Your first one-on-one as a new manager does not need to prove that you have every answer. It can help you understand the work, clarify how you will communicate, and agree on one useful next step.
Here is an adaptable agenda for a 25-minute conversation. Adjust it to your role, team, and employer’s expectations. It is a planning suggestion, not a universal meeting rule.
Before the meeting: explain the purpose
Send a short note: “I’d like to understand your current priorities, what is getting in the way, and how I can support the work. You do not need a presentation.” Ask whether there is anything they want to add to the agenda.
Review information you are authorized to access. Do not arrive with assumptions based on rumors or another person’s private comments.
Minutes 1–5: start with their perspective
Ask: “What would make this conversation useful for you?” Then ask which part of their work they most want you to understand.
Listen without immediately turning every answer into advice. The Center for Creative Leadership recommends clarifying and checking your understanding as part of active listening. A simple response is: “Let me check that I have this right…”
Minutes 5–15: understand priorities and friction
Choose two or three questions rather than running an interrogation:
• What are the most important results you are working toward right now?
• Where are expectations or ownership unclear?
• What tends to delay the work?
• When priorities compete, who currently decides what moves?
Separate observations from conclusions. “Approvals often arrive late” is a starting point for investigation, not proof that another team is careless.
Minutes 15–20: agree on support
Ask: “What is one thing I could clarify, remove, or follow up on?” Be honest about what you can decide yourself and what requires someone else’s approval.
For example, instead of promising more headcount, you might agree to ask your manager which deadline takes priority. Do not commit to resources, policy exceptions, or confidentiality you cannot provide.
Minutes 20–25: close with a specific next step
Record the action, owner, and next check-in date. For example: “I will confirm the approval owner by Thursday. We will check next Tuesday whether that removed the delay.” Ask whether your summary misses anything.
Keep notes brief and in an employer-approved location. Sensitive employee concerns should follow the appropriate internal process; a routine one-on-one is not a substitute for HR or other specialist support.
Afterward: follow through
If you cannot complete the action, say so before the agreed date and explain the next step. A useful conversation is not just a list of questions—it is a clear, realistic commitment followed by an update.
For a broader first-month plan, First-Time Manager: Plan Your First 30 Days and Run Better One-on-Ones is a short RoleReady Kindle workbook with fictional scenarios and reusable worksheet outlines. The US list price is $2.99; availability and local pricing are shown on Amazon. It is educational guidance, not a guarantee of workplace outcomes.
Further reading: Center for Creative Leadership: Active Listening Techniques. The agenda and examples above are original RoleReady suggestions.
View the workbook on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HLYQ1YGJ
Source:
https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/coaching-others-use-active-listening-skills/