One-on-one notes

A one-on-one belongs to the report more than the manager. It is the one meeting where their concerns come first, where feedback travels both ways, and where slow topics like growth and career get regular airtime instead of only coming up at review time. The notes matter because the value of a 1:1 is cumulative: the thread from week to week is what turns a chat into a working relationship.

So these notes live in one running document per person, newest session on top, and each session starts by checking what was promised last time.

When to use it

• Preparing an agenda before a 1:1, as the manager or the report.
• Writing up a 1:1 just after it, from memory or jottings.
• Starting a running 1:1 note for a new report or a new manager.
• Looking back before a review to see themes, feedback, and progress.