Meetings are still a main part of many businesses operating both remotely and within office premises. These meetings can help team members when keeping in the loop with any changes that are happening on a certain project they’re working on, whether that be in-house or externally.

For clients, businesses find meetings critical when making those first introductions and setting up a working relationship. The importance of meetings was only made more apparent after the world found itself in the clutches of a pandemic. Many businesses had to go remote, many of them inexperienced in this method of working. 

Meetings became more frequent to keep those work wheels turning and to keep everyone connected. What are the best ways to hold one-to-one meetings in 2022? Not every organisation is fully back in the workplace, so it’s essential that businesses are using the best methods of holding these one-to-one meetings this year.

Why are one-to-one meetings so important?

One-to-one meetings are a great way for staff members to get a more personal experience with the other person, whether that be their manager, fellow colleague, or an external client.

A lot of the time more can be communicated between just two people, rather than having half a dozen or more in the same space. They work well to gather feedback when it comes to annual work reviews for example, or to set goals or objectives for whatever project the person or persons are working on.

One-to-one meetings are more frequent than you might think, with the average professional having 5.6 one-to-one meetings a week. For managers, they’re extremely helpful for checking in on their team individually and building that relationship between themselves and the employee.

Five ways to hold 1 on 1 meetings

When it comes to holding 1 on 1 meetings, there are good ways to go about it. In order to get the most out of these meetings, the right environment, planning, and approach are all essential for a successful discussion.

1. Set goals and objectives for the meetings prior to them.

Before any meeting, it’s all about the preparation. It’s important that you’re setting goals and objectives that both individuals can benefit from. What are you looking to achieve with this meeting? What progress would you like to see happen from these meetings?

With preparation and planning, the meeting will have more direction and they will be more fulfilling. After all, not all meetings that occur are ultimately beneficial. With most employees attending around 62 meeting a month, half of these meetings are a complete waste of time.

Outline what it is you want to achieve from the meeting so that it has more structure. It will help guarantee that you get everything said and done, rather than it only covering so much. General chatter can ensue when you’re chatting to a colleague or a particular client you have grown a close working relationship with.

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At the end of the day, these meetings should be beneficial in getting the work required, done. There are plenty of online tools that you can use for improving the structure of your meetings, like Hyper Context. Hyper Context is a free platform where you can create and share meeting agendas ahead of time.

This platform can also be used for taking notes, which is also an important part of meetings.

2. Find the right space that provides the best atmosphere for meetings.

The environment in which you hold meetings is just as important as the meetings themselves. Whilst having a meeting in a cafe may seem like a good idea, it’s not always the most appropriate space when you’re talking about more confidential topics.

Consider the type of meeting being held and what type of environment would suit it best. There are some one-to-one meetings that aren’t as formal and therefore can be done in a more relaxed environment, like over lunch, for example.

However, professionalism is key, so the type of space you pick can often influence how the meeting goes and what impression it creates with the other person. For employees, respect is an important trait to have when working for a business. With 26% of employees feeling undervalued and underappreciated, these types of meetings are vitally essential.

3. Prepare the right tech for remote meetings.

Whilst most meetings that are one-on-one should ideally be done face-to-face, that’s not always possible. There are businesses that operate completely remotely and so it’s only possible to do meetings via video conference calls.

When holding remote meetings, the right tech is essential, otherwise, everything can easily fall apart at the seams. Zoom has become an integral part of most businesses that hold remote meetings when one or more colleagues are out of the office. It’s also a platform that did very well off the back of the pandemic.

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Zoom had become one of the fastest growing apps of the pandemic, unsurprisingly and its meeting participants increased by 2,900% over this time. Whilst things have somehow plateaued with the pandemic, not every business has returned to the office, so video conferencing is still required.

Make sure that you’ve got all the necessary tech to ensure the meeting runs seamlessly and without any hitches.

4. Recognize the wins and achievements that have been made.

Another way to help employees feel respected when conducting these meetings is to celebrate the wins and success that they’ve had prior to this meeting taking place. The same goes for one-to-one meetings with clients. What has been achieved since the last meeting? If there have been some significant milestones that have been checked off, then these should be recognized.

Giving recognition to those individuals can help with employee and client satisfaction. Many of us enjoy the praise that our co-workers give to us, whether it’s for something small or for a big goal that has been smashed.

With appreciation and acknowledgment given to those who deserve it, it helps positively influence the progress made going forward. Not rewarding that progress is only going to hinder the relationship and the outlook that the individuals have on their position in the company.

5. Take a record of the meeting where appropriate.

A useful practice for meetings would be to take a record of them where appropriate. Some may wish to record their meetings on camera, whereas others will prefer to take a record via written documents.

These are in no way meant to be a way to scrutinize the meeting and what has been said or unsaid, but it’s for monitoring progress. For all meetings, there should be a reason for it and it should ultimately be driving the individuals towards a common goal.

A record of these one-to-one meetings can help to look back on what has been said prior and whether there are any improvements that can be made. There might be certain goals or objectives that weren’t met. It might be that the individual wasn’t given the ample resources required, for example.

Instead of using these previous meetings as an opportunity to criticize the other person, use it as a way of providing encouragement and constructive feedback.

The benefits of one-to-one meetings 

There are many benefits of holding one-to-one meetings. Even if you’re already holding them already, sometimes, it can be good to look at how you can improve them and enhance the participant’s experience of them for the future. 

If you haven’t been holding one-to-one meetings, then here are just a few of the benefits that come from holding them.

Increases employee engagement

Employee engagement is a big one for many businesses because without that high level of productivity happening at all times, things can easily get dropped and forgotten about. These meetings are a great way to refocus and motivate your employees, helping them find a love and enjoyment for what they’re doing. It’s very easy for some employees to become despondent on the job if they’re not being thought about by their peers or supervisors, for example.

Whilst these meetings might seem insignificant at times, they are majorly impactful for your workforce.

Stronger working relationships for all

Working relationships can often be neglected, especially if you’re in a role that is remote or doesn’t have much involvement with the peers around you.

Having these meetings on a regular basis can help to grow relationships between peers and those occasions where there are meetings with external clients. Taking the time to work on these relationships can build a stronger workforce as a whole and departments that click with one another, rather than be separated.

Helps encourage progress within the workplace

Progress is crucial for any business and when you’re trying to push forward with various goals for the company overall, it’s good to hold these meetings to help with that.

Holding one-to-one meetings in 2022 are still vital for the growth and success of any business. Make sure you’re doing everything possible to get the best out of these meetings for both team members and external suppliers or clients.

Author Bio: Natalie Redman (LinkedIn)