How to Prep for 1:1s in 10 Minutes (With a Template)

Below is the routine, a template you can copy, and some questions for when someone says "all good."

Why 10 minutes is enough

The 1:1 belongs to the other person, so you don't need an agenda. You just need to avoid walking in blind. You want to know what you owe them, what might be bothering them, and what you need to raise.

If you skip it, you end up asking "So, what's up?" and getting a status update. Status belongs in standup or a ticket. Use the 1:1 for the things that never show up there.

The 10-minute routine

Set a timer. Do these in order.

Minutes 0 to 2: Read last time's notes

• What did you say you'd do? Did you do it?
• What did they say they'd do?
• Was there anything they raised that you haven't followed up on?

If you dropped something you promised, lead with that. Owning it up front does more for trust than a good excuse later.

Minutes 2 to 6: Scan their week

Keep it quick. You're looking for what changed, not reviewing performance.

• Calendar: Are they in back-to-back meetings? Any new recurring meetings?
• Board or tickets: Is anything stuck? Did something move to blocked?
• Code activity: Are reviews piling up on them? Are their PRs waiting on others?
• Chat: Did they raise a concern in a channel that nobody answered?
• Hours: Any late nights or weekend work that's new for them?

Write down one or two things that stand out. Not ten.

Minutes 6 to 8: Pick your one thing

What do you need from this meeting? Pick one:

• Feedback to give (positive or corrective).
• Context to share (a reorg, a priority change, a decision).
• Something to learn (how they feel about their project, career goals, the team).

If you have nothing, that's fine. Leave the time for them.

Minutes 8 to 10: Write the note

Use the template below. Keep it short enough to read at a glance during the meeting.

Copy-and-paste template

1:1 with [Name], [Date]

I owe them:
- 

They owe me / they said they'd do:
- 

What I noticed this week:
- 

My one thing:
- 

Questions to ask:
- 

After the meeting, next steps (who / what / by when):
- 

Questions that get past "all good"

"How's it going?" usually gets "fine." Try something more specific.

About the work:

• "What's the most annoying thing about your project right now?"
• "Where are you waiting on someone else?"
• "If you could change one thing about how we work, what would it be?"

About them:

• "What's taking more of your energy than it should?"
• "What did you do this week that you're proud of?"
• "Is there anything you've been meaning to bring up but haven't?"

About you:

• "What's one thing I could do differently to help you?"
• "Is there something I said I'd do that I haven't done?"

Ask one or two, then stop talking. The pause will feel longer to you than to them, and it often gives them room to say what's really on their mind.

Running the meeting

1. Let them go first. "What do you want to cover?" Your items come after.
2. Close the loops you owe. If you said you'd check on something, report back.
3. Raise your one thing. Be direct. If it's feedback, give a specific example.
4. End with next steps. Who does what, by when. Say it out loud and write it in the note.
5. Share the note. A shared doc that both of you can see keeps commitments honest on both sides.

Common mistakes

• Turning it into status. If you're asking "where's the ticket at?", move that to async.
• Cancelling. Moving a 1:1 is fine. Cancelling tells people it doesn't matter much, and they notice.
• Talking too much. Aim to listen more than you talk.
• No follow-through. The fastest way to make 1:1s pointless is to forget what you promised. Missed follow-ups add up. See how to catch dropped commitments before they blow up.
• Ignoring warning signs. Late hours, going quiet, more cynicism. If you see a pattern, raise it gently. See how to tell if your team is burning out.

If you have a lot of 1:1s

If you run many 1:1s a week, the prep adds up. A few ways to keep it to 10 minutes:

• Batch prep. Do Monday's and Tuesday's prep together at the start of the week.
• One running doc per person. Newest entry at the top. You never search for last time's notes.
• Skip the deep scan for skip-levels. For skip-level 1:1s, focus on questions, not their tickets.
• Change cadence by need. A new hire or someone struggling may need weekly. A steady senior engineer may prefer every two weeks.