I remember working for a leader early in my career who was very different than I. We had meetings that went way over the allotted time, spent a lot of time brainstorming and collaborating. I would often leave those meetings and ask a colleague – are we supposed to do something? I liked the agendas, structure, and plans. I learned over time how to work more effectively with this leader and eventually built a great relationship. It was rough at first, though.

After many years of working with all different types of leaders and employees and using some great tools, here are a few ways I have found to connect better in your touch-base meetings: 

With an Extravert:

• Be willing to talk things out and go off the agenda.
• Be open to new topics.
• Recognize that just because something is said, that does not mean the employee has made a decision. Talking it out is a way of thinking so it is common for extraverts to say things as a way to think about it.

With an Introvert:

• If possible, send them meeting prompts and/or agenda ahead of time.
• Be ok with pauses, silence, or coming back to a topic in your next session.
• Realize that if a point is made, it is something they have thought about and decided. Take it seriously.

With a Big Picture Person:

• Be willing to share strategy. The “Why” behind decisions is always important but especially with your big picture employees.
• Recognize that they will be ok with not having all the details, a general overview of the plan is typically sufficient.
• Be clear about action items.

With a Detail-Oriented Person:

• Recognize you may not have all the details or plan worked out that they would like.
• Ask them to fill in their ideas and collaborate on execution.
• Rely on them for flawless execution and detailed analysis.
• Provide coaching where needed for prioritizing.

We need to always remember our job as leaders is not to be mind readers.  Let’s ask- what’s working for them, what’s not working?

At first, they may not know but over time you can both realize when you are able to have great dialogue discussing both work issues and also building relationships.

We also know it is not the same with everyone. Strong leaders know that even those we don’t “click” with initially can be some of the people we need to hear from the most because they challenging our thinking and bring new perspectives.

Stay tuned next week for additional recommendations on how to handle one-on-ones with more sensitive employees and structured or unstructured types.

Keep connecting!

Looking for more insight on this topic? Check out Adjusting Your 1-on-1 Meeting Style Pt 2

For more information on improving relationships and results through one-on-ones, check out The Connection Blueprint or contact: debbie@nodusinc.com 

Debbie Waggoner, CEO of Nodus Performance Consulting has a solid track record of success with Fortune 500 companies, working with individuals, teams, and organizations to improve performance in the areas of leadership, talent development, and teamwork.