When's the last time you had a really great one-on-one with your boss? If your answer is anything but “in the last 2 weeks,” you're not alone. A great cadence of good one-on-one meetings is unusual. Why? Well first, everybody's busy. It's easier to cancel a meeting with a direct report than with your boss. Or perhaps, your one-on-ones drag on, lack preparation, or generally feel like a waste of time.
Whether you're the manager, the one being managed, or both, one the easiest ways to take your performance to the next level is through great one-on-one meetings.
How to Hold a 10 Minute (MIT- Most Important Thing) Huddle
Of course, you need more than 10 minutes a week to build a great relationship with your manager. You need time to get to know one another as human beings and to focus on long-term goals and career development. What I'm about to share here is not a substitute for those vital sessions. This tool is for the in-between times: to help you stay focused each week to clarify expectations, to ensure the MIT stays the MIT, and to get the support you need.
It works like this. You schedule 10 minutes a week with your boss and come prepared to discuss the following:
- What's the Most Important Thing you accomplished last week? (This gives you an opportunity to ensure you boss is aware of the good work you are doing)
- What's the Most Important Thing you're working on this week? (This helps clarify expectations and ensure alignment)
- What support do you need? This gives you a structured time to ask for help AND also makes it easier on your boss if you keep a running list of anything that's not urgent and can wait.
Our Winning Well clients who are using this approach tell us it's done wonders to streamline their communications, clarify expectations, and eliminate wasteful work.
You can download the free MIT Huddle Planner here
