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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Time can vary, it doesn’t need to be very long, a half hour catch up can be enough to cover all the issues
- 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.
- It is not a full-on appraisal, but remember to cover the goals and targets!
- 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!)