# One-on-One Agenda

**Framework:** Manager-IC shared agenda  
**Use for:** Ongoing 1:1 meetings between a manager and direct report  
**Time required:** 5 minutes to prep (the value is consistency over time)

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## How to use this template

1. Both manager and IC should add items before the meeting — this is a shared doc, not a manager-driven check-in.
2. The IC's items come first. The direct report owns the agenda; the manager supports it.
3. Keep a running log of follow-ups so nothing falls through the cracks across meetings.
4. Use the Type column to signal what kind of conversation you need — it helps the other person show up in the right mode.
5. Resist turning this into a status meeting. Status can be async. Use the time for what only live conversation can do.

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## Header

| Field | Details |
|-------|---------|
| Manager | [Name] |
| Direct Report | [Name] |
| Date | [Date] |
| Meeting Cadence | [Weekly / Biweekly / Other] |

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## Check-In

*Start here. Two minutes max. Sets the tone.*

How are you doing? [Direct report fills in — anything relevant to bring into the room]

Energy / bandwidth this week: [High / Medium / Low] — [One sentence: why]

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## Direct Report's Agenda Items

*IC fills this in. These items take priority.*

| Topic | Type | Time Needed |
|-------|------|-------------|
| [Topic or question] | [Update / Blocker / Feedback / Career / Other] | [X min] |
| [Topic or question] | [Update / Blocker / Feedback / Career / Other] | [X min] |
| [Topic or question] | [Update / Blocker / Feedback / Career / Other] | [X min] |
| [Topic or question] | [Update / Blocker / Feedback / Career / Other] | [X min] |

**Type key:** Update = FYI, no action needed | Blocker = stuck and need help | Feedback = want input or a reaction | Career = growth, development, direction | Other = anything that doesn't fit the above

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## Manager's Topics

*Manager fills this in. These are addressed after the IC's items, if time allows.*

| Topic | Type | Time Needed |
|-------|------|-------------|
| [Topic] | [Coaching / Feedback / Strategic context / Admin] | [X min] |
| [Topic] | [Coaching / Feedback / Strategic context / Admin] | [X min] |
| [Topic] | [Coaching / Feedback / Strategic context / Admin] | [X min] |

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## Current Blockers

*What's blocking you right now — on any project, in any context? This question is always on the agenda.*

1. [Blocker or friction point — what it is and what you've tried]
2. [Blocker or friction point — what it is and what you've tried]
3. [Blocker or friction point — what it is and what you've tried]

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## Wins to Celebrate

*Name at least one. This is not optional and it's not fluff — recognizing progress is part of the manager's job.*

- [Win 1: specific thing that went well this week / period]
- [Win 2: progress made, problem solved, or skill demonstrated]
- [Win 3: contribution that might otherwise go unacknowledged]

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## Follow-Ups from Last Meeting

*Review at the start of every 1:1. If items stay "In Progress" for multiple meetings, that's a signal something is stuck.*

| Item | Owner | Status |
|------|-------|--------|
| [What was agreed to last time] | [IC / Manager] | [Done / In Progress / Blocked / Deprioritized] |
| [What was agreed to last time] | [IC / Manager] | [Done / In Progress / Blocked / Deprioritized] |
| [What was agreed to last time] | [IC / Manager] | [Done / In Progress / Blocked / Deprioritized] |

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## Follow-Ups for Next Meeting

*Capture commitments made in this meeting before you close.*

| Item | Owner | Due |
|------|-------|-----|
| [What was agreed to today] | [IC / Manager] | [Date or "next 1:1"] |
| [What was agreed to today] | [IC / Manager] | [Date or "next 1:1"] |
| [What was agreed to today] | [IC / Manager] | [Date or "next 1:1"] |

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## Notes

*Free-form space for anything that came up in conversation that doesn't fit the structure above.*

[Notes from this meeting]

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*The best 1:1s are owned by the direct report, not the manager. More on effective 1:1s at biztechprimer.com.*