How to make the most of each 1:1 with your boss

The Problem

Your manager has a lot going on, and you want them to think that your work is fantastic. It probably is! But you have limited face-time each week to convince them you’re promotable, deserving of a raise, or awesome at your job.

The Big Small Thing

Add three links each week to the running document you prep before your weekly meeting with your manager. These links are work you or your team has done. Think: slides, docs, spreadsheets, or even screenshots of emails. Here’s how this helps your career.

• Proof of concept impact. If your running one-on-one document only contains text, the conversation will feel conceptual to your boss. You want them to see the actual impact you’ve made. Artifacts of your work are proof of impact. You don’t want to show up to your one-on-one and brainstorm, “I know you want me to tackle the red widgets decline; I figured we’d noodle on some ideas for that.” You want to open the meeting with, “I’m excited to address the red widgets decline; here’s a 5-point plan I’ve put together in a spreadsheet [link to spreadsheet].” This makes your impact more concrete. It also gives your manager something to react to, which moves the project forward. 
  

• Grab-n-go. Chances are your boss has handed you a business problem their boss wants them to solve. Fair enough. That’s how work works; projects flow downhill. Make your boss look good! If you have all your links in your one-on-one document, it makes it easy for your boss to grab an artifact of your great work to share it with their boss when they meet. This helps them look good and gives you credit too. 
  

It also helps keep you organized during your one-on-one. If you have any amount of nervousness when you meet with your manager —– and many do no matter where you are in your career,— – don’t exacerbate it by scurrying around your inbox in real -time during your precious meeting time to grab various links. 

• Single-view review. When it comes time for your annual performance review, don’t make your manager go through 52 -weeks’ worth of email you’ve sent to find your highest-impact work. Trust me, they won’t put that much effort in. Not because they don’t want to support you, but because they’re busy just like you. When each one-on-one meeting has a few links, you create a one-stop shop for your boss to easily pull your work and reference it in your performance review. 

If the whole concept of having a running one-on-one document is new to you, here’s why that is important: 

1. It shows you are prepared. 

2. It allows you to structure your meeting the same way each week. I recommend three sections in this order: Business, Operations (or Team, if you’re a manager), and Career.

3. It forces you to prep for 30-60 minutes before each weekly meeting, which is the best 30-60 minutes you’ll spend each week. 

Also, here are two no-nos when it comes to your weekly meeting with your manager. 1. Show up with nothing to talk about. 2. Move it or cancel it regularly. These show you are not doing meaningful work, are not confident, or are not organized. 

Here’s what your running 1:1 doc looks like when you put this tip into practice: 

Business

• 5-point plan to reverse red widgets decline by 5%
• 2-pager about 7 new red widget features that’s landing well in the market 

Team

• Screenshot of nice email feedback Toni on my team got from our marketing partners

Career

• These are 3 skills I’d like your help building this quarter

Support needed

• I got this email from a client. Bit of a controversial response to our latest pitch. Would you like me to loop you in?

Here’s what your running one-on-one doc looks like when you don’t use this tip:

Today’s topics: 

• I have some ideas to address red widget sales
• We’re testing new clients education about new product features
• Team is working hard to partner with marketing; going well
• I’d love to do a career check-in soon

The first example leads to more productive and valuable conversations, and your manager will know exactly how you are adding value each week. 

How this helps you chase what you want

A leader once said to me, “It’s not what you do;, it’s what your manager thinks you do.” We could debate how true or healthy this is. Many people would rather just do the work than talk about doing the work, but let’s assume this is at least partially true in any work environment.

Adding at least three links allows your manager to see the work you’ve done to move the business, and moving the business is what moves your career. 

Let’s do this,

Jenny