The First Question In Your One on One

This cast describes how to start every One on One.

One of the most important lessons for experienced users of the One on One Manager Tool is the value of continuity over instances. One on Ones are in a sense like feedback in that no single instance of either is important. It's the commitment and I-can-count-on-my-boss-interacting-with-me-this-way repetition that deliver a major part of the value of these Manager Tools.

Now, look, you can't create continuity while ignoring instances. In order to be admired for one's constancy, one has to repeatedly do things, for a while. But a lot of managers are looking for the silver bullet, the ONE THING, the great idea, that makes management easy. If we had to pick one, it really would be One on Ones...but it's not the 30 minute INSTANCE of a one on one that matters...it's the constancy. Constancy is the complement of all other virtues, as the saying goes. Hey, we admit it - One on Ones are the slowest moving silver bullet ever invented.

So, what are some of the behaviors we can engage in in each INSTANCE of our One on Ones that increase the value of our CONSTANCY? The first is our first question.