On Weekly Updates, one-on-one meetings, and how to use them effectively.
Weekly Updates can be a great tool – or a total waste of time. The difference? Two things must be true:
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The employee actually finds value in doing it.
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You use the information during your next 1:1.
Employees who say their managers gave them “meaningful” feedback in the past week are four times more likely to be engaged (Gallup).
For years, my teams used getweeklyupdate.com to automate reports. It’s templated, editable, and every Friday the team gets a reminder to complete their update. A copy is sent to both the employee and their leader.
You can tailor the prompts to your team, but here are some staples:
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Projects shipped / wins
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Learnings
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Obstacles preventing progress
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New business
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Pipeline update
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Anything you’d like to tell me / get off your chest? – This one is gold. It gives people permission to be candid.
Finally, the update is useless if it’s not reviewed in your next 1:1, ideally weekly. Read it ahead of time, bring up anything worth discussing, and ask what they want to dive into.
Remember: weekly updates and 1:1s are just as much for the employee as they are for the leader. You’re the guide – your job is to make them count.