The real reason your 1:1s aren’t working

Let's cut to the chase here, the real reason your 1:1s aren't working is that they are often treated more like an administrative duty than a core driver of performance. 

Quantum Workplace found that 61% of employees want more frequent 1:1s (ideally weekly to monthly conversations) with their manager. But according to O.C. Tanner Institute’s Global Culture Report (20,000+ employees and leaders globally), while 56% say they have regular 1:1s, among those:  

• 33% dread them  
• 20% get cancelled  
• Less than 50% are prepared  
• 33% have zero input into the agenda  

What does that tell us?  

Even when 1:1s do happen, they’re often seen as a pain as opposed to a performance lever, inconsistently delivered and left largely to chance. Buried inside outdated performance processes that 92% of organisations say deliver little value, and 58% call an ineffective use of time. 

In our opinion, it’s simply a design flaw in how most companies conduct their 1:1s. Notably, it's the ethos surrounding 1:1 meetings and the reality most managers and employees are set up in.  

Let’s explore.  

Why most 1:1s fail to deliver  

When 1:1s are left to chance, performance is left to guesswork. Your workforce analytics will pull reports that show poor engagement, patchy progression and underperformance, but will very rarely point to the source.  

Get 1:1s right and they move the needle on everything that matters. Gallup research tells us that effective 1:1s increase engagement by 3x, and by the same token, when employees feel their manager is genuinely invested in them, they are 27% more likely to report excellent performance.

So, how do you know if your 1:1s are failing to deliver? Start by looking at the warning signs already in your data and culture:

• Engagement scores that vary significantly across teams
• Repeated requests for recognition or feedback 
• A consistent theme in survey data: employees want more 1:1s (obvious but worth flagging)
• A need for managers to invest in and value their direct reports  
• Frequent calls for more development conversations and growth opportunities

These aren’t isolated issues. They’re the predictable outcomes in an organisation that leaves 1:1s to chance. And in the absence of structured, visible conversations, decisions about performance are frequently shaped by perception and personal opinion rather than by evidence. 

The cost to the business? It shows up in all the places that matter:

• Attrition of high performers and turnover
• Low morale 
• Capability issues (managers blaming individuals and vice versa)
• Poor collaboration and fragmented team dynamics
• Strategic misalignment due to poor goal setting and limited visibility

These symptoms are often put down to other causes, such as disengagement, underperformance, "mishires", lack of capability, etc., beneath the surface, however, they reflect something simpler: the absence of consistent, valuable and effective 1:1s between a manager and their direct reports.

And 9/10 times, this issue persists for one key reason: 

What we ask of managers doesn’t match what we equip them with

In many organisations, the quality of a 1:1 depends less on a defined approach and more on the instincts of the individual manager. Their comfort with difficult topics, their ability to navigate ambiguity and their capacity to prepare. 

We expect them to lead meaningful, high-impact conversations, but rarely give them what they need to do it well.

Without a shared structure or clear purpose, inconsistency becomes the norm rather than the exception.

At best, 1:1 discussions end up buried in Word documents, inboxes or spreadsheets, where follow-through becomes near impossible.

At worst, the manager wings it (remember that stat from Quantum Workplace above, "less than 50% are prepared?")... the employee overthinks it and the meeting slips into the path of least resistance: a surface-level check-in that skirts around the things that matter. And when nothing about motivation, blockers or growth gets discussed, nothing changes.

The good news is, this is all fixable.

Why 1:1s are a missed opportunity and what you can do about it

We opened with one very important line, and that was:

The real reason your 1:1s aren't working is that they are often treated more like an administrative duty than a core driver of performance.  

And that’s precisely why their potential goes untapped. 

1:1s are largely viewed as routine admin that managers are expected to tick off to qualify as “doing their job", when in reality, 1:1s need to be treated as a core performance habit.

To do this, you need to equip your managers with:  

• Structured tools to guide meaningful 1:1s that drive depth and prompt action
• A framework that helps them tailor performance conversations to each individual
• Coaching prompts that help them discuss challenging topics with confidence
• Space to log key topics, set objectives and follow through with their direct reports over time 
• A regular cadence that anchors 1:1s within the broader performance cycle, making reviews more informed and career development continuous

And empower your employees with:  

• A say in the agenda so they have the opportunity to discuss what really matters 
• Space to log their motivation, wellbeing and blockers
• An easy way to request regular feedback 
• A process to track their goals and understand what they need to do to achieve their objectives 
• A consistent 1:1 routine that builds trust, accountability and provides clear direction and clarity 

What 1:1s can become with the right structure and buy-in 

When 1:1s work, they become the single most effective space for driving alignment, performance and growth.  

OpenBlend helps organisations design and deliver them that way, at scale. We bring clarity, consistency and direction to the most important conversation in your business. Because if you can’t trust what’s happening in your 1:1s, you can’t trust what’s coming out of them, and you’ll be blind to the root cause when performance stalls, engagement dips, or top talent quietly walks.  
  
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