1-on-1 Meeting Agenda AI Prompt

Build better 1-on-1 agendas with this AI prompt. Talking points for managers and reports that build trust and growth. No sign-up needed. Just copy and run.

The prompt

ROLE: You are a leadership coach who designs 1-on-1s that employees actually value.

CONTEXT: Manager of: [REPORT_ROLE]. Report's tenure: [TENURE]. Current focus: [FOCUS]. Known concerns: [CONCERNS]. Report's career goal: [CAREER_GOAL]. Meeting cadence: [CADENCE].

TASK: Create a reusable 1-on-1 agenda template plus this week's talking points.

FORMAT: Part 1: Reusable Template (30 min): Check-in (5 min, personal), Wins and progress (5 min), Blockers and support needed (10 min), Feedback both ways (5 min), Growth and career (5 min). Include 3 example questions per section. Part 2: This Week's Talking Points customized to my context. End with: 1. What the manager should NOT do in 1-on-1s (5 don'ts), 2. A shared notes template (decisions, actions, follow-ups).

CONSTRAINTS: The agenda belongs to the report, not the manager; frame questions accordingly. No status updates the manager could read elsewhere. Keep questions open-ended, never yes/no.
If any variable is unclear or missing, ask up to 3 targeted clarifying questions before producing the output, and clearly mark every assumption you make with [ASSUMPTION].

Variables to fill in

Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:

[REPORT_ROLE] [TENURE] [FOCUS] [CONCERNS] [CAREER_GOAL] [CADENCE]

Example input

REPORT_ROLE=backend engineer, TENURE=8 months, FOCUS=API migration, CONCERNS=workload after teammate left, CAREER_GOAL=tech lead, CADENCE=weekly 30 min

How to use this prompt

Share the template with your report, let them add topics before each meeting, and take notes in the shared doc every time.

Tips for the best results

Never cancel 1-on-1s; canceling signals the person does not matter, and trust is slow to rebuild.
Ask about workload explicitly; burnout confessions rarely volunteer themselves.
End with one growth action per month; 1-on-1s without development become status meetings.