Having ongoing conversations should not be just another checkmark in the cadence of your business. 

To chart the course, the leader has the responsibility to know the conditions—the temperature of the water, the concerns of the crew, and the challenges in the way of the mission at hand.

We recommend senior and departmental leaders have these conversations on a weekly and quarterly basis with each direct report on their team. These agendas provide helpful frameworks for having these conversations in a productive, healthy way.

WEEKLY CONVERSATIONS (1-to-1)

(Total time: 5-15 mins)

• Objectives: 
• Human connection
• Building trust
• Getting a pulse
• Hunting for issues

• Top 2 Questions:

1. What are you working on? 
2. How can I support you?

QUARTERLY CONVERSATIONS (Healthy F.I.T.)

(Total time 60 min)

Check-in (5 mins)

Conversation (25 mins)

• System:
  • Mission
  • Core Functions
  • KPI's
  • Objectives

• Soul:
  • Healthy F.I.T.

• Values and F.I.T. 
  • Fuel - Fuel their Unique Genius?
  • Impact - Can they create impact in their role?
  • Timely -  Timely to their trajectory, EQ, IQ, expertise, experience, credentialing?
• Culture
• Habits
• Attributes
• Relationship (select a few)
• Do you feel you belong in this role and on this team?
• Do you feel listened to and heard? Why or why not?
• How can I serve you better? (manager)
• How can this company improve? (corporate/overall)
• Is there anything I’m not seeing?
• What could I do better as your leader?
• What’s on your mind? (personal/professional)
• Do you have all the resources you need to execute your mission?
• Is there something you would like to be better trained on?

Opportunities & Obstacles (D.A.T. - must bring at least one Opportunity) (25 mins)

Actions (recap commitments) & Conclude (5 mins)

TIPS FOR CONVERSATIONS

1. You’re working with a human being, not just a human doing.
   • Make an effort to get to know the team member prior to learning how to best give feedback (knowing Enneagram types or Myers Briggs helps) so that the conversation can be motivating — not discouraging — for how they uniquely process information.
2. Lean on your Core Values often.
   • Most of the time if there are issues, you can tie them back to a disconnect with your values.
3. Leave time for them to listen, process, and then react.
   • Cue awkward silences... Also give them space to share their perspective. 
4. We love the question “what’s on your mind?” or saying,  “tell me more.”  
   • We like it particularly during Quarterly Conversations (versus conversations on a specific issue). These prompts will usually help you remember to ask the questions and then listen (less of you talking and more of the team member talking).
5. End on a positive note (especially based on #1 above).