Key takeaways
- Prep Your 1-on-1s in 15 Minutes: Don’t wing your most important talent development tool. Use a prep assistant to turn the week’s chaos into 2–3 high-impact coaching questions. Focus on who you’re meeting, what’s happened recently, and the specific outcome you want, whether it’s clarity, motivation, or solving a bottleneck.
- Focus on Obstacles, Not Status Updates: Status reports belong in emails; 1-on-1s are for people. Follow a simple flow: Check-in on their focus, Explore what’s working or blocking them, and end with a hard Commitment. If you leave the room without a clear “what’s next” and a deadline, you haven’t managed performance, you’ve just had a chat.
- Apply the GROW Model to Build Independence: Stop giving all the answers. Use the GROW (Goal, Reality, Options, Will) framework to move from the problem to the solution. By asking questions like “What have you tried?” and “What are three ways to approach this?”, you force your team to think for themselves and take true ownership of the results.
Table of Contents
👉 Try my ChatGPT one-on-one meetings
One-on-ones are the single most important mechanism you have for performance management and developing talent. They should be laser-focused on roadblocks, growth, and feedback.
That’s why I built a specific tool: ChatGPT for One-on-One Meetings. It’s a prep assistant that helps you translate the noise of the last week into two or three specific, high-impact coaching questions. This custom ChatGPT tool is part of my Manager Tools collection for busy managers.
Why you need ChatGPT for one-on-one meetings
A recurring conclusion from my coaching sessions with managers is that managers want to coach, but they don’t have time to “plan coaching sessions.” They’re juggling deadlines and crises instead.
The ChatGPT for One-on-One Meetings changes that because it acts as your backstage prep coach.
You tell it:
“I’m meeting Alex, my sales rep. He’s performing well but seems disengaged.”
And it instantly helps you structure the conversation:
- Summarize key takeaways you can reuse for follow-up
- Clarify your meeting goal (coaching, alignment, or feedback)
- Generate open questions that spark real dialogue
- Suggest a structure you can follow naturally.
How ChatGPT helps you prepare for a meaningful one-on-one
Here’s what it does: 15 minutes of thoughtful preparation.
Start by telling ChatGPT for One-on-One Meetings three things:
- Who you’re meeting and their role.
- What’s been happening recently (good or bad).
- What outcome do you want (clarity, motivation, feedback, or problem-solving).
From that, it helps you build a simple three-part meeting flow:
- Check-in: “How are things going this week?”
- Explore: “What’s working well? What’s blocking you?”
- Commit: “What will you do next? What support do you need from me?”
Monday Morning Action Plan: Prepare for Coaching with the GROW Model
Here’s a brief Monday Morning Action Plan using the ChatGPT for One-on-One Meetings framework:
- Step 1: Prep with Problem/Focus
Before opening the GPT, identify the one key focus area for that employee this week: it could be a developmental feedback point, a career conversation, or a performance challenge.
Feed the GPT with the employee’s role, their top goal, and the key focus area first.
- Step 2: Coaching Recommendations with the GROW Model
Use this GROW coaching model to guide the conversation from problem to action:
G: Goal – Define the specific objective for the session or the near future.
Question: “What specifically do you want to accomplish or resolve?”
R: Reality – Explore the current situation and obstacles without judgment.
Question: “What have you tried so far, and what were the results?”
O: Options – Encourage brainstorming multiple solutions, pushing past the first easy answer.
Question: “If anything were possible, what are three ways you could approach this?”
W: Will (or Way Forward) – Commit to concrete action steps with clear deadlines.
Question: “What is the very first step you will take, and when will you have it done?”
Access my ChatGPT for one-on-one meetings
👉 Access my ChatGPT for one-on-one meetings
Additional ChatGPTs for managers
👉 ChatGPT for job descriptions
👉 ChatGPT for competency development
👉 ChatGPT for difficult situations
👉 ChatGPT for KPIs, OKRs, and IDPs
If you’re a new manager looking for new manager training, you can explore my practical program designed to help you succeed.
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