Performance management is a hot topic among nonprofit leaders.
Just like organizations in the for-profit sector, nonprofits have had challenges retaining staff. The “Great Resignation” is a symptom of an ongoing trend, not just a phenomenon of pandemic times. Over the last decade or more, there has been consistent growth in the number of employees quitting their jobs each year.
There are several reasons team members leave their jobs, but one aim for nonprofits is that resignations aren’t due to a lack of a relationship with leadership.
That’s where meaningful employee one-on-one meetings come in.
The 1:1 should be an opportunity to know your employees well and give them a forum where they can safely speak up. Employees should know where they stand, and nonprofit leadership should gain some understanding of their perspective on things.
Here are some best practices for nonprofits:
#1. Set Expectations Early
A key component to remember about one-on-ones is that meeting expectations should be established early and communicated with the team member. Employees are often naturally nervous about any meeting adjacent to performance, so you can help them prepare by being specific about expectations.
It’s also critical that your expectations aren’t the same for every team member. A one-on-one is about the individual, so consider each situation within your organization and its impact on meeting expectations.
Some baseline goals of the one-on-one could include:
Keeping both parties informed about any new developments.
Helping leadership to stay on top of the employee’s goals and how they align with wider organizational goals.
Allowing the team member to provide leadership with constructive feedback.
Allowing leadership to provide the employee with constructive feedback.
Helps build trust due to the private conversation setting and allows for team members to share concerns.
One-on-ones must be a two-way opportunity for both parties to voice concerns. Consider your timing for meeting requests, too. Does it work well for both of you? Are one-on-ones a regular occurrence? Or does the employee feel like you only schedule them when they don’t meet goals (such as when a fundraiser isn’t as successful as you had hoped?)
#2. Ask Questions Beyond the Day-to-Day
One-on-one meetings should engage in productive dialogue and be a chance for every team member to develop a strong connection with leadership. Perceived indifference from leadership or a notion that team members aren’t listened to can motivate employees to quit.
For these meetings to be at their most productive, you’ve got to dive a bit deeper than questions that focus on their day-to-day activities. What makes this person tick? Are they engaged? Are they getting all they need to succeed? Do they have ideas and goals beyond what they’re doing right now?
Find out information such as what frustrates them and what excites them. Make it a safe space for them to bring up new ideas for how you might improve things. A few examples of good questions to ask include:
What problems did you solve this week?
What challenges do you see within the organization? What ideas do you have for helping to resolve them?
How can I best support you?
What is the most important thing we should talk about?
How is this impacting you? Who, or what else, is impacted?
What’s the most exciting thing you worked on over the past month?
What fantastic ideas do you have about your role?
#3. Keep the Atmosphere Relaxed
Some of the most successful one-on-ones come about when team members are comfortable and relaxed in the environment. Therefore, a traditional-style, across-the-desk meeting isn’t necessarily the best method.
One suggestion for in-person meetings is a side-by-side “walk and talk.” Doing this will automatically put both parties on equal footing, inviting more candid discussion. Walking and talking also keep employees more actively engaged and have been known to help prompt ideas. After the walk, a team member can write a summary of the conversation or notes in a shared document.
Remote 1:1 meetings can be just as effective as in-person meetings. If you’re meeting remotely, both team members should come prepared with talking points. Collaborating on an agenda in a shared document can help both parties prepare for the meeting and it is also a great place to take notes.
The goal for a relaxed atmosphere is another reason to be very conscious about the timing of your meeting request. If the employee is under time pressure for the latest campaign, they will probably not give their full attention to the meeting. They’re more likely to think about how soon they can get back to the tasks they need to get done.
Running employee 1:1s? Keep the atmosphere relaxed if you want better outcomes
#4. Use a Shared Agenda
A shared agenda is an excellent tool for collaboration ahead of a one-on-one. Mission Met schedules weekly one-on-ones with team members and set up a shared document so both parties can add discussion items. Doing this helps ensure no one forgets key items. A tool such as Google Docs or your performance management software works well for this.
Explicitly asking employees to add their items to the agenda will also benefit both parties. Make it a regular part of how you do things so that team members feel included and get every opportunity to speak up.
#5. Always Abide by Basic Courtesy
One of the differences between employees seeing one-on-ones as a valuable use of their time, as opposed to a “check the box” item, is how their leadership treats that time. If you’re late, distracted, allowing interruptions, or unprepared, they’re not going to feel that you’re taking the time seriously.
The basic, courteous elements of any meeting include being on time and mentally present. It’s easy to be distracted by the million things you must do, but this one-on-one is their time. Develop a culture where your team views one-on-one meetings as a valuable tool and a great communication opportunity.
#6. Listen to Understand
Let’s face it, as a leader, you’re probably used to doing a lot of talking. The secret to more effective one-on-ones is knowing when to curb that impulse and listen to understand.
Depending on where you look, many theories suggest that the one-on-one leader should do less than 50% of the talking. This might mean allowing silence to go on as the team member takes space to think about something. It means that rather than listening to respond, you must listen to understand what the employee is saying.
Allowing employees to talk helps show them that you care about what they have to say. Remember that everyone is different - some prefer to speak less, but their ideas are just as valid as their more talkative colleagues. You can help the situation by asking open-ended questions that allow them to come up with thoughtful answers.
#7. Always Have Key Takeaways
For one-on-ones to be truly meaningful, you need actionable takeaways. It’s not enough to make small talk every week or so - your team members see the value when their ideas are listened to, and you take action as a result.
One of your agenda items for one-on-ones should always include a follow-up from last time. Were those actions taken? Have there been any challenges? Is there something else you need to do to support the action?
Conclusion
Every nonprofit should show that they value the contributions of their team members. Doing so is crucial for helping to retain good staff and stay on top of any issues.
One-on-ones are an excellent tool for staying on the pulse of your organization and helping employees to feel valued. The tips highlighted above can help you to make one-on-ones more meaningful and a valuable exercise for all. These best practices apply to both virtual and in-person environments but they may need to be altered to best fit your team.
Lastly, one-on-ones form a critical part of your performance management strategy. Mission Met Center is an excellent option if you need software to help you plan and keep track of strategic goals and align your team to those goals.