Frequent one-on-one meetings help managers strengthen communication, align priorities, and stay connected to team engagement. They also create space to recognize wins and address performance topics early.
In this article, you’ll learn how Small Improvements’ 1:1 Meetings module lets both participants add agenda items in advance, prepare effectively, assign action items, and capture notes, so every meeting stays focused and accountable.
Creating a 1:1 Meeting
1:1 Meetings can be created from the global create button, the 1:1 Meeting Dashboard, or the 1:1 Meeting Calendar Integration.
Create a 1:1 Meeting with the Global Create Button
From anywhere in the application, click the + button in the lower left corner above your name and select 1:1 Meeting. This will produce a pop-up that lets you quickly create a new 1:1 Meeting.
Create a 1:1 Meeting from your Dashboard
Alternatively, 1:1 Meetings can be created from the 1:1 Meetings dashboard.
Select 1:1 Meetings from the navigation bar on the left-hand side of the screen. Here you’ll see a list of your previous and upcoming 1:1s.
Click + Create Meeting in the upper right corner to create a new meeting.
Whether you create your 1:1 Meeting with the Global Create Button or from the 1:1 Meetings Dashboard, you'll get a pop-up window to input the following information:
In the search field, start typing the name of the person you'd like to meet with and click on their profile.
Enter the meeting date and time.
Optionally, you may select a template to pre-populate the agenda with some talking points.
After you click "Create 1:1 Meeting", you’ll be redirected to the new meeting agenda, where you can start adding your talking points. The other meeting participant will be notified so that they can review your talking points and add their own.
Create a 1:1 Meeting with the Calendar Integration
If your team has enabled the calendar integration, 1:1 Meetings from your calendar may automatically sync into Small Improvements. This means that meeting cards will be automatically generated on your 1:1 Meetings dashboard. Be sure to talk to your admin about enabling the 1:1 Meeting calendar integration and about how to get your meetings synced with Small Improvements.
Meeting Date, Time, and Title
Be sure to set the meeting date, time, and title for easy reference when looking back at previous meetings.
💡 Tip: By entering the meeting dates and times, you can create and start planning for multiple future meetings ahead of time.
Talking Points
1:1 Meeting participants can add talking points to the agenda prior to the meeting and then use them as a handy checklist to keep the conversation on track.
You'll also have the flexibility to add private talking points (visible only to you). Talking points can be added, removed, edited, or rearranged at any time.
💡 Tip: If you have unchecked talking points from your last meeting, you'll be prompted to copy them to your next meeting. You can click Carry Over to copy them into the new agenda or "Dismiss" to start with a clean agenda.
Templates
If you didn't apply a template when first creating the meeting, you can apply it later from the 1:1 Meeting card:
Action Items
Participants can assign action items to each other for accountability. Action items automatically follow participants into future meetings until they are marked complete. Action items will also appear in a nifty to-do list on each user's homepage.
Notes and Attachments
During the meeting, you'll likely want to take notes for future reference. Both meeting participants can jot down notes in real time during the meeting, or they can return later to add notes.
Meeting notes save automatically as you draft them. Once you’re finished drafting your note, click “Add note” to share it with the other participant. If you would prefer to keep the note private, be sure to check the “visible only to me” box.
You’ll find the attachment upload button below the meeting notes. Files can be made visible to everyone with access to the meeting, or kept private and visible to only you.
Sharing Meetings
You can share the meeting with other users, who will be able to view the agenda but not add to it; however, they will be able to add notes.
Meetings Search
The Meetings Search menu lets you quickly search the content of previous meetings.
Meeting Drafts
You have the option to create a draft if you’re not quite ready to share the agenda with the other meeting participants.
Notifications
When you initiate a meeting with a colleague, they will receive the following notification via email:
Participants will also be notified when new talking points are added to the agenda:
Managing Notifications
To manage your 1:1 email notifications:
Click your name in the lower left corner of your screen.
Select “Your Settings".
Under "Email Notifications", you can enable or disable notifications for new meetings and agenda updates.
Note: 1:1 email notifications are managed by each individual user. HR Admins can’t turn them on or off.