Columns
One-on-One Conversations
Starting with shared problem framing, then turning clear conversations into next actions.
- Chapter 1
Themed One-on-Ones: From “Not Knowing What to Talk About” to a Topic Map
Solve one problem per conversation, with each theme lasting 30 to 60 minutes. How to use this series, an overview of its topics, and the three closing principles.
- Chapter 2
Start by Defining the Problem: How to Open a One-on-One
When you don't know how to open or what to talk about, begin by defining the problem clearly. A question-and-answer checklist that managers and reports alike can follow.
- Chapter 3
Time Management: A Conversation About Being 'Busy'
'I've been really busy' is a genuine feeling, but it isn't good enough as communication. These questions break 'busy' into scheduling, capacity, trade-offs, and commitments, so both managers and reports can ask them.
- Chapter 4
Growth Milestones: Turning 'I Want to Grow' into Something Concrete
The worst thing about growth talk is when it stays vague. Break 'I want to grow faster' down into situation, capability, evidence, and the next round of practice, so both manager and report know what to ask.
- Chapter 5
Ownership and Responsibility: Framing 'Initiative' with Clear Boundaries
Responsibility isn't mindless overtime or mindlessly taking on work. This set of questions makes clear 'who decides, who executes, when to escalate, and where accountability ends.'
- Chapter 6
Product Sense: How Engineers and PMs Get Clear on Whether a Feature Is Worth Building
Product sense isn't guessing at requirements. A ready-to-use list of talking points, from two angles: how engineers should understand the product, and what product managers actually do.
- Chapter 7
Structured Thinking: Turning 'Being Organized' into Something You Can Train
Structure isn't about applying a template; it's about making problems, evidence, trade-offs, and decisions checkable by others. A ready-to-use training and questioning checklist.
- Chapter 8
Capability Models and Self-Assessment: How to Know Where You Stand
The worst thing for a capability model is to be treated as fog. Break 'where am I now, where are the gaps, where do I go next' into questions you can measure yourself, rather than relying on others to label you.
- Chapter 9
How to Communicate Well: From 'Not Knowing What to Talk About' to Making Things Clear
Communication is a broad topic, but it can be made concrete. Starting with 'clarify first, then give feedback, then commit,' plus a complete list of questions for workplace communication.
- Chapter 10
Anxiety and Pressure: Talking Out Actionable Work Boundaries in Times of Unease
One-on-ones at work are not counseling. Break anxiety into "what you can control and what you cannot"; talk through perception first, then concrete pressures and working conditions.
- Chapter 11
Goals, Planning, and Retrospective: Turning 'Handing in Homework' into Your Own Growth
Planning and retrospective are not about completing tasks. From the difficulty of setting goals, to methods for retrospective, and on to orienting around your own growth — a complete list of topics.
- Chapter 12
When Business Growth Slows: Turn Anxiety into 'Set the Tone First, Then Solve the Critical Path'
When business growth slows, teams get anxious together. First set the tone of 'respond positively, analyze the problem, solve the critical path,' then talk through what's going wrong item by item.
- Chapter 13
Insecurity, Comparison, and Long-Term Capability: Turning Anxiety into Actionable Direction
Insecurity comes from the environment and also from comparison. First identify the source, then adjust expectations, extend the time horizon, and pull attention back from 'how others are doing' to 'what I should practice.'