Stress-Free One-on-Ones: Building Professional Development with Fun

Enhance Your 1:1 Meetings with Luna Park's Engaging Approach

• Author

  Arlen Marmel

• Date Published

  Sep 26, 2024

One on one's (1:1s) are an important building block for professional development no matter your role in an organization. They don't need to be scary or stressful but do need to come with a recurring structure so they can be utilized effectively. Here at Luna Park, we feel that 1:1s should come with a bit of fun before diving into those deeper conversations around work. Supporting your direct report in a lighthearted and engaging environment will help drive better outcomes.

Best Practices for Effective 1:1s

Whether you're a seasoned manager or a new individual contributor, 1:1s can often be a scary experience if not handled correctly. They certainly don't need to be. A few best practices to keep in mind:

• Prep before hand - review the previous week's notes, action items and follow up before the meeting.
• Turn off other notifications like Slack or texts to not get distracted - show up with undivided attention.
• Be ready to engage, to listen, provide feedback and help problem solve together.
  • Build empathy by active listening, offering support, validating their feelings or experiences and showing vulnerability.
• Take notes! Or use an AI tool for note taking.
• Try to not move 1:1s if possible. It's important to respect each other's time and create a long standing meeting where connection is the most important.
• Format your 1:1 so both parties expect the same meeting every week:
  • Open with an icebreaker like Interspeller for the first 5 minutes of your call
  • Check in with each other on a personal level. Mental Heath Check In is a great option once every few meetings.
  • Dive into deeper discussion:
    • Get a status on their deliverables
    • Ask questions
    • Dig deeper into what interests them professionally/personally
    • Gather feedback
    • Discuss outcomes for the next meeting.
• Don't forget to follow up! Circulate your action items after the call so both the manager and individual contributor are aligned on next steps.
  • Even better if you have tools to collect all of this information in your HR/People tech stack to refer to during performance review cycles.

Inspired by Jessica Luna on LinkedIn

Breaking the Ice with Luna Park Games

Connecting with one another on a personal level really helps to ease tension. If you're not someone who can stomach small talk we have a gallery of 1:1 games to choose from to break the ice:

• 🗣️ Shouting Match to get the stress out.
• 🔑 Password creates a sense of urgency in this guessing game, that you can laugh about later.
• 🧘 Been a stressful week? Restore with Namaste Seated
• 🛣️ Adventure awaits with Road Trippin

Meaningful Questions for 1:1s

If you're still stuck with what questions to ask during your call, use some of the following:

• How are you feeling about the work that you are doing?
• Am I providing the tools you need to be successful in your role?
• Do you feel that since our last meeting your concerns were addressed?
• Are you aware of your department's goals and objectives? How do you translate those goals into actionable plans for your role?
• Do you feel that our team is energized by goals? What is the biggest challenge in reaching the goals set for yourself and the team?
• Do you believe that reaching our goals is a collaborative or individual effort?
• Do your goals feel like they "matter"? Do they affect the work you do day-to-day?
• What is the company mission? Do you feel that the work you do supports it?
• What is our strategy to make the mission a reality? Do you feel like you participate in making or executing the strategy?
• What is the most positive part of your job?
• If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?
• What areas of your work do you feel need help or could use improvement?
• What roles interests you most in our department? Are there other roles/departments you wish to learn about?
• What skills would you like to develop?
• How can I be a better mentor or coach for you?

Conclusion

Choose 3-5 questions, depending on your meeting length, to ask during each 1:1 to gain a deeper understanding of your direct report. Be a mentor, a coach, an ear, and help collectively solve problems together. But don't forget to sprinkle in the laughs along the way to create a stress free environment where you can both thrive and learn from one another.

Here's to your next stress free 1:1!