4 ms·
Here is what I always recommend people: Try to use the 1:1s with your boss productively, ideally engage her/him in a problem solving session for one of your wor
by baxtr 5y ago
Here is what I always recommend people: Try to use the 1:1s with your boss productively, ideally engage her/him in a problem solving session for one of your work topics.
I used to managed a large group of people. I always made clear that this is the time of the report. She/he could use the time with me at their will.
I have found the best use of our time was when a report would walk in (back in the day, you know...) and shared what they were struggling with. We would then jointly problem solve. This way, I could get an insight into their daily struggle, get updates on status and help them.
The least effective ones were over after 5 minutes or so, when the report didn't want to share anything. I am aware that this is a trust issue. But you can't build up trust without time to interact.
- redisman 5y agoPersonally I just don’t want to do all the heavy lifting which is what “let’s talk about whatever you want!” means. Meh what I want is one less meeting on my calendar - now how’s your freaking dog doing sir?
- titanomachy 5y agoThen say that... "I think I'd like to reduce the cadence of this meeting to bi-weekly, we haven't had anything substantial to discuss in the last few weeks." Your manager probably wants calendar time back at least as much as you do.
- redisman 5y agoIt’s already bi-weekly. I dont think I’d be rewarded for asking to do it every 6 months
- bryanrasmussen 5y agoI mean there are time ranges between bi-weekly and every 6 months.
- baxtr 5y agoI am sorry to tell you: if you want to work with people, you have to spent time with them, bond and built trust. That's not just another meeting in your calendar. If you have that mindset you might want to consider working as a freelancer. Which is what I do now since I hated all the internal politics.
- lariati 5y agoI feel like management has to have the emotional intelligence to separate who wants to talk about their favorite TV series for 30 minutes and who would prefer to just have one less meeting on their calendar. Having variability here is good leadership to me.
- NAHWheatCracker 5y agoI've tried to bring this energy into 1:1s before. It's really hit-and-miss whether my managers have wanted to engage with any idea. More miss than hit, unfortunately.
- baxtr 5y agoAt least you tried. And if it's a miss you might now know that it's the wrong people you're engaging with. I see it as a good fit test.