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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

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Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#21

Post by nikolay »

bigyikes wrote: post #13

I dread 1:1s with my manager. I simply do not have that much to say that I do not already say in group meetings or other channels. I find myself racking my brain to come up with agenda items to fill the time and save face. Sometimes private conversations are necessary, but as a once in a while sort of thing, not on a biweekly cadence.

I am in the same boat and often discuss work that shouldn't be done in a one-on-one meeting. Minimal babysitting is needed in an organization of mature people. Sometimes, sensitive topics need to be discussed, and an ad-hoc one-on-one could be arranged, but anything else is wasteful.

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#23

Post by bigyikes »

rrr_oh_man wrote: post #16
bigyikes wrote: post #13

I dread 1:1s with my manager. I simply do not have that much to say that I do not already say in group meetings or other channels. I find myself racking my brain to come up with agenda items to fill the time and save face. Sometimes private conversations are necessary, but as a once in a while sort of thing, not on a biweekly cadence.

This is a perspective I have honestly never heard before. Would you care to elaborate? I‘d really love to understand your POV better. Maybe I have a blind spot somewhere. Background: I’ve always done them weekly (as biweekly seems to be worse than monthly — which in turn is arguably much worse than weekly). And they seemed to work quite well.. Basically 10-30min of chit-chat and catchup for relationship building.

I’m intensely introverted, so that likely colors my perspective.

I am curious what “relationship building” looks like to you in a business context.

I somewhat enjoyed 1:1s with a previous manager of mine. I did feel we built a good relationship, even if we didn’t have important business to discuss all the time. Eventually the manager left the company and now I’m left wondering what the point of all of it was… It was never a real relationship, it was a business transaction all along.

And if it’s a business transaction, then I just don’t care. I’d rather spend the time doing something that advances myself or the business. I just don’t get much value from meeting with my manager. The 30 minutes spent doesn’t feel like it has good ROI.

Am I too cynical?

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#24

Post by bigyikes »

ToucanLoucan wrote: post #15
bigyikes wrote: post #13

I dread 1:1s with my manager. I simply do not have that much to say that I do not already say in group meetings or other channels. I find myself racking my brain to come up with agenda items to fill the time and save face. Sometimes private conversations are necessary, but as a once in a while sort of thing, not on a biweekly cadence.

> I dread 1:1s with my manager. I simply do not have that much to say that I do not already say in group meetings or other channels. I find myself racking my brain to come up with agenda items to fill the time and save face. .... why? My 1-on-1's very rarely go beyond 10 minutes or so specifically because there usually isn't much to discuss, and even then we mostly just jump over some answers to simple questions, the…

Ah interesting, how do they usually conclude for you?

My 1:1s never end early and it feels like we keep on bullshitting for longer than either of us want or need.

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#25

Post by Icy0 »

I tend to agree with this on discord, as I really dislike dms about not-directly-personal things when they can just share it in the server.

In real life though, my severe congenital hearing impairment means communication ability is stunted for all but one-on-one meetings. Cursed...

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#27

Post by BenFranklin100 »

cjk wrote: post #17

For me, one-on-ones are a super mixed bag. Personally, I get very little out of them. If I have feedback for my manager or vice-versa, I see zero reason to wait until a scheduled meeting to bring that up. That said, I’ve managed people that absolutely needed regularly-scheduled one-on-ones, because they needed the dedicated time and space to bring things up that they otherwise wouldn’t in the normal course of busines…

This is the right answer. Where possible, tailor management practices to the needs of the individual employee.

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#29

Post by paulddraper »

bigyikes wrote: post #13

I dread 1:1s with my manager. I simply do not have that much to say that I do not already say in group meetings or other channels. I find myself racking my brain to come up with agenda items to fill the time and save face. Sometimes private conversations are necessary, but as a once in a while sort of thing, not on a biweekly cadence.

A. hopefully your meetings (1:1) included are no longer than necessary.

B. discuss your work, your projects, progress, possible threats

Re: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: "I discourage 1-on-1s"

#30

Post by stack_framer »

bigyikes wrote: post #23
rrr_oh_man wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a perspective I have honestly never heard before. Would you care to elaborate? I‘d really love to understand your POV better. Maybe I have a blind spot somewhere. Background: I’ve always done them weekly (as biweekly seems to be worse than monthly — which in turn is arguably much worse than weekly). And they seemed to work quite well.. Basically 10-30min of chit-chat and catchup for relationship building.

I’m intensely introverted, so that likely colors my perspective. I am curious what “relationship building” looks like to you in a business context. I somewhat enjoyed 1:1s with a previous manager of mine. I did feel we built a good relationship, even if we didn’t have important business to discuss all the time. Eventually the manager left the company and now I’m left wondering what the point of all of it was… It was…

> Am I too cynical?

Not at all. I feel exactly the same way. I'm also introverted, and to me "relationship building" in a corporate context often feels really contrived.

I want to bring as much value as possible to my employer, and I don't feel like I generate value by having 1:1s for the sake of having 1:1s. I jump through the hoop though, because I want a promotion and I'm concerned that I won't get one if I don't fit the norm.

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