[bob1029]

I try to run these as casually as possible on no specific timeline. I find regular, standardized 1:1s to be a dystopian experience.

The way most of my 1:1 calls initiate usually starts with someone else on the team expressing a bad mood about something and me doing a quick check in on teams.

I find that happy or otherwise productive employees will either reach out actively on their own, or not require this sort of interaction in the first place.

[avel]

A meeting that's mainly designed to let the employee give a pulse check, speak freely about annoyances and career path, and provide feedback to their manager, is a dystopian experience?

Also what you are describing on your second sentence is not a 1:1 meeting.