secret sauce

a special feature or technique kept secret by an organization and regarded as being the chief factor in its success.

Would you like to know about the Secret Sauce for leadership and how to use it with your team for success?

Let’s explore this One-to-One tool and how to implement it at your organization.

What is the One-to-One Meeting?

It’s time between a leader and her employee that is unlike any other interaction.

• It’s not a Staff Meeting – although these are excellent opportunities for the whole team to meet, plan and collaborate.
• It’s not the usual drop-in time that occurs during a typical workday – although these are critical to discuss issues and solve problems in a timely manner.
• It’s not a Project Update session – although these are crucial to keep goals on track for a team.

It’s not like any of these meetings, although the one-to-one meeting may have some of these components, such as:

• Planning
• Solving problems
• Providing updates

So why is the one-to-one meeting necessary? I mean, do we really need another meeting?

Benefits of the One-to-one Meeting

An employee has many occasions to talk with her leader but none focus on her needs alone; her goals, her career path and development opportunities. Only the one-to-one meeting provides this type of focus and attention.

Here are other benefits of this meeting:

• Able to review and set goals for employee
• Creates accountability for both the leader and employee
• Offers individual attention for the employee – provides time with her leader to discuss problems or goals the other meetings do not offer.
• Provides specific feedback that should only take place in this private setting.

Are there benefits for the leader as well? These may seem obvious, but here are some unique gains for the leader:

• Increases rapport with individuals (perhaps even those difficult employees?)
• Gains insight into the team from employee’s feedback
• Documentation from these one-to-one meetings can be used for annual performance evaluations.
• Private conversations such as these can give the leader a chance to receive personal feedback about their leadership skills.

Logistics for these meetings:

So let’s say you’re convinced and you want to start using this valuable tool with your team. What steps do you need to take for success?

• Launch the concept with your team:
  • Use whatever reason you’d like to begin these sessions (blame this article, if that’s helpful) and announce it at your next staff meeting. This allows everyone to hear the new initiative at once.
  • Give a quick outline of the benefits for both sides and convey your optimism for the success of these meetings.
  • Wait for the anxiety.
    • Believe it or not, many leaders tell me their teams worry about the motivation for these sessions (staff reductions? budget cuts?).
    • Address any concerns with your team members should they come up – individually or as a group.
• Schedule the meetings as soon as possible.
• Commit to these sessions and don’t change them unless truly urgent. If it does have to be changed, reschedule right away.
• Create an Agenda Method:
  • Both parties are expected to bring items to discuss at the meeting
  • Take the first few minutes of each meeting to determine the priorities for today’s meeting. Remember, these are to take place regularly so every item doesn’t have to be completed today.
  • Take notes and encourage your employee to do the same.
    • Increases accountability on both sides
    • Tracks trends and successes.

Frequency and Length of the Meetings:

• How often?
  • Most leaders agree that once a week or every other week is a frequency that works for both parties.
  • This often results in a time management benefit – the team member may not “drop by” with a question today because his one-to-one is coming up and can be addressed at that time.
• How long?
  • The meetings shouldn’t exceed an hour – remember these are meant to take place often and a limit helps everyone use the time effectively.

To Summarize:

• Launch the initiative with optimism
• Commit to have the meetings regularly
• Take notes and encourage your employees to do the same

A Final Word:

Once you’ve had these meetings in place for a few months, check in with each employee to ask what they think:

• Are the meetings taking place often enough (or too often)?
• Are they long enough (or too long)?
• Are both parties getting time for the important items?

Then make adjustments accordingly.

Now you know the Secret Sauce for leadership success.

Bon Appetit!