45
QUESTIONS
Your
Free Starter Kit For
Effective
One On One Meetings
These questions will go a long way to
creating
fierce loyalty and boosting
productivity as well.
There
are 45 questions in the list below. Asking just a few in each One On One will
keep things fresh, while ensuring you’re covering important subjects regularly.
It will also give you ample time to dive into each question as they often will
open up into greater detail as long as you follow up with questions like “What
makes you say that?” and “Tell me more…”
Keep
track of your conversations in a notebook so you can accurately assess the
effectiveness of your conversations and agreements with your people and theirs
with you over time. Make it obvious that you are taking notes of your
conversations, so they know you are keeping track.
I’ve
organized these questions, so you can quickly skim through the list for a question
in a topic you want to cover that meeting.
ABOUT
GOALS
1. What
are your long-term goals? Have you thought about them?
2. Do
you feel like you’re making progress on your big goals here? Why or why not?
3. Is
there anything blocking you from getting your work done?
4. What
can I do to help you be more successful with your goals?
ABOUT COMPANY IMPROVEMENT
5. In
what parts of your work would you like to deepen your skills in or get
additional training?
6. Do
you feel we’re helping you advance your career at a pace you would like?
7. What
are we not doing that we should be doing so you could be more successful?
8. How
could we change our team meetings to be more useful to you?
9. If
you were me, what’s the first thing you’d change?
10. Do
you think we are loyal to our people? Why or why not?
11. Are
there any aspects of our culture you wish you could change?
12. Which
company values do you like the most? Which the least? Why?
13. What
is the #1 Problem at our company? What do you suggest we do about that?
ABOUT SELF-IMPROVEMENT
14. How
can I help you be more productive?
15. How
do you prefer to receive feedback?
16. Do
you feel you’re getting enough feedback?
17. What’s
a recent situation you wish you handled differently? What would you change?
ABOUT MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT
18. What
do you like about my management style? What do you dislike?
19. Would
you like more or less direction from me on your work?
20. What
could I do to make you enjoy your work more?
21. How
can I better support you?
22. What
would you like to know about me?
23. Is
there a situation you’d like my help with?
24. Is
there an aspect of your job about which you would like my help or coaching?
ABOUT HAPPINESS
25. What
worries you?
26. What’s
on your mind?
27. What’s
not fun about working here? What do you enjoy most about working here?
28. Who
are you friends with at work?
29. When
was the time you enjoyed working here the most?
30. What
do you feel is your greatest recent accomplishment here?
ABOUT PERSONAL LIFE
31. How
are you? How is life outside of work?
32. How
do you feel your work/life balance is right now?
33. How
do you feel about your current compensation and benefits?
34. What’s
one thing we could change about work for you that would improve your personal
life?
35. How
are your parents/grandparents? Where do they live?
36. If
they have children: How is [name of child] doing? (Ask something related to
their age like starting school, playing sports, or other interests.)
37. What
do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?
38. What
did you do for fun in the past that you haven’t had as much time for lately?
ABOUT WORK HABITS
39. What
drives you? What motivates you to come to work each day?
40. What’s
an inexpensive thing we could do to improve our office environment?
41. What
are the biggest time wasters for you each week?
42. What
makes you excited and motivated to work here?
43. When
you get stuck on something, what is your process for getting unstuck? Who do
you turn to for help?
VERY IMPORTANT…
These next two questions you must ask
in *every* One On One:
44. What
can I hold you accountable for next time we talk?
45. What
can I be accountable to you for the next time we talk
BIG TRUE FACT: None of the things you
talk about in your One On Ones will matter if you don’t follow through and take
action on what you discuss. The last two questions will ensure you always
follow through with the important things you discuss in your One On Ones.
Have fun with this and please call if
you need any help.