1:1 Framework
How to run your 1:1 cadence
This framework gives you a rhythm for managing people. Different cadences serve different purposes. Get the cadence right, and 1:1s become your most valuable management tool.
The Cadence
Biweekly 1:1s - Accountability and unblocking (30 min) Quarterly 1:1s - Goal setting and career development (60-90 min) Annual Performance Review - Compensation, promotion, and performance assessment (60-90 min)
Biweekly 1:1s (Every 2 weeks, 30 min)
Purpose: Keep people on track. Unblock them. Course-correct quickly.
Template: Use biweekly_1-1.md
How to run it:
- Before the meeting: Person fills out the template (10 min max)
- During the meeting:
- Review progress on quarterly goals (10 min)
- Unblock them - focus on "Blocks" section (15 min)
- Discuss topic if they have one (5 min)
- After the meeting: Update tracking doc with any commitments you made
When to use:
- Default cadence for everyone on your team
- Can go weekly for people who need more support (new hires, struggling performers)
- Can go monthly for high performers who are crushing it
Key principle: These should be fast and actionable. If you're spending 30+ minutes preparing, you're doing it wrong. The template should take 10 minutes to fill out.
Quarterly 1:1s (Every quarter, 60-90 min)
Purpose: Set direction. Define what success looks like. Build capabilities.
Template: Use quarterly_1-1.md
How to run it:
- Before the meeting:
- Person fills out template 3 days before meeting
- You review it and prepare questions/feedback
- During the meeting:
- Review and refine their 3 goals (20 min)
- Are they concrete enough?
- Are they the right priorities?
- Are they achievable in one quarter?
- Walk through actions for each goal (15 min)
- Are the milestones specific?
- Do they need help you haven't thought of?
- Discuss support needed (10 min)
- Commit to what you can provide
- Be honest about what you can't
- Career development discussion (20 min)
- What capability are they building?
- Is the project they picked the right vehicle?
- How will you both know it worked?
- Wrap up and alignment (5 min)
- Review and refine their 3 goals (20 min)
- After the meeting:
- Update the doc with final agreed goals
- Put support commitments in your calendar
- Share goals with team if appropriate
Timing:
- Run these in the first 2 weeks of the quarter
- If someone joins mid-quarter, run one within their first 2 weeks
Key principle: This is where you paint the picture together. By the end of this meeting, they should be excited about what they're going to achieve this quarter. If they're not excited, the goals aren't right.
Annual Performance Review (Once a year, 60-90 min)
Purpose: Assess performance. Discuss compensation. Decide on promotions.
Do you need a separate template? Yes, but it builds on your quarterly 1:1s.
What's different:
- Quarterly 1:1s are forward-looking - what will you achieve?
- Annual reviews are backward-looking - what did you achieve?
What to include in annual review:
Performance Assessment
- Review the last 4 quarters of goals - what did they hit? What did they miss?
- How did they grow? What new capabilities do they have?
- Where did they exceed expectations? Where did they fall short?
Compensation
- Salary adjustment (if any)
- Bonus (if applicable)
- Equity refresh (if applicable)
Promotion Discussion
- Are they ready for the next level?
- If yes, what's the timeline?
- If not, what's the gap?
Next Year Vision
- What do they want to achieve in the next 12 months?
- What role do they want to grow into?
- This becomes input for Q1 quarterly 1:1
Key principle: No surprises. If someone is underperforming, they should know it from your biweekly 1:1s, not in the annual review. If someone is getting promoted, they should see it coming. The annual review is documentation, not revelation.
How These Fit Together
Think of it as three layers:
Biweekly - Tactical execution
- Are you doing the work?
- What's blocking you?
- Quick pulse, quick unblock
Quarterly - Strategic direction
- What are you building?
- Why does it matter?
- How will you grow?
Annual - Performance and trajectory
- Did you deliver?
- How should you be compensated?
- Where are you going next?
Example flow for one person:
- Jan: Q1 quarterly 1:1 - set goals for Q1
- Jan-Mar: Biweekly check-ins - track progress on Q1 goals
- Apr: Q2 quarterly 1:1 - set goals for Q2
- Apr-Jun: Biweekly check-ins - track progress on Q2 goals
- Jul: Q3 quarterly 1:1 - set goals for Q3
- Jul-Sep: Biweekly check-ins - track progress on Q3 goals
- Oct: Q4 quarterly 1:1 - set goals for Q4
- Oct-Dec: Biweekly check-ins - track progress on Q4 goals
- Dec: Annual performance review - assess full year, discuss comp/promo, set vision for next year
When to Break the Cadence
Skip biweekly if:
- Person is on PTO
- You're both at offsite/conference
- Nothing has changed since last check-in (rare, but happens)
Don't skip biweekly if:
- You're busy - this is your highest leverage activity
- Person says "I don't need it" - they probably do
- Things are going well - that's when you build trust
Add weekly check-ins if:
- New hire in first 90 days
- Person is struggling with performance
- Major project with tight deadline
- Person explicitly asks for more support
Skip quarterly if:
- Never. Always do quarterly goal setting.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using biweekly for goal setting
- Biweekly is for tracking existing goals, not setting new ones
- If goals need to change mid-quarter, note it in biweekly but reset in next quarterly
Mistake 2: Making biweekly too heavy
- If person spends 30+ min filling out template, it's too much
- Keep it lightweight - 10 min prep max
Mistake 3: Skipping quarterly when things are busy
- Quarterly is when you set direction - skipping it means people drift
- Block these in advance and protect the time
Mistake 4: Surprises in annual review
- If someone is underperforming, address it in biweekly check-ins
- Annual review should feel like a summary, not news
Mistake 5: Manager does all the talking
- These are their 1:1s, not yours
- You should be listening 70% of the time, talking 30%
TL;DR
- Biweekly: Are you on track? What's blocking you? (30 min)
- Quarterly: What will you achieve? How will you grow? (90 min)
- Annual: Did you deliver? What's your comp? What's next? (90 min)
Get the cadence right, and everything else gets easier.