The one-on-one as the report's meeting
The recurring activity with the highest leverage a manager has. It is protected and regular, the report sets much of the agenda, and the manager listens more than they talk. When the report is a manager, it becomes a judgment debrief.
Evidence grade: practice A widely adopted practitioner model with clear provenance.
Use it when
Every report, every week or fortnight, and never cancelled because of a need for status.
Where it stops working
It turns into a status meeting as soon as the manager needs one. The early signs of disengagement show in the notes across several meetings, not in any single one.
Where the standard uses it
- PL-5Career development and growth pathsOne-on-ones, promotions, the Staff+ track, and the IC/manager choice.
- PL-6Leading through leadersSelecting, developing, and holding accountable the managers who report to you.
Sources
- Andrew S. Grove. High Output Management. Random House, 1983. In the bibliography
Used alongside it
- Readiness practice
- Calibration practice
- Coaching managers through change practice
- Growth ladders and competency matrices practice
- Managing managers practice
- Sizing teams and spans practice
Cite this model
Chicago, BibTeX and licence →Engineering Management Academy. (2026). The one-on-one as the report's meeting. In Engineering Management Academy Body of Knowledge (Version 3.1, TEC.one-on-one). https://www.engineeringmanagement.academy/body-of-knowledge/techniques/one-on-one