Manager 1:1 agenda (the one that makes you look prepared)

A weekly 1:1 is not a vibe check.

It’s your primary alignment mechanism.

If you treat it like a casual chat, you’ll get casual results.

The failure mode

A lot of 1:1s fail in a boring way:

• you show up without a clear ask
• your manager scrolls their inbox and asks “so… what’s new?”
• you give a long update
• you both leave without a decision

Nothing explodes.

But over time you get:

• unclear priorities
• late surprises
• you doing “a lot of work” that isn’t the work your manager wanted

A good agenda fixes that.

What you’ll get

• a clean 30-minute weekly 1:1 agenda
• a running doc template you can copy/paste
• scripts for decisions, blockers, and expectations (so you don’t ramble)

The useful framing

There’s always a spicy debate about 1:1s: “they’re pointless” vs “they’re essential.” Most of the disagreement is just people having bad 1:1s. Two good anchors are Ask a Manager’s common mistakes (https://www.askamanager.org/2014/09/5-mistakes-to-avoid-in-your-one-on-ones-with-your-manager.html) and Rands’ classic framing (https://randsinrepose.com/archives/the-update-the-vent-and-the-disaster/).

The goal of a 1:1 (what you’re actually doing)

A good 1:1 produces at least one of these outcomes:

• a decision (we chose A over B)
• a priority (do X first, not Y)
• a cleared blocker (access granted, intro made, conflict resolved)
• a calibrated bar (“this is what good looks like”)

If you leave without any of that, your 1:1 is slowly turning into a recurring coffee chat.

The weekly agenda (30 minutes)

0) Pre-work (5 minutes before the meeting)

• Update your 1:1 doc with bullet points.
• Put questions at the top (not buried).
• If you need a decision, include your recommendation.

The goal is to make the meeting easy to run.

1) Open with a win (2 minutes)

Start positive.

Examples:

• “Quick win: I shipped ___ and it unblocked ___.”
• “Small win: I fixed ___, which removed a recurring issue.”
• “Win: I got clarity from ___ and I’m confident about the plan now.”

It also helps at review time.

2) Status in 3 bullets (5 minutes)

Keep it tight:

• What I shipped (proof of progress)
• What I’m shipping next (commitment)
• What’s at risk (no surprises)

Script:

“This week I shipped ___. Next I’m shipping ___. The only risk right now is ___; I’m mitigating it by ___.”

If you have nothing “shipped,” don’t panic — report progress:

• “I validated requirements with ___.”
• “I built a draft and I’m waiting on review.”
• “I ran the analysis; the initial result is ___.”

3) Blockers + decisions (10 minutes)

This is the core. Bring 1–2 items where your manager’s input actually matters.

Good:

• “I can take Option A or B. My recommendation is A because ___. Any objections?”
• “I’m blocked by ___. Can you connect me with ___?”
• “Can you confirm the priority order: X vs Y? I can’t do both this week.”

Not great:

• “So… what should I do?”

If you do nothing else, do this: make your asks specific.

Decision scripts you can steal

A/B decision

“We have two paths: A gets us ___ fast but risks ___. B is slower but gives ___. I recommend A because ___. Are you comfortable with that?”

Scope cut

“If we need to hit Friday, I propose we cut ___ and keep ___. That keeps the outcome but reduces risk. Are you aligned?”

Trade-off (quality/speed/scope)

“Given the deadline, I can optimize for two: speed + quality means smaller scope. Which two do you want?”

4) Expectations check (5 minutes)

This is how you prevent the most common junior mistake: doing a ton of work that’s technically correct but not what the manager wanted.

Ask one calibration question:

• “What does ‘great’ look like for this project?”
• “If you were me, where would you focus this week?”
• “Is there anything you want me to do differently in how I communicate?”

Script:

“Quick calibration: is there anything you’d like me to change about the format or frequency of my updates?”

5) Growth / career (5 minutes)

Keep it practical. Career talk is not “I want to be a VP someday.” It’s “what skill should I build next?”

Prompts:

• “What skill would you like me to build this quarter?”
• “What’s one area where I’m solid, and one area where I need to level up?”
• “Is there a meeting I should observe to learn how we operate?”
• “What would make me ‘easier to manage’?”

If the manager is busy, don’t force it weekly. Do it every other week or once a month.

6) Close with action items (3 minutes)

Say it out loud:

“Recap: I’m doing ___ by ___. You’re connecting me with ___ by ___. We decided ___. Next check-in is ___.”

Then send a quick follow-up note.

The running 1:1 doc (copy/paste)

Create one document and reuse it every week. Put the newest week at the top.

# 1:1 — [Your Name] + [Manager Name]

## This week (top priorities)
- 1)
- 2)
- 3)

## Wins
-

## Status (3 bullets)
- Shipped:
- Next:
- Risks:

## Decisions / Questions (manager input needed)
1) [Question] — my recommendation:
2) [Question] — my recommendation:

## Blockers
-

## Feedback / Expectations
-

## Growth
-

## Notes / Parking lot
-

## Action items
- [Me] ___ by ___
- [Manager] ___ by ___

Common 1:1 failure modes (and how to fix them)

Failure mode 1: you show up “empty”

Fix: keep a “parking lot” section all week. Every time you think, “I should ask my manager that,” write it down.

Failure mode 2: your manager hijacks the meeting

Fix: open with your questions:

“Before we jump into your updates, I have two decisions I need today so I can keep moving.”

Failure mode 3: you ramble

Fix: timebox yourself. If you can’t say the status in 30 seconds, it’s not a status update — it’s a story.

Failure mode 4: you leave with “I’ll think about it”

Fix: ask for the decision explicitly.

“To confirm, are we choosing A? If so, I’ll proceed today.”

A quick note for each audience:

• Early-career: you don’t need to “have everything figured out” to run a good 1:1. You need a doc, a few bullets, and one clear ask.
• Manager: if you want better 1:1s, tell your team a simple rule: “Bring (1) status in 3 bullets and (2) one decision you need.”

Edge cases

• If you already have daily standups/status docs, your 1:1 should skew toward decisions, feedback, and growth — not re-reading the dashboard.
• If your manager cancels a lot, switch to a running doc + async questions. The format can survive schedule chaos.

Next step

Create the running 1:1 doc today and add your first three questions at the top.

If you want a clean weekly update to drop into your 1:1, use the Status update template.