A conversation between employee and manager creates space for questions, obstacles and development. Its value comes from discussion and follow-through, not a recurring calendar entry.
Agree purpose and cadence
Thirty minutes every week or two can be a starting point. It is a practical suggestion, not a scientifically established minimum. Adapt to independence, onboarding stage, preferences and team size. Distributed teams should also consider time zones and accessible ways to contribute.
Task updates can provide useful context. Leave time for support and discussion rather than making the entire meeting a status report.
Example 30-minute agenda
| Part | Questions |
|---|---|
| 10 minutes: employee topics | What would you like to discuss? What gets in the way? |
| 10 minutes: shared issues | Have priorities changed? What support would help? |
| 10 minutes: next steps | What have we agreed? Who will act and when will we follow up? |
Some topics need the whole meeting. Use the agenda for preparation, not to enforce speaking-time ratios.
Questions to open a conversation
- What helped you work well recently?
- Which tasks or expectations are unclear?
- What could I do differently as your manager?
- Which skill would you like to practise in your next task?
- Which earlier agreement still needs attention?
Do not require disclosure about health or private life. Silence has many possible causes; it does not by itself establish a lack of trust.
Notes and confidentiality
Record agreed actions, deadlines and support. Explain who can access notes. A manager’s private note is not automatically outside data protection requirements.
If you move a meeting, offer another time. Revisit promises that could not be fulfilled and explain why.
Connect conversations with development
Ongoing discussions help prepare a performance review, but either format can reveal new information. Differences invite clarification, not an automatic conclusion that earlier meetings failed.
Use the SBI model and development plan template. Create an account to organise agreements between conversations.
Sources and scope
These sources support the principles discussed here. Examples and schedules are starting points to adapt, not standards or evidence that our templates have been validated.
