1-1 should be tactical. Take time to zoom out: Where is this person heading? What do they want to learn? Growth-oriented 1-1s improve engagement and retention.

Address performance challenges early

1-1s are also the place for honest, hard conversations. Grounding these in expectations and feedback makes them clear, fair, and constructive.

What should a 1-1 meeting agenda look like

A great 1-1 meeting doesn’t need to be long or complex. What matters most is creating space to reflect, align, and coach. Here are two simple formats managers can use depending on the situation:


Option 1: Weekly 1-1 agenda (weekly, or bi-weekly)

  1. What’s going well?
  2. What’s been challenging?
  3. Any feedback to discuss?
  4. What support do you need from me?

Use this as a recurring check-in to stay aligned and unblock progress.


Option 2: Coaching-focused agenda (every month, or once a quarter)

  1. How are you tracking against your current goals and expectations?
  2. Any recent feedback, wins, or challenges?
  3. What’s feeling stuck or ready to grow?
  4. What goals & expectations should we focus on next?

Use this version to guide deeper coaching conversations around growth and development.

These can be adjusted based on team cadence—but having even a light structure helps managers be more consistent and impactful in their support.



What great employee coaching looks like in practice

Example - coaching for growth

“Last quarter, you took ownership of our customer feedback loop. Based on peer feedback, you’ve had a big impact. What skill would you like to develop next? Let’s align a project to support that.”

Example - coaching for course correction

“I’ve noticed a couple missed handoffs recently, and feedback points to a gap in follow-up. What’s getting in the way? Let’s revisit expectations and identify what support might help.”

These are employee coaching moments—tied to work, expectations, and growth—not judgment or evaluation.



The impact of employee coaching and 1-1 meetings on performance enablement

When employee coaching is consistent and 1-1 meetings are intentional, the outcomes are clear:

  • Higher trust between managers and reports
  • Faster alignment on goals
  • Greater ownership of growth
  • Fewer surprises during reviews

In short, this is how modern companies do performance enablement.



How Taito.ai supports 1-1 meetings and employee coaching

Taito.ai is built to make 1-1 meetings and employee coaching seamless, effective, and insight-driven:

  • Personalized agendas: Generated from expectations, feedback, and recent work signals
  • Coaching prompts: Highlight what to address and celebrate, drawn from real data
  • Coaching cadence tracking: Visibility into how often coaching conversations actually happen
  • Growth signals: Surfaced trends that guide deeper discussion and reflection

Most coaching doesn’t fail because managers don’t care. It fails because they don’t have time, context, or tools. We built Taito.ai to solve that.


Explore our plans, and try Taito.ai in your team. Get started below.


Get started


Want to go deeper?


These expert reads offer valuable perspectives on leveling up your employee coaching through better 1-1 meetings:

  • The Manager’s Path – Camille Fournier (2017)
  • Resilient Management – Lara Hogan (2019)
  • High Output Management – Andy Grove (1995)
  • Radical Candor – Kim Scott (2017)
  • Managing Humans – Michael Lopp (2007)
  • First Round’s 1:1s Reading List → Read here


What’s next

If expectations define success, and feedback provides insight, employee coaching through regular 1-1 meetings turns that insight into momentum.

This post is part of our blog series on performance enablement. So far, we’ve covered: