536: How to Make One-on-Ones Valuable, with Jonathan Raymond

Jonathan Raymond: Good Authority Jonathan Raymond is the founder of Refound, where he and his team work with organizations to create a company culture based in personal growth. He’s the author of the book Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For*. He’s also the creator of the Accountability Dial and the courses Good Accountability and Good Alignment. In this conversation, Jonathan and I discuss the importance of starting with the purpose for a role when considering how to approach one-on-ones. We frame the importance of elevation and linking professional activities with personal growth. Plus, we invite leaders to begin with a few, practical steps. Key Points Begin with the purpose of the role. Clarity on expectations and personal growth will both come from there. Utilize curiosity to begin to align on expectations and what’s next. Elevation is a key competency for managers in one-on-ones. Help employees link what the role needs and how their personal growth aligns to it. Be willing to stay flexible on how often and how long you meet for. There are times when more interaction may be wise, but one-on-ones should not take over your professional life as a manager. Few managers do this well. Even small movement to get better at supporting your employees can provide big returns in retention. Resources Mentioned Good Alignment course* Good Accountability course* Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For by Jonathan Raymond Related Episodes How to Balance Care and Accountability When Leading Remotely, with Jonathan Raymond (episode 464) How to Define a Role, with Pat Griffin (episode 517) How to Help People Thrive, with Jim Harter (episode 532) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.