The core management routine.
WHAT THEY ARE FOR
The person, not the project.
WHY THAT DISTINCTION MATTERS
Status can be gathered in writing; these are for everything else.
WHAT TO COVER
How the work is going What is in their way How they are finding things Development Feedback, in both directions
WHAT NOT TO MAKE THEM
A status report.
HOW OFTEN
Regularly and predictably.
WHAT REGULARLY MEANS
Weekly or fortnightly, for most teams.
WHY PREDICTABILITY MATTERS
It gives people a known place to raise things, which prevents them festering.
WHAT TO NEVER DO
Cancel them repeatedly.
WHY
It communicates that the person does not matter.
WHOSE MEETING IT IS
Theirs.
WHAT THAT MEANS PRACTICALLY
They set most of the agenda.
WHAT QUESTIONS WORK
What is on your mind What is frustrating you What would help Is anything unclear about what is expected
WHAT TO DO MOSTLY
Listen.
WHAT TO AVOID
Filling the silence Turning it into instruction
WHAT TO RECORD
Commitments made, by both of you.
WHAT TO DO BETWEEN CONVERSATIONS
Follow through on what you said.
WHY
It is what determines whether they tell you anything real.
