I’ve been managing a small team for about a year now, and lately I’ve been feeling like my one-on-one meetings have become these stale, repetitive check-ins that neither of us gets much from. I want them to feel more like a real coaching opportunity, but I’m honestly not sure how to shift the dynamic without making it feel forced or awkward.
I get that feeling too We tried turning the one on one into coaching by focusing on personal goals and learning instead of just tasks It changes the vibe when the other person picks the topic
Seems like you want magic tricks but coaching takes time Maybe start with one question like what would make this week useful and see if it sticks
to be honest this feels more random than coaching lately some weeks we wing it and it somehow works other weeks not so much
Try prepping a simple framework a personal goal agenda a skill to practice and a mini reflection at the end It still feels light and not too heavy
Have them set the agenda ahead of time and bring a tiny win from the past week It makes it feel like real coaching rather than a task scan
Be careful not to over coach the tiny stuff and turn it into a micromanagement vibe
One small win I had was a 15 minute chat about one obstacle and a workaround it felt kinda real and left them curious