Are your 1:1s creating value or consuming it?
A few weeks ago, I observed when an account manager walking out of a 1:1 looking visibly frustrated.
- “It was another status update,” he sighed. “We didn’t talk about anything that actually matters.”
His experience is far more common than most leaders admit. Many leaders hold regular 1:1 meetings with good intentions, yet too often these conversations default into routine status updates rather than meaningful dialogue. At Precedo Consulting, we consistently observe that it is not only the frequency of 1:1s that drives outcomes, but the quality of the interaction itself.
Poorly run 1:1s can do more harm than good. They can
- Waste time for both people
- Damage trust
- Signal that development isn’t a real priority
- Create a culture where issues stay hidden
When 1:1s are conducted with quality, they create:
- Higher engagement
- Stronger psychological safety
- Better performance
As consultants and researchers of sales leadership we have tried to understand why 1:1 meetings fail and what happens in successful ones. After coaching hundreds of sales leaders globally, we have explored the following drivers for the quality of 1:1s:
1) Clear Purpose & Consistent Flow
High-performing sales teams know when 1:1s happen, why they matter, and how the time will be used. The general agenda and flow remain consistent from meeting to meeting, enabling team members to prepare intentionally. This predictability reduces noise and focuses the conversation. A difficult task for the sales leader is to ensure time is spent on issues that truly drive revenue and develop skills of the team members.
2) Balanced Management of What & How
Effective sales leaders ensure development actions address both short-term performance and long-term development issues. Easier said that done since pressures leaders face often pull attention to closing the next quarter. Therefore, it seems to be so that the most effective leaders intentionally balance these two dimensions.
Often, it is fairly easy to diagnose that pipeline is short in some stages or to define the objectives for the next negotiation. Designing how to influence the customer or improve the opportunity quality is not. When these two components: what & how are integrated, the conversation also moves on building repeatable behaviors that sustain performance over time.
3) The Manager Acts as a Positive Change Consultant
In high performing sales teams, continious learning is balanced with performance. In the context of 1:1s, it means that the manager does not simply listen and wait for the team-member to identify their own challenges. Instead, the conversation strikes a healthy balance: team members’ self-assessment is heard and valued, while the leader also brings forward developmental areas that may be difficult for the member to see on their own. Often, this combination is the area where real learning and growth occur.
- Are you measuring the quality of your 1:1s?
- If your 1:1s became 20 % more effective next quarter, where would the impact show up first?
- How are you navigating the tension between what must be done and how it will be achieved?
Marko Hänninen has over three decades of sales leadership experience and serves as a Managing Partner at Precedo Consulting, dedicated to helping organizations reach their full potential. Throughout his career, he has advised over 200 organizations, trained and coached more than 20,000 sales leaders and professionals across 40 countries, building sustainable results. He is currently completing a PhD in Sales Leadership at ESCP Business School in Paris.
