Any phase · Add-on
Run one-to-ones and give useful feedback
Regular one-to-ones are where you learn what your PMs need and help them grow. Make them about the person, and give feedback that is specific and kind.
About 1 hourEvergreenLast reviewed 5 November 2026
Who this applies to
- Skills it builds
- Leadership and coachingCommunication and influence
- PM types
- All
- Product types
- All
- Starting points
- All
- Ways of working
- All
- Experience
- All
- Size of organisation
- All
Steps, by experience
Beginner (under 1 year)
- Hold a one-to-one with each PM every week or two.
- In the first one, ask how they like to work and receive feedback.
- Let them set most of the agenda.
- Give feedback on specific situations, what they did and its impact.
- Write down agreed actions and follow up.
Intermediate (1 to 4 years)
- Balance support, coaching and feedback.
- Give positive feedback as specifically as critical feedback.
- Talk about career growth regularly, not just at reviews.
Experienced (5+ years)
- Coach your managers to run good one-to-ones.
- Spot patterns across the team from one-to-ones.
- Handle hard conversations early.
Who can do this
Owner: Product manager
Tool examples
- Notion
- Keep a shared agenda and action list for each person.
- Google Docs
- Use a running one-to-one document.
Definition of done
- Regular one-to-ones booked
- Feedback preferences known
- Actions followed up
Common pitfalls
- Cancelling one-to-ones
- Turning them into status updates
- Vague feedback