6 Tips for 121 meetings with staff

121 meetings are a tool for employee management in ANY SIZE business – it can be vital to make sure that employees know what they are expected to do and are confident to do.

Here are 6 tips to hold a 121 which works effectively for everyone:

A 121 meeting can vary according to the role you do and the relationship that is in place between manager and colleague but here are some guidelines.

1. The meeting is about the employee’s performance and working life and should have that focus – wider departmental and company issues are touched on but the focus should be on how they are doing.
2. The conversation should not be one-sided, both participants should listen carefully and “be present” i.e. not thinking about the next thing you need to say or the next meeting you need to be in.
3. Time can vary, it doesn’t need to be very long, a half hour catch up can be enough to cover all the issues
4. It is a good idea to put a regular meeting time in your diaries and put it on repeat! This may change but if you commit to the date and time, it is more likely to happen.
5. It is not a full-on appraisal, but remember to cover the goals and targets!
6. Get a copy of the job description and use that in the meeting as a focus (if it not accurate or non-existent – write or re-write!)