1-on-1s are something where it doesn't seem necessary if you don't need it at the moment, but if you do, it's very useful. If everything is going great for you

1-on-1s are something where it doesn't seem necessary if you don't need it at the moment, but if you do, it's very useful. If everything is going great for you and you have no real issues, then a 1-on-1 meeting with your manager is going to seem like a waste of time. If you have an issue, however, which you don't want to discuss with your group at large, a 1-on-1 is essential. You might think employees should just request a meeting with the manager if this happens, but having a regular 1-1 meeting frequently helps get employees to discuss things they otherwise wouldn't volunteer. Most people don't want to be the one making waves and rocking the boat, but the 1-1 gives them that forum to do so since they're not bothering the manager (the manager is required to spend his time in the 1-1 meeting anyway, so you're not cramping his schedule to talk about your concern). They're not perfect; employees still may be reluctant to bring things up, but a good manager can deal with that.