Free One-on-One Meeting Agenda Template
Keep the 1:1 your report’s time — check-in, blockers, growth, and feedback both ways.
Part of our free meeting agenda templates.
Your download has started.
Didn’t start? Retry the Word file or get the PDF.
Industry template packs — coming soon.
1.Meeting Information
| Date | {{Date}} |
|---|---|
| Time | {{Start – End time}} |
| Location | {{Location or video link}} |
| Facilitator | {{Facilitator}} |
| Note-taker | {{Note-taker}} |
| Attendees | {{Attendees / required vs optional}} |
Fill this block before you send the invite so everyone knows when, where, and who is expected. Name a facilitator and a note-taker — meetings without both tend to drift.
2.Objectives
- Check in on how {{the report}} is actually doing — workload and energy
- Clear blockers and agree what support is needed
- Make space for growth and honest feedback in both directions
State one to three outcomes this meeting must produce — a decision, a plan, an aligned team. If you cannot name an objective, the meeting can probably be an email.
3.Agenda
| Topic | Lead | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal check-in — how are you, really? | {{Report}} | 5 min | Discuss |
| Wins & progress since last time | {{Report}} | 7 min | Inform |
| Blockers & where you need support | {{Report}} | 8 min | Discuss |
| Priorities & focus until next 1:1 | {{Both}} | 7 min | Decide |
| Growth & development — goals, skills, career | {{Both}} | 8 min | Discuss |
| Feedback both ways | {{Both}} | 5 min | Discuss |
| Recap & action items | {{Manager}} | 5 min | Inform |
Give every item an owner, a time box, and a type — Inform, Discuss, or Decide — so people come prepared and you protect time for the decisions that matter. Put the most important item first, not last.
4.Decisions & Notes
| Topic | Decision / key note | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| {{Topic}} | {{What you agreed together}} | {{Follow-up}} |
Capture decisions as they happen, in the room. A one-line record of what was decided prevents the same debate from reopening next week.
5.Action Items
| Action | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| {{Action — and say whether it’s yours or mine}} | {{Owner}} | {{Due date}} |
| {{Action}} | {{Owner}} | {{Due date}} |
Every action needs a single owner and a date — “we” is not an owner. Read these back aloud before you close the meeting so nobody leaves surprised.
6.Parking Lot
- {{Topic to revisit when there is more time, e.g. a longer career conversation}}
Park anything important that is off-agenda here instead of letting it derail the meeting. Review the parking lot when you plan the next agenda.
7.Next Meeting
| Date & time | {{Date and time}} |
|---|---|
| Focus | {{Main focus for next time}} |
Set the next meeting before everyone leaves — it is far harder to schedule afterward. Note the main focus so the next agenda almost writes itself.
A worked example for a recurring manager/report one-on-one, focused on the report.
1.Meeting Information
| Date | Thursday, June 18, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time | 2:00 – 2:45 PM |
| Location | Walking 1:1 — meet at the lobby; notes added to the shared 1:1 doc after |
| Facilitator | Elena Rossi, Design Manager |
| Note-taker | Shared 1:1 doc (both edit) |
| Attendees | Jordan Pierce (report) · Elena Rossi (manager) |
2.Objectives
- Understand why the onboarding redesign has felt draining and ease the load
- Agree a concrete first step toward Jordan’s goal of leading a project
- Exchange one piece of feedback each, honestly
3.Agenda
| Topic | Lead | Time | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check-in — how the last two weeks felt | Jordan | 5 min | Discuss |
| Wins: shipped settings redesign; positive usability test | Jordan | 7 min | Inform |
| Blockers: research handoffs are late and vague | Jordan | 8 min | Discuss |
| Focus until next 1:1 — protect time for deep work | Both | 7 min | Decide |
| Growth: stepping up to lead the checkout project | Both | 8 min | Discuss |
| Feedback both ways | Both | 5 min | Discuss |
| Recap & action items | Elena | 5 min | Inform |
4.Decisions & Notes
| Topic | Decision / key note | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Research handoffs | Elena will raise the late, vague handoffs with the research lead so Jordan isn’t chasing them | Elena to follow up by end of week |
| Deep-work time | Jordan blocks Tue/Thu mornings as no-meeting focus time; Elena will defend it | Jordan to set the calendar blocks today |
| Stretch opportunity | Jordan will co-lead the checkout redesign with Elena shadowing, as a path toward a lead role | Elena to scope it and loop in the PM |
5.Action Items
| Action | Owner | Due date |
|---|---|---|
| Talk to the research lead about handoff quality and timing (mine) | Elena Rossi | Fri Jun 19 |
| Block Tue/Thu mornings as focus time and decline conflicting invites (mine) | Jordan Pierce | Today |
| Scope the checkout-redesign co-lead role and brief the PM | Elena Rossi | Wed Jun 24 |
| Share the conference talk Jordan wanted to attend and check the L&D budget | Elena Rossi | Next 1:1 |
6.Parking Lot
- A fuller career conversation — designer → senior → lead — when there’s a longer block
- Whether to present the settings redesign at the next design all-hands
7.Next Meeting
| Date & time | Thursday, July 16, 2026 · 2:00 PM |
|---|---|
| Focus | How the focus-time experiment went and the checkout co-lead kickoff |
How it works
- Let the report drive: open with a real check-in, then their wins, blockers, and where they need support.
- Agree priorities until the next 1:1, make time for growth and career, and exchange feedback both ways.
- Record action items noting whose they are — yours or the report’s — then save as Word or PDF.
Frequently asked questions
What should a one-on-one meeting agenda include?
A personal check-in, the report’s recent wins and progress, blockers and the support they need, agreed priorities until the next 1:1, a growth or career topic, and feedback in both directions. The agenda should be mostly the report’s — the manager listens and unblocks more than they update.
Who should own the one-on-one agenda — the manager or the report?
The report should own most of it; it is their time. A good pattern is a shared doc both can add to, where the report brings the topics that matter to them and the manager adds anything they want to discuss. The manager facilitates and follows up on action items.
How often should you hold one-on-ones?
Weekly or every two weeks for most manager–report pairs, with a longer monthly or quarterly conversation reserved for growth and career. Consistency matters more than length — a regular 30-minute slot beats an occasional long one that keeps getting cancelled.
What are good one-on-one questions to ask?
Try “How are you, really?”, “What’s blocking you that I can help with?”, “What would make next week better than this one?”, and “What feedback do you have for me?”. Open-ended questions surface more than a status round, which the report can send in writing instead.