First Ten 1:1s for Engineering Leaders

Every successful leader says that 1:1s is one of the essential things in their job. But for fresh managers, these sessions are tough.

I did hundreds of 1:1s in my career. Today I cannot imagine a better way of working with my teammates. But the early days were super hard.

Each session was stressful for me. I was afraid that I wouldn't have anything interesting to say. I worried about what my teammates thought of this meeting. Were these 30 - 60 minutes sessions a well-invested time for them?
With all of these in mind, 1:1s felt awkward at the beginning.

And this is why I created a workbook, First Ten 1:1s for Engineering Leaders.

It's practical material that walks you through the first ten sessions with your teammates. It brings some ideas for subjects to discuss during the meeting, how to prepare for it, and how to ensure the continuity of the big picture.

Thanks to this workbook

• You will feel more confident as an engineering leader and ensure that these sessions are the most valuable time within a week - for you and your teammates.
• You will build your position in the organization as an influential leader thanks to achieving your goals and growing your teammates.
• You will become an inspiring leader for your teammates, help them perform better, get a promotion, and reach their potential.
• You will build professional but also a personal relationships with your teammates.

You should get it if

• You are a fresh engineering manager or technical leader
• You want to start having regular 1:1 sessions with your teammates
• As an individual contribution, you want to see what you can expect from your line manager

Preview

Table of contents

• Intro 5
• General rules to read before every 1:1 6
• First Ten 1:1s 7
• First 1:1 / Preparation and hello meeting 7
• Second 1:1 / The feedback 10
• Third 1:1 / Company's big picture 12
• Fourth 1:1 / Expectations, competencies 14
• Fifth 1:1 / Personal goals 16
• Sixth 1:1 / Goals agreement 18
• Seventh 1:1 / Regular check-in 20
• Eighth 1:1 / Goals check-in 22
• Ninth 1:1 / Teammate’s potential and delegation 24
• Tenth 1:1 / The framework 26