I think it depends on the quality of your relationship with your colleague. I've had 1on1's that I always look forward to and others that I always dread. If you have a good relationship with your colleague or manager, I see them as a big plus.
Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
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Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#12Actually, I think that it depends on your org level:
- if you're a developer, then your manager is supposed to be available to manage you "day-to-day"... so if any problem arise, you can just ask him directly. Obviously, if you're experimented, you wont need your manager often...
- if you're a manager, then you need to schedule 1:1 with your own manager (manager of manager) because it's easier to synchronise schedule and have a consistent consolidated reporting on a regular basis without spending to much time (remember: you must be available for your teams problems... and the younger your team, the most time they need).
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#13I've always had weekly 1:1s with my manager and I like them. For me it's not about not being able to "manage yourself" but just about keeping an open conversation going. Maybe get some heads-up on priority changes or new directions of the company.
Sometimes they are only 5-10 minutes long but having a long running fixed slot is beneficial to me. If there's something to discuss it's easier to just bring it up there than scheduling a meeting out of the blue which makes everything a bit more formal and people might be wondering what it's about.
On top of that we also have quarterly feedback 1:1s and we usually realize there's not much to discuss as if there's something wrong it would've been discussed at the weekly meeting already. Which seems better than the alternative of having things pile up until some quarterly meeting.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#14Weekly? Too often. An hour? Too long. A fortnightly 30min calendar event is about right, and even then sometimes we skip it because there's nothing to talk about. That's the point, it's there if we need it.
I think this is it, an hour a week can be too much in some cases, but never having 1-on-1s can lead to some things deteriorating, depending on the manager. Otherwise trivial issues accumulate and become non-trivial, both sides can get out of the loop etc.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#15No, you’re not alone. I’ve always expected from my managers that they will take my call if I need to speak to them. Likewise, if someone I manage needs to talk about anything, I’ll stop what I’m doing and listen.
I think 1:1s encourage bottling up of problems, with all the damage that causes.
Helping out a fellow human with their immediate need is almost always worth the context switch, IMHO.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#16I am with you. I don't understand what 1:1s are for in a well-functioning team, where information flows freely. Or in a dysfunctional team, for that matter — dysfunctions can, and probably should, be addressed collectively.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#17I had good experiences with them (assuming a good manager of course). I also like to write though and it helps me to collect my thoughts and summarize what I have done. Also, the meeting was only 15 mins usually.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#18You should do it.
An hour is too long, just cut it short if you’ve got nothing to chat about.
The other comments about never talking to your boss and being productive are stupid wishful thinking and you should ignore them.
Your job as a senior is not to sit and hack away at code; that is a job for juniors.
You have to do “team” things too, and part of that is knowing what your team mates and boss are doing and expecting.
How are you planning on doing that without talking to them?
Most likely at least one member of your team is not communicating and it’s easier to apply a blanket policy than single one person out for it.
So, don’t take it personally, you’re not being micromanaged.
If the cadence feels too short, suggest you do it less often, but saying you see “no value” in them and want to opt out is the wrong approach, gonna make your boss unhappy and not solve anything.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#19For new staff it is very important (for both sides) to know how things are going.
For established, productive staff they become a waste of time unless one side is driving them.
Re: Ask HN: What's your opinion on weekly 1:1s?
#20I feel like weekly 1:1s are a sign of broken systems and processes. Managers should make time for team members whenever they need it, and team members should be free to ask.