5 Ways To Win Over Your Manager In One-On-One Meetings

Forbes

2 days ago

Employees who master one-on-one meetings establish better relationships with their manager.
Your one-on-one meetings with your manager aren't just routine check-ins. They're your most underutilized tool for career advancement. Yet nearly half of employees rate their one-on-ones as 'suboptimal,' according to research conducted by Steven Rogelberg, Chancellor's Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Meanwhile, employees who master these conversations build stronger relationships, gain invaluable mentorship and position themselves for promotion.
The stakes couldn't be higher. In today's workplace, where 77% of employees are either not engaged or actively disengaged, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report, your ability to connect with your manager sets you apart from the crowd. Here's how to transform your one-on-one meetings from mundane status updates into impactful relationship-building and career advancement opportunities.
Too many employees walk into one-on-ones unprepared, waiting for their manager to lead the conversation and set the priorities. This passive approach wastes precious face time and signals that you're not proactive about your career development.
Effective one-on-one meetings belong to the employee, not the manager. You should be talking 50% to 90% of the time.
When you drive the conversation, you demonstrate initiative, strategic thinking, and leadership potential—all qualities managers notice and remember during promotion discussions.
Instead of waiting for your manager to ask about your projects, start with: 'I've identified three opportunities to streamline our workflow that could save the team 5 hours weekly. Can we discuss how to pilot these ideas?'
Most one-on-ones devolve into glorified status updates where employees report on completed tasks, and managers assign new ones. This approach misses the real opportunity to discuss your professional development and future trajectory.
Research conducted by Workplace Intelligence on behalf of Amazon reveals that 74% of millennial and Gen Z employees are likely to quit if they don't see career mobility opportunities. Use your one-on-ones to position yourself as someone invested in long-term growth.
Managers want to retain and develop high-performing employees. When you consistently discuss development, you demonstrate ambition and provide your manager with reasons to invest in your future.
Many employees use one-on-ones as a means to complain, bringing problems to their manager without any resolution. While it's essential to surface challenges, this approach positions you as someone who creates work for your manager rather than someone who makes their job easier.
Transform yourself from someone who brings problems to someone who brings solutions. This shift will fundamentally change how your manager perceives your value.
Managers get evaluated on their team's performance. When you consistently present solutions alongside challenges, you become an asset that makes their job easier, not harder.
'I've noticed our client response time has increased by 20%. I've researched three approaches other teams use: automated ticketing, dedicated response shifts and AI-powered triage. I think the automated system could work best for us because [reasons]. What's your take on piloting this next quarter?'
Many professionals assume that no news is good news, waiting for annual performance reviews to understand how they're really performing. This passive approach to feedback leaves you flying blind for months and missing crucial opportunities for course correction and improvement.
Microsoft research shows that employees who receive clear guidance from managers are 2.5 times more likely to maintain productivity while achieving work-life balance. Don't wait for feedback—actively seek it.
Managers appreciate employees who are coachable and committed to improvement. When you ask for feedback and act on it, you prove you're worth the investment of their time and guidance.
Many professional relationships remain surface-level, focused solely on deliverables and deadlines without any personal connection. This dynamic limits trust, reduces psychological safety and makes it harder for your manager to advocate for you when opportunities arise.
Research shows that employees become significantly more engaged when they feel their organization cares about their overall well-being. Your manager is a person first and a professional second—building that human connection transforms working relationships.
Strong relationships create psychological safety, trust and mutual investment. When your manager sees you as a whole person, they're more likely to advocate for your promotion and provide honest career guidance. When you consistently show up as someone worth investing in, you make it easy for your manager to become a powerful champion.
Organizations that invest in regular one-on-one meetings see measurable results: higher employee engagement, better talent retention and stronger team performance. But the individual benefits are even more compelling. Employees who excel in these meetings consistently report feeling more supported, clearer about their career trajectory and more confident in their professional relationships. Your one-on-one meeting is your opportunity to shape how your manager perceives your potential, your commitment and your future at the company. When you approach these conversations strategically, you're not just managing up—you're actively shaping your career path.