EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL

100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTSTACKLE DIFFICULT ISSUES
So, you have regularly scheduled 1-on-1s withyour direct reports. Good for you. Now you
need to ensure that the time is useful — forthem and for you. How do you do that,
especially when the meeting is supposed tobe their time, yet the inevitable power dynamic
makes it awkward for some direct reports to“lead” the meeting?
In addition to asking your direct report to set
the agenda, you can come armed with a fewthoughtful questions of your own. This list
can spur ideas.
TO START THE MEETING
Many managers like to use the same,
unassuming opener each week to start 1-on-1s.
It may seem boring, but doing so encourages
direct reports to drive the conversation by
starting with a topic they want to talk about(remember, it’s their meeting). The answer
will also help you gauge how they are feelingthat week.
1.

How’s it going?

2.

So, what’s on your mind?

3.

What would you like to start with?

4. Hey, what’s going on?
TO GAUGE JOB SATISFACTION
Proactive questions about job satisfaction canhelp you unearth issues before they become
full-blown problems — and lead to unwanted
turnover. Some direct reports are moreforthcoming than others, so even if the answers
to these questions sound positive, listen forclues to deeper issues, and ask plenty offollow-up questions.
5.

How are you feeling about your role?

6. Are you happy here? What makes you
say that?
7.

Do you feel like you’re growing in your role?
What makes you say that?

8. What interests you about the project(s)you’re currently working on, and why?
9.

What is your favorite/least favorite thing
about your work right now?

10. How do you think that least favorite thing
affects your overall performance?
11. What’s working well for you in yourcurrent position?
12. What would you like to see change?
13. In what ways does your current position
allow you to use your skills and talents?
14. Which areas make you feel like your hands
are tied or you are unable to reach yourfull potential?
15. What do you think you could be doing
differently?
16. If you could work on anything for the next
month, what would it be? What makes you
say that?
17. What’s one thing that could make yourwork more satisfying, and why?
18. Which areas would you like more
feedback on?

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EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL

100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
TO ADDRESS CAREER DEVELOPMENT
Some direct reports may have a career pathfully mapped out, down to desired promotion
dates. Others may have no clue what theywant to do next. No matter where your direct
reports stand, it is worth bringing up careerdevelopment in your 1-on-1s to ensure you get
the best out of your team and keep people
happy in the long term.
19. What are some of the work projects you’remost proud of, and what do you think you
might want to do next?
20. What are two to three new skills you’d liketo learn on the job? What about those skills
interests you?
21. What other roles here could you see yourself
in down the line? Or what areas would you
like to explore?
22. If you were to create your ideal position,
how would it differ from what you are
currently doing?
23. How is your current work helping or hurtingyour professional development?
24. Which career or development goals doyou feel like you’re not able to focus onright now?

28. Where do you see yourself in three years?
Five years?
29. What professional goals would you like toaccomplish in the next six to twelve months,
and what makes you say that?
30. To help identify and clarify the goal:
What do you want to achieve? What will
you do to achieve it? When will you do it?
Who do you need to involve? When should
you see results?
31. What about this goal is important to you
and what will be different when you achieve
the goal?
TO GAUGE HOW THE PERSON IS FEELINGABOUT THE COMPANY
These types of questions may yield good ideas
you want to pass upward in the company, or atleast give you an opportunity to explain whycompany decisions have been made the way
they have. They will also give you insight intoanother facet of the person’s job satisfaction.
32. What’s the biggest opportunity we’re
missing out on?
33. If we could improve in any way as acompany, how would we do it?

25. What else can I be doing to help you grow/advance in your career?

34. What would you like to see change here?
Why do you say that?

26. Imagine it’s two years from now, and things
have gone well: What has been your role inthat? What does your role look like?

35. What’s the number one problem with ourorganization, and what do you think is
causing it?

27. Have you given any more thought to yourlong-term goals since our last meeting?
What are your latest thoughts?

36. What are we not doing that we should bedoing? What makes you say that?

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EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL

100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
37. What are we doing that you think we shouldstop doing, and why?
38. How are you feeling about the company’s
future overall? What makes you say that?

single event. Make sure to check in with direct
reports on how it is going when something haschanged in their work life.
46. How are you feeling about the recent news?
Why do you say that?

TO GAUGE HOW THE PERSON IS FEELINGABOUT THE TEAM

47. What concerns do you have about thechange that haven’t been addressed?

You want to be sure your team is functioning
at a high level, and here is a chance touncover problems and opportunities thatwill benefit everyone.

48. What’s going well and not so well with the
new situation/development? Why do you
think this might be happening?

39. How would you describe the personality ofthe team? What sort of person would be agood fit here? What sort of person wouldadd something we’re currently missing?
40. How would you say we’re doing at
working together as a team? What makes
you say that?
41. What are some ways we could improve at
teamwork? What makes you say that?
42. Who would you like to work more/lessoften with? Why?
43. How would you describe the division ofwork among team members?
44. Do you feel adequately supported by otherteam members? What makes you say that?
45. Is there anything you’d like to see change
about the team, and if so, why?
TO CHECK IN ON HOW THE PERSON IS
COPING WITH A RECENT CHANGE AT WORK
Change is inevitable. And no matter what type
it is — layoffs, a company merger, a shift instrategy — change is more of a process than a

49. Do you have a clear understanding of thenew goals and expectations? What makes
you say that?
50. How is the new situation/development
affecting your work? What could begetting in the way of your being effective?
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT A PROJECT
These questions go beyond a status update
to help you learn about what your directreport finds engaging, as well as challenges
or roadblocks you may be able to help with.
51. How are you feeling about the project?
52. What aspect of this project has been
particularly interesting for you?
53. What do you feel like you’re learning fromthis project?
54. What frustrates you about the project?
55. Which areas would you like to spend moretime on and why?
56. What do you think has gone well? Whatdo you think you could have done better?
What, if anything, would you like to do,but haven’t been able to?

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EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL

100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
57. What can I do to make things moremanageable?
58. How might I make this project morechallenging or interesting for you?
59. What do you think I should know about
the project, but might not?

TO DRAW OUT AN ISSUE
If your direct report seems to stop short or
gives a curt response on a topic where you
think there may be important issues lurking
beneath the surface, use open-ended questions
to encourage them to continue.
68. Could you tell me a little more about that?

TO LEARN YOUR DIRECT REPORT’S
BIGGEST CHALLENGES

69. Can you share some of the details aroundthat particular issue? (Who was involved?
Where? When? For how long?)

For some, discussing a challenge is like
admitting a failure. Let your direct report knowthat you want to hear about their concerns
because you care about making things better.

70. What was that experience like for you?

60. What is the biggest challenge you are
currently facing? How can I help with that?

73. How did that make you feel?

61. At what point in the past week were you
most frustrated with or discouraged byyour work? What can I do to help you
manage that?

75. What do you think caused that to happen?

71. What did you like most/least about that?
72. How did that affect you?
74. If you could change what happened, howwould you alter it?

62. What are your biggest concerns about
your current project(s)?

TO COACH A DIRECT REPORTON A PROBLEM

63. I’ve noticed X about the project… Can you
help me understand that better? Talk me
through your process.

Coaching can be a powerful way to encourage,empower, and help direct reports solve theirown problems. Ask questions that help theperson establish a goal outcome, explore thesituation, generate a set of potential solutions,and finally plan the way forward.

64. Which parts of your project are unclear
or confusing?
65. How is your workload right now?
66. How has your work/life balance been lately?
67. What sort of resources could you use right
now to make things more manageable?

76. What’s your number one problem rightnow? How are you feeling about it?
77. What would be the most helpful thing for
you to take away from this conversation inorder to make progress on it?

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EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL

100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
78. What have you tried so far to make progress
on it?
79. What ideas can you bring in from past
successes?
80. What haven’t you tried yet?
81. What are some possible ways to get thesolution you need?
82. What additional resources from me wouldbe helpful for you as you solve this problem?
83. What are your next steps to make progresson this problem?
TO PROMOTE CONTINUITY
BETWEEN MEETINGSYour 1-on-1s will be more effective in the longterm if you follow up on the topics, goals, andactions discussed in previous meetings and set
items for follow up next time.
84. What sort of progress have you made on
the next steps we discussed last time?
85. In our last 1-on-1 you mentioned that you’d
like to grow in X — how has that been going?
86. In our last 1-on-1 you mentioned you werefrustrated by X and wanted to try Y as asolution. How has that been going?
87. What development areas do you want towork on in the coming weeks?
88. What actions will you take before our next
1-on-1 to make progress on X? (Also discussand agree on actions you will take to help.)

90. What additional resources can I provide
for you between now and the next time
we meet?
IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR 1-ON-1 IS STUCK IN
A RUT, OR INEFFECTIVE
You want a 1-on-1 to be a good use of your time,
as well as your direct report’s. Sometimes asimple change of scenery can help. Other times,direct and honest questions about the issue canreally open things up — chances are if you feelthe meetings aren’t as effective as they shouldbe, your direct report feels the same way, too.
91. Would you like to walk today, or go
somewhere outside the office?
92. I’ve noticed that our last several 1-on-1s
have stayed pretty surface. What are yourhonest impressions of this meeting? What
could we be doing differently or better?
93. What would you like to see change about
these discussions? How could we makethem more useful for you?
94. What would you be doing right now if weweren’t having this meeting? How do you
feel about being taken away from that task?
95. I’m trying to make my 1-on-1s better andwould appreciate your honest feedback on
this one — what did you like about it, andwhat could be improved?

89. During this meeting you’ve mentioned thatyou’d like to pursue X. What steps can you
take toward that before our next 1-on-1?

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EVERYONE DESERVES A GREAT MANAGER TOOL100+ QUESTIONS FOR BETTER 1-ON-1s
WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
TO ADDRESS THE DIRECT REPORT’SPERSONAL LIFE
Asking about your direct report’s personal life
can be a good way to show that you care about
them as a person. Be sensitive and keep in mind
that some people are more private than others.
Depending on the individual, personal topics
could be informal small talk about the person’sfamily or interests, or more serious matters. It
is often good to start with broad questions, likethese, and be careful not to make assumptions.
96. How are things going for you outsideof work?
97.

How do you feel about your work/lifebalance?

98. What, if anything, did you used to do thatyou find you don’t have time for right now?
99. I’ve noticed you’re a little quieter than usual.
Is there anything you’d like to talk about?
100. What could we change about work thatwould improve the rest of your life?
TO ASK FOR FEEDBACK ON THE
1-ON-1s AND ON YOUR PERFORMANCEAS A MANAGER
Getting feedback from your direct reports canbe just as important as giving it. Not only will it
help you improve as a manager, it can also build
trust and strengthen your relationship with yourdirect reports.
However, only ask for feedback if you feel
confident in your ability to take the feedback
well and act on it; asking and then doing nothing
could do more harm than good. Plus, given thepower dynamic involved, how you
ask is critical.
101. I’m interested in feedback on how I can
improve as a manager. In preparing for our
next 1-on-1, would you be willing to think
through what you like about how I do X
(for example, run team meetings) andwhat I could do differently or better?
(Ask prior to the 1-on-1.)
102. I’d like to improve as a manager and I could
really use your help. Next week, would you
be willing to share some feedback on one
to two things you think I could do betteras your manager?
103. What can I do to help you enjoy your work
more or remove roadblocks to progress?
104. Which areas would you like more or lessdirection from me on your work?
105. I’m trying to make my 1-on-1s better andwould appreciate your honest feedback on
this one — what did you like about it, andwhat could be improved?
106. What are your impressions of our 1-on-1s?
What could we do differently or better?

FranklinCovey’s Everyone
Deserves a Great Manager isan essential guide for current
managers and those about tomake the leap to management.
Visit franklincovey.com.

For additional information about how we canhelp first-level leaders in your organization,email us at info@franklincovey.com or visit
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