Questions · One-on-one meeting

One-on-one meeting questions for when the 1:1 has gone stale

Questions for a one-on-one with your manager or your direct report: a two-minute opener, an honest look at workload, growth every few weeks, and the wins nobody wrote down.

  • 18 questions
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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Getting to know№ 41

During a busy week, what signs tell you that you are still doing okay?

Kapag busy ang week, anong signs ang nagsasabi sa'yo na okay ka pa naman?

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A note

Your signs may be small: sleep, patience, appetite, humor, or the ability to answer messages without dread.

Puwedeng maliit lang yung signs: tulog, pasensya, gana kumain, humor, o kaya mong sumagot ng messages nang hindi mabigat.

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The questions

18 questions for your next 1:1

In the order of a 30-minute 1:1. Most come from the Reflect deck, so they ask how the work is going for the person, not how the project is going.

The first two minutes

4 questions

Open with the person, not the task list.

  1. What word would describe your week so far?

    Anong word ang babagay sa week mo so far?

    Back of the card

    Sometimes one word is enough to begin. Naming the week can help you notice what your heart has been carrying.

    Minsan sapat na ang isang word para makapagsimula. Kapag napangalanan mo ang week mo, mas nakikita mo kung ano ang bitbit mo.

  2. During a busy week, what signs tell you that you are still doing okay?

    Kapag busy ang week, anong signs ang nagsasabi sa'yo na okay ka pa naman?

    Back of the card

    Your signs may be small: sleep, patience, appetite, humor, or the ability to answer messages without dread.

    Puwedeng maliit lang yung signs: tulog, pasensya, gana kumain, humor, o kaya mong sumagot ng messages nang hindi mabigat.

  3. Which part of your day do you look forward to?

    Anong part ng araw mo ang inaabangan mo?

    Back of the card

    The part you look forward to can be a clue. It shows where your day still gives you a little life.

    Clue din yung part na inaabangan mo. Ipinapakita niya kung saan may konting buhay pa sa araw mo.

  4. Which part of the day usually feels easiest for you?

    Anong part ng araw usually pinaka-madali para sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Some people come alive in the morning, some at night, and some during one quiet pocket in between.

    May taong buhay na buhay sa umaga, may gabi ang favorite, at may isang tahimik na part lang sa gitna na hinihintay.

Workload and energy

5 questions

Where the real problems usually hide.

  1. Where are you spending energy that you wish you could save?

    Saan napupunta ang energy mo na sana naiipon mo na lang?

    Back of the card

    Energy is limited, even when love or responsibility is real. Noticing the drain is the first step toward caring for it.

    Limited ang energy, kahit totoo ang love o responsibility. Kapag napansin mo kung saan ka nauubos, mas maalagaan mo siya.

  2. What might you need to say no to, pause, or limit so your week feels lighter?

    Ano yung kailangan mong hihindian, i-pause, o limitahan para mas gumaan ang week mo?

    Back of the card

    A boundary is not always a wall. Sometimes it is a small line that helps you stay present and honest.

    Hindi laging pader ang boundary. Minsan maliit na line lang siya para mas present at honest ka.

  3. Name one thing you are learning about your limits with energy, time, emotions, or responsibilities.

    Magbanggit ng isang natututuhan mo tungkol sa limits mo sa energy, time, emotions, o responsibilities.

    Back of the card

    Limits can feel frustrating, but they are also information. They show where care needs to become more practical.

    Nakaka-frustrate minsan ang limits, pero may information din sila. Ipinapakita nila kung saan kailangang maging mas practical ang care.

  4. What have you been putting off that might bring relief once you start?

    Ano yung matagal mo nang pinapabukas na baka gumaan kapag nasimulan mo na?

    Back of the card

    Starting can be the hardest part because it makes the thing real. Relief may come before everything is finished.

    Minsan pinakamahirap magsimula kasi nagiging real na yung bagay. Pero minsan nauunang dumating ang relief bago matapos lahat.

  5. Name one thing that can wait until tomorrow.

    Magbanggit ng isang bagay na puwedeng maghintay hanggang bukas.

    Back of the card

    Not everything needs today's strength. Letting one thing wait can be a practical kind of kindness.

    Hindi lahat kailangan ng lakas mo today. Minsan praktikal na kindness yung hayaan munang maghintay ang isang bagay.

Growth and direction

6 questions

Once or twice a month is enough; weekly gets rehearsed.

  1. Name something you are nervous about that still feels worth trying.

    Magsabi ng isang bagay na kinakabahan ka pero parang worth it pa ring subukan.

    Back of the card

    Nerves and courage often show up together. The fear does not automatically mean the step is wrong.

    Madalas magkasama ang kaba at courage. Hindi porket may takot, mali na agad ang step.

  2. Where do you need a little more courage this week?

    Saan mo kailangan ng konting dagdag courage this week?

    Back of the card

    Courage does not always look big. Sometimes it is one honest message, one boundary, or one careful next step.

    Hindi laging malaki ang courage. Minsan isang honest message, isang boundary, o isang maingat na next step lang.

  3. Point to one direction you feel drawn toward, even if it is not fully clear yet.

    Magbanggit ng isang direction na feeling mo tinutulak ka, kahit hindi pa fully clear.

    Back of the card

    Clarity sometimes arrives after movement. You can honor the direction without pretending you know the whole path.

    Minsan dumarating ang clarity habang gumagalaw ka na. Puwede mong i-honor ang direction nang hindi nagpapanggap na alam mo ang buong path.

  4. Tell us about something you used to avoid that feels less scary now.

    Kuwento mo yung dati mong iniiwasan pero hindi na ganun ka-scary ngayon.

    Back of the card

    Less scary is still movement. You do not have to be fearless to know something has changed.

    Movement pa rin ang less scary. Hindi mo kailangang maging fearless para malaman na may nagbago.

  5. What would you like to make more time for this month?

    Ano ang gusto mong bigyan ng mas maraming oras ngayong buwan?

    Back of the card

    Imagine an extra afternoon opens up. Would you spend it all on this or leave some time free?

    Isipin na nabakante ang isang hapon. Ilalaan mo ba lahat ng oras dito o magtitira ka pa ng libreng oras?

  6. Pick one value you want to show up in your week.

    Pumili ng isang value na gusto mong makita sa week mo.

    Back of the card

    A value becomes real in small choices. One week is enough space to practice it gently.

    Nagiging real ang value sa maliliit na choices. Sapat na ang isang week para i-practice siya nang gentle.

Look back before you hang up

3 questions

Name what went well, so it doesn’t only come up at review time.

  1. What have you done recently that you are pleased about?

    Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?

    Back of the card

    If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?

    Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?

  2. What difficult situation are you proud of handling?

    Anong mahirap na sitwasyon ang proud kang naharap mo?

    Back of the card

    You can pass or keep the situation private. What did handling it help you notice about your own abilities?

    Puwedeng mag-pass o itago ang sitwasyon. Ano ang napansin mong kaya mo pala matapos mong harapin iyon?

  3. Point to one pattern you notice in your week, like energy, mood, time, habits, or relationships.

    Magbanggit ng isang pattern na napapansin mo sa week mo, like energy, mood, time, habits, o relationships.

    Back of the card

    Understanding a pattern is already movement. You do not have to fix everything before you begin to notice.

    Movement na rin yung maintindihan ang pattern. Hindi mo kailangang ayusin agad lahat bago ka magsimulang makapansin.

How to use them

Before you ask

A good one-on-one meeting spends less than half its time on status. If your weekly 1:1 is a list of updates that could have been a message, it has gone stale, and both of you probably know it.

The fix is to change what you ask. Open with the person: a word for their week, the part of the day that comes easiest. Then talk about load, meaning where the energy is going, what could wait, what needs a no. Those questions surface the burnout and the blocked work that a status update hides. Keep growth questions for every couple of weeks so they don’t become a ritual.

They work in both directions. A manager can ask them of a direct report, and a direct report can bring two of them to a manager who never asks. Pick two or three per meeting, not all of them, and jot down the answers so the next 1:1 can start where this one ended.

Good for

  • Weekly 1:1s with a direct report
  • Skip-level meetings
  • A new manager’s first round of 1:1s
  • Remote 1:1s on video
  • Bringing questions to a manager who doesn’t ask

Tips

  1. Let them set the first half of the agenda. Your questions come after their topics, not instead of them.
  2. Ask about workload before a deadline is close, not the day before it.
  3. If the answer is “fine,” follow up once with something specific: what could wait until next week?
  4. Write down one sentence from each 1:1 and open the next one with it.
  5. Skip growth questions in a week when someone is underwater. Help with the week first.

Decks for this

A simple 30-minute 1:1

Keep the shape the same every week and change the questions. A predictable meeting makes it easier to bring up hard things.

  • Minutes 0–3: one opener from the first group, answered by both of you.
  • Minutes 3–15: their agenda first. Blockers, decisions, anything they want help with.
  • Minutes 15–25: one workload question, plus one growth question every other week.
  • Minutes 25–30: one win from the last week and the next step each of you owns.

One-on-one meeting

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask in a one-on-one meeting?

Open with one about the person, like a word for their week, then ask where their energy is going and what could wait or needs a no. Every few weeks, ask about growth: what they’re nervous about but want to try, and what they want more time for.

What should employees ask their manager in a one-on-one?

Ask which recent work the manager valued most, which priorities could drop if things get busy, and what you could take on next. Bringing your own questions keeps the 1:1 from becoming a status update.

How do you make one-on-ones less awkward?

Keep the same agenda each week, answer the opener yourself, and ask fewer, better questions. Silence after a hard question is normal; give it a few seconds before filling it.

How often should you ask growth questions in a 1:1?

Every two to four weeks. Asked every week, they turn into a ritual with rehearsed answers.

Bring a better question to the table.

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