9-lesson course · about 3 hours

Stop learning about problems from Jira tickets. Start catching them in your one-on-ones.

For Newly promoted engineering managers

A practical course for newly promoted engineering managers who want weekly conversations that surface blockers and build trust, instead of another status sync about sprint progress.

Try lesson 1 freeSee what you’ll learn

What you’ll be able to do

By the end, you can…

Set up a recurring one-on-one with each reportPick a weekly cadence and duration that fits your team, send calendar invites with a shared notes doc, and explain to each engineer what the meeting is for and what to expect.
Prepare a shared agenda you both add toCreate a template with sections for your items and theirs, so the meeting isn't improvised and nothing important gets dropped between weeks.
Open the conversation so engineers actually talkUse opening questions that invite your report to lead, recognize when the conversation has turned into a status update, and redirect it without making it awkward.
Dig beneath surface answersAsk follow-up questions that uncover blockers, concerns, and development interests, and notice when a senior engineer is hinting at something without saying it directly.
Give feedback without making the whole meeting about itDecide whether a piece of feedback belongs in a one-on-one or needs a separate conversation, raise it using specific behavioral language, and keep it from taking over the agenda.
Close with clear action items and adjust when something isn't workingSummarize next steps with owners and due dates in the shared doc, and recognize the signs that a one-on-one isn't working for a particular person so you can fix it.

How it works

A tutor that meets you where you are

  1. Lessons that adapt to your levelEach lesson adjusts to what you already know about management, so you spend time on what's new rather than re-reading basics you picked up on the job.
  2. Ask the AI tutor anythingType or speak a question mid-lesson, like how to phrase a specific concern for a senior engineer who resists structure, and get a grounded answer in context.
  3. Quizzes and flashcards tied to each lessonPractice distinguishing one-on-ones from status updates, choosing what belongs on the agenda, and recognizing when a meeting isn't working, with review cards that stick.
  4. Progress tracking and a certificate of completionSee where you are in the course, pick up where you left off, and get a certificate when you finish all nine lessons.

Curriculum

The curriculum

Nine lessons across three modules take you from setting up the meeting to running it to adapting it for different engineers on your team. Each lesson includes examples grounded in engineering team situations.

Module 1Setting Up Your One-on-Ones2 lessons

  1. 1Why One-on-Ones Matter
    • Explain the core purpose of a weekly one-on-one in your own words
    • List at least three common pitfalls that make one-on-ones ineffective
    • Distinguish one-on-ones from status updates, team meetings, and performance reviews
  2. 2Choosing Frequency, Length, and Cadence
    • Choose a weekly time slot and duration for each direct report's one-on-one
    • Set up recurring calendar invites with a shared notes document attached
    • Explain to a direct report why the meeting exists and what to expect

Module 2Running the Conversation5 lessons

  1. 3Building a Shared Agenda Template
    • Create a shared agenda template with clear sections for both manager and report items
    • Add at least one item to the template before each meeting and encourage your report to do the same
    • Decide which items belong in a one-on-one versus a team meeting or separate discussion
  2. 4Opening the Meeting
    • Open a one-on-one with a question that invites the report to lead
    • Recognize when the conversation has slipped into status-update mode and redirect it
    • Adjust your opening based on whether the report has added agenda items
  3. 5Listening and Follow-Up Questions
    • Use follow-up questions to dig beneath a surface answer during a one-on-one
    • Identify when a report is hinting at a concern without stating it directly
    • Ask about development interests in a way that feels natural, not like a formal review
  4. 6Raising Feedback and Concerns
    • Decide whether a piece of feedback belongs in a one-on-one or requires a separate conversation
    • Raise a concern using specific, behavioral language rather than vague judgment
    • Balance feedback with the rest of the agenda so the meeting doesn't become a critique session
  5. 7Closing with Action Items
    • Summarize action items at the end of each one-on-one with an owner and a due date for each
    • Write action items into the shared document so they carry forward to the next meeting
    • Decide what level of documentation is appropriate without over-formalizing the meeting

Module 3Adapting to Different Situations2 lessons

  1. 8Handling Quiet, Talkative, and Remote Reports
    • Adjust your approach for a report who gives short answers or says everything is fine
    • Keep a one-on-one on track when a report tends to dominate the conversation
    • Run an effective remote one-on-one that doesn't feel like just another video call
  2. 9Recognizing and Fixing What Isn't Working
    • Spot signs that a one-on-one is not working for a specific report
    • Adjust frequency, length, or format based on what a particular person needs
    • Raise the topic directly with a report and ask for their input on improving the meeting

Who it’s for

Made for you if…

Made for: Newly promoted engineering managers

Newly promoted engineering manager with 3-8 reports

You were a strong individual contributor, got promoted, and now manage people for the first time. You talk to your team about code and tickets every day, but you have no structured check-in and you worry you're only hearing about problems once they've escalated.

Tech lead or team lead who recently became a people manager

You're still close to the technical work and your team is largely senior and autonomous. You're not sure weekly one-on-ones are necessary or whether they'll feel like micromanagement to engineers who are used to operating independently.

Questions

Good to know

I already talk to my reports every day about tickets and code. Why do I need a formal meeting?

Daily conversations about work items tend to stay focused on the work, not the person. A weekly one-on-one creates a dedicated space for blockers, concerns, and development interests that don't come up naturally in standups or code review. The course covers how to distinguish one-on-ones from status updates and team meetings so the time is used differently.

My team is senior and autonomous. Won't weekly one-on-ones feel like micromanaging?

One-on-ones are not check-ins on task completion. The course covers how to open with questions that invite the report to lead, ask about development interests in a way that doesn't feel like a formal review, and adjust frequency or format when a particular person needs something different. For some senior engineers, the format may shift, but the course helps you make that call deliberately rather than defaulting to no meeting at all.

I don't want to become a paperwork manager filling out forms instead of doing real work.

The course covers lightweight documentation: summarizing action items with an owner and due date in a shared doc, and deciding what level of documentation is appropriate without over-formalizing the meeting. The shared agenda template is designed to be minimal, not bureaucratic.

How do I give feedback in a one-on-one without the whole meeting turning into a critique?

The course covers deciding whether a piece of feedback belongs in a one-on-one or requires a separate conversation, raising concerns using specific behavioral language rather than vague judgment, and balancing feedback with the rest of the agenda so the meeting stays useful.

Do I need to check anything specific about US labor laws for my state?

Some US states have requirements around documenting certain workplace conversations. Check whether your state has documentation requirements that affect how you record notes from one-on-ones, particularly when feedback or concerns are raised. The course does not provide legal guidance; it focuses on the meeting structure itself.

How long is each one-on-one supposed to be?

The course targets a 25-30 minute weekly one-on-one. Lesson 2 covers how to choose a time slot and duration for each direct report, set up recurring invites with a shared notes document, and explain the purpose of the meeting to each report.

Running Useful Weekly One-on-One Meetings

$79

One payment · lifetime access

  • 9 self-paced lessons across 3 modules
  • AI tutor you can ask anything, typed or spoken
  • Quizzes and flashcards tied to each lesson
  • Progress tracking and certificate of completion
  • Examples grounded in engineering team situations

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Refunds: Full refund if you ask before you open your first lesson. Once you’ve started, purchases aren’t refundable, except where the law gives you that right.

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