Make Your Meetings Impactful with the 3 F’s Formula

I wrote a post on LinkedIn challenging folks to cancel their pointless meetings. 

Care to guess the one meeting on the calendar folks couldn’t WAIT to hit “DELETE” on?

Yup, the dreaded 1:1!

The manager? Dreads it. The direct report? I won’t sugarcoat it…also dreads it. 

So in this publication, I’m honing in on:

✅ Why we shouldn’t cancel those 1:1s yet

✅ A simple framework to make your 1:1 meetings IMPACTFUL

5 Compelling Reasons NOT to Cancel the 1:1 Meeting

Let’s be real, most 1:1 just suck, and they often get canceled for “real work.” 

Especially if they are:

❌ task list reviews

❌ surprise feedback dumps (last month, I outlined strategies to provide really great feedback - you can read it here ICYMI)

❌ canceled frequently and/or last minute

❌ distracted by calls or emails

I know you want to, but DON'T cancel those 1:1 just yet…

Impactful 1:1 meetings are one of the biggest untapped resources for driving success in your organization. 

All you need is a quick mindset shift and a simple framework to get you looking forward to these meetings as soon as tomorrow!  

A well-designed 1:1 Meeting will help you:

1. Build trust and rapport

→ We’ve all got messy lives. No one performs at their best if they’re dealing with personal issues. Ask how the person is doing and engage with their response. Invest in building strong relationships in every interaction.

2. Ensure alignment on goals and deliverables

→This is different from a task review, which can be handled with a shared doc if that’s what you’re looking for. It's about understanding each other's top goals, ensuring you’re on the same page about what drives results, and sharing relevant context and obstacles.

3. Solve problems early

→Having the opportunity to promptly address concerns prevents issues from escalating. Regularly engaging in open communication, built on a trusting relationship, ensures challenges are tackled collaboratively and efficiently.

4. Boost motivation 

→Knowing they are on the right track and that you have their back demonstrates that their input and progress matter, and they and their work are important to the organization.

5. Provide opportunities for recognition and feedback 

→ Make time to acknowledge good work, discuss development, and consistently create space for growth. Remember feedback is a two-way street, ask how you can support the person better, what can you do differently.

Simple 3 F’s Framework to Make Your Meetings Impactful

Use this simple 3 F’s Framework to shift your meetings from “Must-Cancel” to Impactful! 🙌

1. Frequency: Weekly or every 2 weeks.

   1. Everyone benefits from regular connection and alignment, especially senior leaders, where small alignment gaps and disruptions can quickly have a big impact. 

   2. Agree on a time and schedule recurring meetings to ensure they’re on everyone’s calendar. Remember, these meetings are key levers of your organization’s success, and should be treated as high priority.

2. Format: Set a clear agenda together.

   1. It’s always a good idea to remind your report that it’s their meeting to get what they need from you. I love a good question, so I always ask these, and let my reports know up front to come prepared to answer them.

   2. How are you doing? How’s your mindset coming to this meeting?

   3. What’s most important for us to focus on now?

   4. How are you tracking on your goals/projects/deliverables? 

   5. Are there notable wins/losses to discuss? 

   6. How are your people doing? (for people managers) How is the team doing? (for individual contributors)

   7. What can I do to make your job easier? 

3. Focus

   1. As a manager

      1. Don’t cancel. This is one of your most important meetings. Treat it that way.

      2. Make it clear to your report this is their meeting to drive.

      3. Actively listen and ask questions. Coach and provide feedback regularly.

   2. As a report

      1. Take ownership. This is your time with your manager—use it to strategize, collaborate, get unblocked, hear feedback and keep things moving to achieve your goals.

      2. Embrace “no surprises”—even if it’s bad news, you want your manager to hear it from you, not someone else.

      3. Be prepared to share wins, losses, challenges, pivots, etc. 

      4. Make it an unmissable meeting for your manager because you’re providing them the information they need to make their job easier. If they need to ask you—you’re already behind!

But What if These Meetings Still Suck…

I know I focused this article on optimizing your 1:1 for impact and keeping them on your calendar. BUT I would be remiss not to mention that it’s a good idea to regularly do a calendar audit and cancel any unnecessary or stale meetings. 

A recent study found that deliberately reducing or eliminating pointless meetings increased job satisfaction, enhanced overall communication, and boosted productivity! Not sure how to do a calendar audit? Check out my post for more detail.