One On One Prep

1:1 Prep

Great 1:1s live at the intersection of performance and care. Development keeps growth alive. Wellbeing makes sure the person behind the work is seen. Both matter every time.

Deep-dive preparation for 1:1 meetings with a specific direct report, anchored in the org's performance framework (from manager-context/performance-framework.md) and organizational values.

When to Use

• Before any 1:1 meeting with a direct report
• When the manager says "prep my 1:1 with [name]", "what should I discuss with [name]"
• Can be invoked with just a name, the skill finds the relevant context

Instructions

If any MCP connector is unavailable, follow the connector unavailability protocol in references/operating-principles.md.

1. Identify the Team Member

If a name is provided, match it against manager-context/team/ profiles.

If no name is specified, check the calendar for the next upcoming 1:1 meeting and identify the attendee.

If ambiguous:

Which team member? Your upcoming 1:1s are:
- [Name], [day] at [time]
- [Name], [day] at [time]

Load the team member's profile from manager-context/team/[name].md for:

• Their role, current projects, communication style
• Goals location (Notion page, Drive doc)
• Last review date and development areas
• Last 1:1 date and open items

If no profile exists:

⚠️ No profile found for [name]. Run /setup to build team context, or I'll work with what I can find from sources directly.

2. Surface Recent Work & Wins

Slack (last 7-14 days):

• Messages posted by this person in team/project channels
• Threads they've been active in
• Any shoutouts or recognition they received (search for their name + positive signals like "great", "shipped", "amazing", "thanks")
• Features shipped, PRs merged, deliverables completed (visible in public channels)

Google Drive:

• Documents they've recently created or edited
• Especially docs related to their projects or deliverables

Notion:

• Pages they've authored or updated recently
• Project status updates they've contributed to

Compile into a "recent activity" summary.

3. Detect Friction or Concerns

Look for signals (NOT diagnoses, signals for the manager to explore):

Slack:

• Repeated blockers or unanswered questions
• Messages where they expressed frustration or confusion
• Decreased activity compared to usual patterns (if baseline is known)
• Long threads where they're asking for help without clear resolution

Calendar:

• Cancelled or rescheduled 1:1s
• Unusually heavy or light meeting load

Important: Frame these as conversation starters, not assessments:

💡 Potential topics to explore (signals, not conclusions):
- [Name] asked about [topic] in #channel 3 times this week without a clear resolution, might be a blocker worth discussing
- [Name]'s activity in #project-channel has been lower than usual, could be fine, but worth checking in

4. Values & Wellbeing Check

Scan for signals related to the organization's values (from manager-context/values.md). These give the manager conversation threads beyond just goals and deliverables.

If no values are configured, focus on these universal management dimensions:

Wellbeing & Energy:

• Late-night or weekend Slack activity (potential overwork)
• Calendar density (back-to-back days, no focus time)
• Tone in recent messages: enthusiasm vs. fatigue (soft signal only)
• Have they taken time off recently?

Team Connection & Collaboration:

• Are they collaborating across the team, or working in isolation?
• Engagement in team channels (social, celebrations)
• Have they helped or unblocked teammates recently?

Communication & Transparency:

• Are they sharing context, asking for feedback, raising issues openly?
• Any threads where they seemed hesitant to speak up?

Resourcefulness & Problem-Solving:

• Evidence of creative problem-solving, unblocking themselves, learning new things

Ownership & Initiative:

• Volunteering for stretch work, proposing ideas, taking initiative
• Driving things to completion vs. waiting for direction

If organizational values are configured, map these dimensions to the specific values and use value names in the output.

Compile into a brief values snapshot (not a scorecard, conversation prompts):

Values Snapshot:
- [Value/Dimension 1]: [observation or "no signal"]
- [Value/Dimension 2]: [observation or "no signal"]
...

Only include values/dimensions where there's a meaningful signal. Don't force all of them every time.