1:1 meeting template for managers and team members
In short: A 1:1 meeting template gives a manager and a team member the same structure every time: a quick check-in, wins since last time, priorities and blockers, feedback in both directions, growth goals, and agreed actions. The team member owns most of the agenda; both add to it before the meeting and review last time’s actions first.
The template
1:1 meeting
- Manager:
- Team member:
- Date:
- Actions from last time reviewed: yes / no
- How are things going, at work and in general?
- Anything on your mind before we start?
- What went well:
- What I am proud of:
- Top priorities until our next 1:1:
- What is blocking me or slowing me down:
- Where I need help or a decision:
- From manager to team member:
- From team member to manager:
- Goal I am working towards:
- Progress since last time:
- Next step (course, project, stretch task):
- Action / Owner / By when
- Action / Owner / By when
- -
1:1 meeting Details - Manager: - Team member: - Date: - Actions from last time reviewed: yes / no Check-in - How are things going, at work and in general? - Anything on your mind before we start? Wins since last time - What went well: - What I am proud of: Priorities and blockers - Top priorities until our next 1:1: - What is blocking me or slowing me down: - Where I need help or a decision: Feedback - From manager to team member: - From team member to manager: Growth and goals - Goal I am working towards: - Progress since last time: - Next step (course, project, stretch task): Agreed actions - Action / Owner / By when - Action / Owner / By when Topics for next time - -
When to use it
Use this template for regular one-on-one meetings between a manager and each person who reports to them, whether weekly or every two weeks. It also works for mentoring sessions and for a new joiner’s first weeks.
Keep one running document per person, with the newest meeting at the top, so you can both see what was agreed last time. The team member should own the agenda: it is their meeting, not a status update for the manager. Both of you add topics during the week, and the manager takes the notes or shares the job. If you would rather record than type, ask first and accept a no; a 1:1 is often where people raise things they would not say in a group. For tips on notes in Arabic and English, see taking meeting notes in Arabic.
Filled-in example
Layla and Omar, 1:1 on 13 October
- Manager: Layla (Engineering manager)
- Team member: Omar (Backend engineer)
- Date: Tuesday 13 October
- Actions from last time reviewed: yes, both done
- Busy week with the release, but energy is fine.
- Omar wants to talk about being on call during the long weekend.
- What went well: fixed the payment timeout that support kept escalating.
- What I am proud of: wrote the incident summary in Arabic and English for the whole team.
- Top priorities: finish the test plan for version 2.4; review Noor’s API changes.
- Blocker: still no access to the production logs dashboard.
- Needs a decision: who covers on-call if Omar travels on the 23rd.
- From Layla: the incident summary was clear and fast; next time, tag the support lead earlier.
- From Omar: release dates change late in the week; earlier notice would help planning.
- Goal: lead the design of a feature from start to finish.
- Progress: drafted the design document for the new notifications service.
- Next step: present the design at Thursday’s architecture review.
- Request production logs access for Omar / Layla / 14 October
- Swap on-call with Khalid for the 23rd / Omar / 16 October
- Share release date changes in the team channel by Monday each week / Layla / ongoing
- - Feedback from the architecture review
- - Training budget for next quarter
Tips
- Start every 1:1 by reviewing last time’s actions, so commitments do not quietly disappear.
- Let the team member speak first and set most of the agenda; the manager’s topics come after.
- Ask for feedback on yourself as a manager in every meeting, not only at review time.
- Keep status updates out of the 1:1 where you can; they belong in the team channel or standup.
- If you want to record a 1:1, ask first, accept a no, and keep the notes between the two of you.
- Move a 1:1 rather than cancel it, because repeated cancellations tell people they are not a priority.
Frequently asked questions
How often should 1:1 meetings happen?
Most teams hold them weekly or every two weeks, for around 30 minutes. New joiners and people in a difficult period often benefit from weekly meetings. What matters more than the exact frequency is that the meeting happens reliably and is not the first thing cancelled when the week gets busy.
Who should take notes in a 1:1?
Either person can, as long as both can see the notes. Many managers take them so the team member can focus on talking, then share the document straight after. Some pairs take turns. Keep the notes in one shared document per person so the history stays in one place.
What should not go in 1:1 notes?
Keep notes to work, goals, feedback and agreed actions. Leave out private details someone shares about health or family unless they ask you to note something, and never write gossip about colleagues. Write as if the team member will read every line, because they should be able to.
Can Echo take notes in my 1:1?
With the other person’s agreement, Echo can record the conversation on iPhone or Android, or on Mac from the menu bar for a video call, and write a transcript, a summary and a to-do list in Arabic, English or a mix of both. You can paste the summary into this template. Echo is free for 30 minutes of recording a month.
Echo writes these notes for you from a recording. Free for 30 minutes a month.
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