TBC talks with Zafar Khashimov

Leadership Program | 1-on-1 Meetups

As you may know, I work at TBC x Payme as a Frontend Engineer. Recently, my responsibilities have expanded to include making team decisions, such as participating in project planning stages, hiring new developers for my team, and managing small teams within my business vertical. To support leaders in these roles, the company's Learning & Development (L&D) department offers a Leadership Program. I was fortunate to be invited to join this program, where we have monthly sessions on various topics aimed at enhancing leadership skills.

This blog post focuses on the key takeaways from our second session, which was dedicated to organizing effective 1-on-1 meetings.

What Are 1-on-1 Sessions?
A 1-on-1 session is a dedicated meeting between a manager and a team member to discuss professional goals, challenges, feedback, and growth opportunities. These meetings are critical for building trust, fostering open communication, and aligning expectations within a team.

Key Takeaways from the Session
- Allow employees to schedule meetings themselves.
Initially, I thought only managers could initiate 1-on-1s. However, we discussed how empowering team members to schedule these meetings creates a more collaborative dynamic and builds trust.

- Hold initial 1-on-1s in informal settings.
Meeting in a casual environment helps people feel at ease, especially junior colleagues. This could be over coffee, during a walk, or touching grass together

- Announce meetings with context and inform the team.
One of my earlier mistakes was not providing enough notice about 1-on-1s. Letting everyone know about upcoming meetings and sharing topics for discussion helps prepare the participants and fosters transparency.

- Document agreements and follow up.
For 1-on-1s to be productive, they should result in actionable agreements. After the meeting, document what was discussed and agreed upon so you can track progress in subsequent sessions.

Suggested 1-on-1 Structure
Our team collaboratively designed a structure for conducting effective 1-on-1s:

1. Small talk (sincerity) or introduction
2. "What do you want to talk about?"
3. Previous agreements
4. Achievements should include timelines
5. Issues and criticism
6. Solution plan
7. Areas for growth
8. Agreements

The key point is that you shouldn't strictly adhere to this exact structure, as every situation is different. Instead, focus on practicing to become comfortable with transitioning between steps naturally and learning to actively listen.

Also, ask, "Is there anything else you'd like to add?" This gives them the chance to bring up any remaining concerns or ideas.

Questions for Delegating Responsibility
When assigning responsibility or encouraging team members to take ownership, consider asking:

- "How would you assess this situation yourself?"
- "How do you plan to address this?"
- "What steps are you planning to take?"

Do you have one-on-one sessions at your company, how do you feel about them?

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