Unveiling the Secrets of 1-2-1 Meetings in the Development Department to Prevent Employee Attrition!

Hello Team!

I'm excited to share some insights on fostering strong team dynamics and becoming a reliable team player that colleagues from other departments would willingly join. Let me give you a bit more background about myself—I've taken on leadership roles in both large corporations and startups, leading diverse teams that included QA, managers, and more. It hasn't always been smooth sailing; there were periods of financial constraints and project-related challenges.

During those times, when the team faced the risk of dissolution, I stepped in, collaborated with the business, and motivated those around me. I understand the significance of being an inspiring presence on the team, one who not only listens to individual aspirations but aligns them with the broader business objectives.

One to one? Why?

Many of us fail to realize the significance of a mere 30-45 minute meeting and how it can address numerous questions. Let's start with the basics: why do we even have these meetings, and what goals and challenges are we aiming to address?

The one-on-one, or "1-2-1" format entails a meeting where two participants discuss personal or professional topics, aiming to provide a confidential and productive setting for feedback exchange, goal discussions, and issue resolution. Typically conducted between a supervisor and a subordinate, colleagues, or other team members, these meetings focus on individual achievements, challenges, task progress, and offer a space for expressing concerns and inquiries.

One-on-one sessions play a crucial role in management, training, and crafting plans for personal and professional development. This mode of interaction helps strengthen communication, enhance motivation, and support employees in their professional advancement.

Execute this efficiently.

Here are some practices I've found effective:

Common pattern

All of meetings contains three crucial questions for you and your teammates:

• How are you? Go beyond small talk and delve into details. For instance, inquire about recent relocations, problem-solving experiences, or how they felt about a challenging task.

• Do you have any questions or problems with the team or someone? This provides an opportunity to identify communication issues.

• Do you have any questions for yourself? Use this as a chance to explore feelings or challenges related to tasks, communication, etc.

Be prepared to jot down everything in a notepad, and then later organize and transfer it into a more structured or readable format.

Utilize Notion or other Note-Taking tools. document everything your teammate shares—feelings, problems, wishes, expressions of gratitude, and more. For myself, I find great satisfaction in taking simple notes on my laptop, and after the meeting, I gather everything together, add my thoughts and summaries, and then transfer it all to Notion.

Goals

Monthly 1-2-1s with Each Team Member:

• Start with discussing overarching goals.
• Mid-year, assess progress towards these goals.
• End of the year, close out the goals, and discuss new ones if necessary.

Our task is to conduct a minimum of three goal-oriented meetings for each team member to understand their aspirations. It is possible that they may have a desire to change their technology stack or programming language, develop an interest in working on streaming projects, or contribute to shared libraries. It is crucial for us to document all their aspirations and organize them in a table or a separate list.

After six months, we review what we have accomplished and cancel any unnecessary goals. The cancellation process involves more than just removing items from the notepad; we provide a reason for the cancellation. This is significant for us because if a team member simply didn't enjoy a particular task, it implies that tasks involving that technology may not be well-received by the colleague. While it doesn't mean they won't be assigned those tasks, it alerts us to a slight risk that something might go awry during task execution, and we need to monitor it.

The final meeting at the end of the year involves assessing our achievements. We commend both ourselves and the team member and enter the New Year together.

Now, the explanations as to why this is important. The company has tasks that need to be addressed, while developers have a desire to grow and tackle interesting challenges. Our most obvious task is to ensure that both business tasks are completed and employees fulfill their professional needs. For instance, if a team member expresses a desire to develop skills in data streaming, and a streaming-related task arises in the second quarter, we recognize a match. This doesn't necessarily mean the entire project or feature will be assigned to the developer or manager, it means that depending on their skill level, we can partially or fully delegate this business problem to them, ultimately resolving the business issue and meeting the employee's development needs. That's how it works!

In summary, your approach to team management and development sounds highly effective and thoughtful. Here are a few aspects that highlight the importance of your approach:

1. Individualized Approach

• Your idea of conducting three goal-oriented meetings for each team member underscores the importance of individual development and interests.

2. Systematization of Desires

• Recording and systematizing desires in a table or list provides a clear understanding of each team member's focus, enabling efficient planning and task management.

3. Progress Tracking and Result Analysis

• Periodically reviewing progress and canceling unneeded tasks with explanations helps maintain clear direction and avoids unnecessary efforts.

4. Timely Plan Adjustments

• Focused attention on reasons for canceling tasks allows timely plan adjustments and risk management, crucial for successful project execution.

5. Feedback and Encouragement

• Concluding the year with a commendation meeting emphasizes the importance of feedback and celebrating achievements, contributing to team morale.

6. Business and Employee Development Synergy

• Your approach demonstrates a successful integration of business tasks with employee needs and desires, fostering synergy between the company's strategy and the personal development of team members.

Together, these elements establish a framework for productive work, individual development, and ensure harmony between the company's goals and the interests of its employees.

Annual Report and Recognition

One of the key advantages of such an approach is the fact that you almost always have a ready-made response regarding your team or department. You can consistently refer to your notes, utilizing them for monthly or yearly reports. This becomes particularly crucial during performance reviews or KPI assessments. In summary, the utility of this approach can be highlighted in the following ways:

1. Quarterly or Yearly Reports:
   • Your notes serve as a valuable resource for compiling comprehensive reports summarizing achievements, goals, and progress over a quarter or a year.
2. Promotions or Salary Increases:
   • When the time comes for performance reviews or discussions about promotions and salary increases, having detailed notes allows you to articulate and substantiate your team members' contributions and growth, facilitating a well-informed decision-making process.
3. Employee Departures:
   • In cases of employee departures, having a documented history of their achievements, goals, and challenges can be valuable for a smooth transition. It provides insights into their professional journey within the team, aiding in the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge.

This approach not only streamlines the evaluation process but also enhances transparency and accountability, ensuring that decisions related to promotions, salary adjustments, or departures are well-founded and supported by a documented history of each team member's performance and development.

Additional Thoughts:

• Don't hesitate to ask questions and maintain transparency.
• If a team member contemplates leaving the company, solicit feedback and address any issues promptly, involving HR or leadership.
• If you're considering leaving, communicate with HR and your team openly.

Conclusion:

Thank you for reading this article to the end! I hope that my experience as a team lead for over 5 years will be helpful for you!

In conclusion, I'd like to say that if you are unsure or don't know where to start, just begin by taking notes in a notebook or on your laptop. Gradually, you'll find this insufficient, and you'll naturally want to use a better tool.

Monitor both your own well-being and that of your colleagues because you are one team. It's advisable to build open relationships (not to be confused with friendships that erase personal boundaries, etc.). It's always a delicate balance, and the aim should be to strive for comfort in the workplace.

Don't forget to inquire about your colleagues' well-being, and remember to have small talks before daily meetings or other scheduled gatherings. This is also a part of communication and contributes to fostering a warm work atmosphere.

In critical situations, such as during team challenges or resource shortages, don't lose hope! As a manager, you have the right to initiate changes and adapt the team to new processes! Stay resilient and aim to have a positive impact on the success of your team!