Management Feedback - One-on-Ones

Employee feedback is essential to any organization, including what goes from management down the chain. It is vital for career growth, performance, and team cohesion. What happens if managers don’t provide feedback to those they oversee?

Managers have a few tools in their arsenal that allow them to provide and receive feedback. In my experience, one of the most overlooked is the one-on-one session. One-on-ones enable managers to speak directly to employees, gauge how they feel things are going, and provide essential feedback. Feedback can include how the employee is doing, any areas that may improve, or ensuring the employee is happy.

As a manager, I have always made it a point to provide a chance to meet one-on-one. Depending on the number of people in my charge, I ensured the one-on-ones were weekly or bi-weekly. I always tried never to move or reschedule the one-on-ones unless the employee specifically asked me to do so. That shows that I am committed to them and their time. If I respect their time, it shows they can trust me when the time comes to speak. Even if we didn’t have much to speak on, it helped to give them the ability to chat about what is happening in the company. It was vital for them to be aware of the bigger picture.

Many times, when someone is in the weeds of their normal work, they are not exposed to the bigger picture. It isn’t a bad thing; it is just how things are. Managers often have some insight into that bigger picture, so they should make sure that their employees have a better understanding as well.

Plus, it gives the employees a chance to be heard, and I cannot stress how important that part is. We all would like to be heard, and as a manager, I wanted to ensure they had that capability.