One-on-One Meetings


Quality Conversations

Frequent and productive dialogue between all employees and managers is the key to performance excellence for individuals, teams, and the university. Connect to Perform is all about conversation and continuous feedback.

Regular Connections

Managers and their direct reports should meet for a one-on-one conversation at least six times throughout the year to take stock of how things are going, exchange feedback and observations, and stay aligned on goals and priorities.

Shared Responsibility

Schedule 30 to 60 minute meetings every two weeks, every month, or — at minimum — every two months. Employees should feel free to take initiative and schedule regular one-on-one meetings with their managers.


Get the Conversation Started

Productive meetings require productive conversations — try these sample questions and make your one-on-one meetings matter.

Sample Questions for Employees



Skill Building for One-on-One Meetings

To launch an online course after enrolling, go to learning.my.ucalgary.ca and go to: My Learning > Select the Course > Launch.
 

  1. Connect to Perform Learning Series: Module One – One-on-one Conversations

    20 minutes | Employees and managers

    Learn how to hold effective one-on-one conversations on a regular basis throughout the year. Includes how to get started and topics to discuss.

  2. Connect to Perform Learning Series: Module Three – Giving and Receiving Feedback

    30 minutes | Employees and managers

    Learn how to ask for feedback, deliver feedback confidently, and how to manage your responses to feedback.

  3. Connect to Perform Learning Series: Module Four – Career Conversations

    30 minutes | Employees and managers

    Learn how to initiate, prepare for, and hold career conversations. Includes examples of a career action plan.

  1. Giving and Receiving Feedback

    49 Minutes | Managers and Employees

    Learn how to give effective feedback, ask for feedback, and use the responses you receive as a tool to improve personal performance.

  2. Lead Productive One-on-one Meetings

    26 minutes | Managers

    Learn to establish a one-on-one meeting schedule and agenda, assign and review actions items, and follow up on results and promises.

  3. Having Difficult Conversations

    45 minutes | Managers

    Learn how to stop and reevaluate strategies that aren't working, be a leader and an introvert, build relationships, nurture others, and respond to a failure in a way that makes you a better mentor.

  4. Managing Employee Performance Problems

    58 minutes | Managers

    Managing employee performance problems is a critical capability for every manager and leader.

  1. Meeting Guide

    This guide provides managers a model for effective one-on-one meetings, sample questions, and a notes template.

  2. Sample Questions

    These open-ended questions will help foster quality dialogue during one-on-one meetings.

  3. Sample Questions for New Hires

    These sample questions are specifically geared for meetings with recent hires. 

  4. Feedback Guide

    This guide provides an overview of the feedback approach taught in the Connect to Perform learning series.

  5. Feedback Examples

    Review examples of feedback conversations as a manager, employee, or peer.

  6. Feedback Guide – Relationship, Reactions, Content, Coaching

    Common in medical settings, the R2C2 model is another way to consider feedback, particularly when assessing performance.

  1. Navigating to Your Performance Documents

    Finding your online performance documents is simple, once you know where to navigate within my.ucalgary.ca. 

  2. Build your Performance Document

    Get your online performance document started and begin using it to track goals, notes and accomplishments. 

  3. Record Private Performance Notes

    Use your online performance documents to record private notes and keep track of your accomplishments throughout the year.