| It depends on the manager. It can be a good opportunity for feedback to go up the chain / get additional context / nuance, discuss strategy, is it time to ask for a pay rise, are there any minor issues like not writing thoughtful descriptions for PRs... Of course you can have these chats ad hoc, but frankly often that can distract and derail other conversations and meetings. I like my boss, and I value our 1:1s and frequently (for example while I moved country) just making sure I was OK, my partner was OK and we were settling in etc. those kinds of issues can build up over time too. If it's just an exercise, kill it - but if it's creating value for both parties, then keep it up. I've had a weekly all hands where basically the CEO just wanted to waist everyone's time being brought up to speed and hashing out everything with everyone there. In the same company I had a sort of HR contractor who basically ended up providing emotional support and an avenue for honest feedback of management as a sort of 1:1, and the all hands was an absolute waste of everyone's time (because it was only really for the CEO), whereas those one to ones actually helped bring about positive change in the company, and clarity on what wasn't working. I'd have started from the same position as two parent comments, but I have actually benefited from gold one to ones. My current boss and I decided to reduce frequency, as we didn't need it, and then upped it again during pandemic just as an excuse for a walk and talk outside with another human. Be flexible, and get value or cut it out. But writing off 1:1 entirely only works well if you're having the right conversations elsewhere. Finally, I have mostly worked at smaller companies where it's not an opportunity for senior management to aggressively monitor performance, constantly try to push you and find excuses for who to fire / promote / move to other team. I guess in a larger business with middle management and politics, 1:1s can be more toxic and less productive... |