How to Prepare for 1:1 Meetings: A 24-Hour Guide

Research shows that exactly zero organisations provide training on how to run 1:1 meetings effectively. Yet having an agenda is a strong predictor of effectiveness, and employee involvement in creating that agenda predicts even higher ratings.

Most managers show up unprepared. The calendar reminder pops up 10 minutes before the meeting. Rather than admit lack of preparation, it’s easier to cancel. Even when meetings happen, managers organise around their own priorities rather than employee needs.

This guide will show you how to prepare for 1:1 meetings effectively, not just 10 minutes before, but with a structured 24-hour approach that transforms routine check-ins into powerful tools for team growth and engagement.

Why Preparation Matters: The Research

Steven Rogelberg surveyed managers across organisations and found that having an agenda is a strong predictor of 1:1 effectiveness. Even more critical: employee involvement in creating that agenda predicts even higher ratings.

The data is clear:

• Meetings rated most highly when direct reports contributed to or established the agenda themselves
• Managers who prepare thoroughly by reviewing previous notes, recent work, and goals see significantly better outcomes
• Preparation reduces the likelihood of defaulting to status updates, which 40% of employees say waste valuable time

But here’s the reality: most managers don’t prepare. They show up cold, ask “So what’s on your mind?” and hope the employee brings substance. This approach leads to:

• Repetitive conversations where the same issues surface without resolution
• Lost context from meeting to meeting
• Employees feeling unheard and undervalued
• Action items that get forgotten (40–50% completion rate without tracking)

Preparation isn’t just nice to have. It’s the foundation of effective 1:1 meetings.

The 24-Hour Preparation Timeline

24 Hours Before: Set the Foundation

What to do:

1. Review the previous meeting notes (5 minutes)
   • What was discussed?
   • What action items were committed to?
   • What follow-ups were promised?
   • What concerns or challenges were raised?
2. Check the employee’s recent work (5 minutes)
   • Review their recent contributions, projects, or achievements
   • Check any shared documents or updates
   • Note any wins or accomplishments to recognise
3. Review goals and progress (5 minutes)
   • Where are they on their current goals or OKRs?
   • Any progress to celebrate?
   • Any blockers or challenges?
4. Send a preparation prompt (2 minutes)
   • Email or message: “Looking forward to our 1:1 tomorrow. Please add any topics you’d like to discuss to our shared agenda.”
   • This encourages employee involvement, which research shows improves meeting ratings

Why this matters: Julie Zhuo from Facebook spends no less than 30 minutes preparing for each 1:1. She reviews goals, recent feedback, and notes from previous meetings. This preparation enables her to have meaningful, focused conversations rather than surface-level check-ins.

2 Hours Before: Deep Dive Preparation

What to do:

1. Compile 3–5 specific questions (10 minutes)
   • Based on what you reviewed, what do you need to understand better?
   • What challenges might they be facing?
   • What development opportunities exist?
   • What feedback do you need to deliver?
2. Note any feedback to deliver (5 minutes)
   • Recognition for recent wins (research shows employees need recognition within 7 days for optimal engagement)
   • Constructive feedback on areas for improvement
   • Future-focused feedback (more effective than past-focused)
3. Review the shared agenda (5 minutes)
   • What has the employee added?
   • Are there sensitive topics that need careful handling?
   • What’s the priority order for discussion?
4. Clear calendar blocks around the meeting (2 minutes)
   • Ensure you won’t be interrupted
   • Give yourself buffer time before and after
   • This signals the meeting is important

Best practice from high performers: Kimber Lockhart’s five-step formula includes preparation as the first step. She looks through notes for the person, reflects on the tone and topic of the last discussion, and aggregates follow-up items. This systematic approach prevents repetitive conversations and ensures continuity.

10 Minutes Before: Final Check

What to do:

1. Quick review of your prepared questions (2 minutes)
2. Check the shared agenda one more time (2 minutes)
3. Set your intention (1 minute)
   • Remind yourself: This meeting is about the employee’s needs, not yours
   • Research shows the 70/30 rule works best: employee drives 70% of conversation, manager 30%
4. Close other tabs and distractions (1 minute)

Why this matters: Research shows that managers who show up without reviewing previous notes signal that the meeting isn’t important. Being late is seen as disrespectful. Multitasking during the meeting destroys psychological safety. These small preparation steps show you care and set the tone for a productive conversation.

What to Review: The Preparation Checklist

Previous Meeting Notes

What to look for:

• Action items that were committed to (check completion status)
• Topics that were discussed but not fully resolved
• Concerns or challenges that were raised
• Commitments you made to the employee
• Development goals or career conversations

Why it matters: Research shows action item completion sits at 40–50% without tracking. When managers don’t review previous notes, they forget commitments, leading to repetitive conversations and broken trust. The lack of continuity undermines the relationship.

Employee’s Recent Work

What to review:

• Recent projects or deliverables
• Contributions to team goals
• Achievements or wins to recognise
• Any challenges or blockers they might be facing
• Work that connects to their development goals

Why it matters: Recognition must happen within 7 days for optimal engagement. Those who receive recognition are 4 times more likely to be engaged. By reviewing recent work, you can provide specific, timely recognition rather than generic praise.

Goals and Progress

What to check:

• Current goals or OKRs status
• Progress since last meeting
• Any blockers preventing progress
• Alignment with team and company goals
• Development goals and career aspirations

Why it matters: Only 50% of American workers said they firmly knew what was expected of them at work. Regular 1:1s provide clarity on expectations and priorities. When managers connect individual work to team goals, employees feel more aligned and purposeful.

Employee’s Agenda Items

What to review:

• What topics has the employee added?
• Are there sensitive issues that need careful handling?
• What’s the priority order?

Why it matters: Research shows meetings rated most highly when direct reports contributed to or established the agenda themselves. When employees drive the agenda, they’re more engaged, and the conversation addresses their actual needs rather than just manager information requirements.

Questions to Prepare: The Manager’s Toolkit

Questions About Current Work

• “What’s been your biggest win since we last talked?”
• “What’s blocking you right now?”
• “How is [specific project] going? What support do you need?”
• “What’s taking more time than expected?”

Questions About Development

• “What skills are you looking to develop?”
• “What would help you grow in your role?”
• “What opportunities are you interested in?”
• “How can I better support your development?”

Questions About Well-being

• “How are you feeling about your workload?”
• “What’s your stress level like right now?”
• “How’s your work-life balance?”
• “What would make your work experience better?”

Questions About Feedback

• “What feedback do you have for me?”
• “What could I do differently to support you better?”
• “What’s working well in our working relationship?”
• “What would you change?”

Best practice: Top managers ask approximately 10 questions per 15 minutes. They use open-ended questions that encourage employees to share, rather than yes/no questions that shut down conversation. The goal is to understand, not to direct.

Employee Agenda Involvement: The Game Changer

Research is clear: employee involvement in creating the agenda predicts higher meeting ratings. Yet 22% of managers can’t get employees to contribute to meeting agendas.

How to Encourage Employee Participation

1. Make it easy
   • Use a shared document or tool (like Workcom) where employees can add items anytime
   • Send a reminder 24 hours before: “Please add any topics you’d like to discuss”
   • Make it clear their input is valued, not optional
2. Set expectations
   • Explain that the agenda is a shared responsibility
   • Show that you review and prioritise their items
   • Follow through by actually discussing what they add
3. Create psychological safety
   • Employees need to feel safe adding sensitive topics
   • Assure them that difficult conversations are welcome
   • Model vulnerability by adding your own challenging topics
4. Review and acknowledge
   • When you review the agenda, acknowledge what they’ve added
   • “I see you added [topic]. That’s important. Let’s make sure we cover that.”
   • This reinforces that their input matters

Why this matters: When employees drive the agenda, meetings address their actual needs. They feel heard and valued. The conversation becomes about their development and challenges, not just status updates. This is the difference between a check-in and a meaningful 1:1.

Common Preparation Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Showing Up Cold

The problem: The calendar reminder pops up 10 minutes before, you open a blank document, and ask “So what’s on your mind?”

The impact:

• Repetitive conversations
• Lost context
• Employees feel you don’t care
• Action items get forgotten

The fix: Follow the 24-hour timeline. Even 15 minutes of preparation makes a huge difference.

Mistake 2: Preparing Only Your Own Agenda

The problem: You come with your list of topics but ignore what the employee wants to discuss.

The impact:

• Employee concerns get relegated to the end
• Time runs out before addressing their needs
• They feel unheard and undervalued

The fix: Review and prioritise the employee’s agenda items. Their topics should come first.

Mistake 3: Not Reviewing Previous Notes

The problem: You forget what was discussed last time, leading to repetitive conversations.

The impact:

• Same issues surface without resolution
• Commitments get forgotten
• Trust erodes
• The relationship feels transactional

The fix: Always review previous meeting notes. This is non-negotiable for effective 1:1s.

Mistake 4: Defaulting to Status Updates

The problem: Without preparation, you fall back to “What are you working on?” and “What’s the status of X?”

The impact:

• 40% of employees say status updates waste valuable time
• 70% say status meetings don’t help them get work done
• Development conversations get pushed aside

The fix: Prepare questions that go beyond status. Focus on development, challenges, and support.

The Preparation Payoff: What Happens When You Prepare

When you prepare effectively, your 1:1s transform.

For employees:

• They feel heard and valued
• Their concerns get addressed
• Development conversations happen regularly
• Action items actually get completed
• Trust builds over time

For managers:

• You catch problems early
• You provide better support
• You build stronger relationships
• You develop your team more effectively
• You reduce turnover risk

For organisations:

• Higher employee engagement
• Better retention
• Stronger team performance
• More effective managers
• Competitive advantage through people development

Research shows that employees with twice as many effective 1:1s are 67% less likely to be disengaged. When 1:1s work well, employees who report high benefits are 43 times more likely to rate their manager as the best they’ve ever had.

Preparation is the foundation that makes all of this possible.

Key Takeaways

• Preparation matters: Research shows having an agenda is a strong predictor of 1:1 effectiveness, and employee involvement predicts even higher ratings.
• 24-hour timeline works: Start 24 hours before with foundation review, deep dive 2 hours before, and final check 10 minutes before.
• Review systematically: Previous notes, recent work, goals, and employee agenda items all inform better conversations.
• Prepare questions, not just topics: Open-ended questions that encourage sharing lead to more meaningful discussions.
• Employee agenda involvement is critical: Meetings rated most highly when employees contribute to or establish the agenda.
• Avoid common mistakes: Don’t show up cold, don’t ignore employee topics, don’t skip reviewing previous notes, and don’t default to status updates.

Conclusion

Preparation transforms 1:1 meetings from routine check-ins into powerful tools for team growth and engagement. Yet most managers show up unprepared, leading to repetitive conversations, lost context, and broken trust.

The 24-hour preparation approach outlined here is based on research and best practices from high-performing managers. It’s not complicated. It’s systematic. It’s not time-consuming. It’s efficient. And it’s not optional. It’s essential.

When you prepare effectively, you show your team that these meetings matter. You demonstrate that you care about their development and their challenges. You build trust through consistency and follow-through.

Ready to transform your 1:1 meetings?

Workcom helps managers prepare better for every 1:1 with structured preparation tools, shared agendas, and automatic reminders. See how it works: try Workcom free or get a demo.