I actually asked my manager to increase the frequency of my 1:1s from bi-weekly to weekly. It's never status updates/work stuff. It's more on the mental plane.

I actually asked my manager to increase the frequency of my 1:1s from bi-weekly to weekly. It's never status updates/work stuff. It's more on the mental plane. We ponder a lot on self reflection and self-improvement. There is no 'agenda'. I like to think it's more of a flow state discussion combined with a good chemistry where there is no notion of being judged. The room quickly becomes a safe place to talk about anything and everything. Sometimes, we would talk about how things are going in my personal life. How has my sleep been. Am I mindful of the things that could be holding me back? If yes, what am I doing to unblock myself. If not, he pushes me to the right direction of thinking and I strike gold. Every time. Soemtimes, we 'thonk': he brings up very tough questions: - The last time you cried, was it out of emotional pain or remorse? - If you could chose, who would be your ideal sibling? We both answer, we both discuss. I think we're both suckers of productivity and these 'sessions' activates my brain on a whole new level. Which is the main muscle for knowledge workers like us. I would have these 1:1s twice a week. But I also know his calendar looks like Van Gogh's artwork. --- Here's why I never talk about work with him: - I am fine unblocking myself at work. If I'm dependent on another team, I talk to the team and I resolve it. I include him on a barely negligible threshold. - I seldom complain about tasks I'm working on. Understand this: not every task is going to be exciting (how else will you differentiate between the boring ones?). It's a task. It's come to pass. - I seldom bring up people and compatibility mismatches with my team. If I do bring up, it is to validate whether the way I resolved it could be better. - I bring up salary. But I also know he is not my employer. We both report to the same employer. I think the reason we work (I like to think I'm very difficult to manage..) is because I put myself into his shoes when I ask him for help/support.