10 questions you can copy
The weekly check-in in five steps, minute by minute, with questions to ask. The other five agendas stay in the kit.
The 30 minutes, step by step
- 0-5 minHow has this week been for you?
- 5-15 minWhat is the one thing you most want to talk about?
- 15-22 minWhat are your top three priorities this week?
- 15-22 minWhat is stuck, and what is it stuck on?
- 22-27 minMy one topic: [ONE TOPIC THAT MATTERS. ONLY ONE.]
- 27-30 minSo I will [MY ACTION] by [DATE] and you will [THEIR ACTION] by [DATE]. Right?
Feedback for you
- What is one thing I could do differently to help you?
- Is there anything I do that makes your work harder?
Team and relationships
- How is it working between you and [COLLEAGUE OR TEAM]?
Decisions and ownership
- Which decisions would you like to make on your own?
How to use these
- Start with how they are. Then let them pick what to talk about first.
- Bring one topic of your own, not five. Say the facts first.
- Say out loud what you both agreed, write it on a note sheet, and send a short follow-up the same day.
What to avoid
- Bring one topic, not five. Decide before you go in: if we only cover one thing, which one?
- Write only facts and agreements. Your employer may keep these notes and the person may ask to see them.
- No guesses about personality, health, family or private life.
Official pages. Not legal or HR advice. If a one-to-one touches a complaint, a warning, discrimination, health or a safety matter, stop, listen, say you will speak to HR and follow your employer's procedure.
- Acas: Reviews and appraisals (what a review is for), read 5 October 2026
- EEOC: Prohibited employment policies and practices (pointer only, for US readers), read 5 October 2026
UK readers: the free Acas helpline is on its contact page. US readers: see the EEOC page and your employer's HR team.
What the full kit adds
This page shows 10 of them. The kit has the rest, and the files you fill in.
One-to-one meetings: agendas, questions and openers
Six agendas to fill in, 120 questions by purpose and 16 opening lines for awkward topics, with a note sheet and a follow-up message.
What is in it
- All 120 questions in 12 groups by purpose (this page shows 10)
- 6 agendas to fill in (Word) and a note sheet
- 16 opening lines for awkward topics, the follow-up message and a one-page guide
- 2 finished examples, including a one-to-one after a public mistake
$9, one price, no subscription. 30-day refund. Works with no AI.
Questions people ask
How long should a one-to-one be?
The agenda here is a 30-minute weekly check-in. The kit has six agendas, and some run longer: the first meeting with a new report is 60 minutes.
Whose topics come first?
Theirs. After the opening, the next ten minutes are for the one thing they most want to talk about. Your own topic comes later, and there is only one.
What should I write down?
Only facts and agreements: what you will do, what they will do and by when. Your employer may keep these notes and the person may ask to see them.
Is this legal or HR advice?
No. It is general wording. If a conversation turns into a complaint, a warning, discrimination, health or anything formal, stop and speak to HR first. In the UK, Acas explains the steps.
More
- One on one meeting questions for managers: 10 to start with
- First one on one with a new employee: what to ask
- All the words for managing people
- Free: 20 opening lines for hard conversations
General wording, not legal or HR advice. For anything formal, speak to HR. In the UK, Acas explains the steps. Official pages read 5 October 2026.