Great developers need great support, feedback and communication. In today's episode we talk about the importance of regular one-on-one meetings for both developers and managers. We discuss how managers can establish and maintain successful one-on-one meetings. We then discuss how as a developer you can take ownership of and benefit from these meetings.


Three reasons for holding one-on-one meetings:

To promote open communication
To give and get feedback
To establish a support system

One-on-ones for Managers:

Keep frequency regular
Never cancel a one-on-one, unless you or developer is out
Ask questions and let the developer lead the conversation

One-on-ones for developers:

Come prepared with talking points that are important to you
Use the time to share feedback, ideas and frustrations
Lead the conversation, the meeting is for you

Notes from the Episode:

Help them Grow or Watch them Go by Beverly Kaye and Julie Winkle Giulioni
Managing Humans by Michael Lopp
Notes to a software team lead by Roy Osherove

Listener Challenges:

Managers: Embrace the silence and allow the direct report to lead the meeting
Developers: Think about and plan ahead for your next one-on-one bring a running list of items to talk about

Previous Episodes Mentioned:

The Four Attributes of a Great Development Team