Kids

You should spend time with the key leaders on your team, not only because of what they have the potential to do, but also because of who they have the potential to become.  Remember, every time you invest in one of your key leaders you are modeling what you hope they will do for the people that they lead.

Successful one-on-one meetings don’t just happen. You can read the first part of this article here.

Here are a few more elements that will help you make one-on-one meetings great:

Ask Good Questions.

What makes a good question?  A good question should open up discussion on a topic that you would like to learn more about without being too narrow.  A good question encourages honest feedback from the leader you are asking.

A good question helps you learn the information that is important to you but that you don’t currently fully understand.  Sometimes you want to ask specific questions so that you can understand and get clarity on a certain issue.  But if you don’t have a specific topic that you’re trying to understand, here are a few good questions to ask.

* Is there anything that I can do to make your job easier?

* Is there something that you are being asked to do that you don’t understand?

* Have you discovered a better way to do any particular aspects of your job that you think would be beneficial for us to pass on and adopt everywhere?

* What are some of the common obstacles that you observe your volunteer team facing on a regular basis?

* What are you struggling with the most to get your team to do right now?

* Do you feel like your environment is effectively communicating to and engaging their target audience?

*What question are you commonly asked or what problem do you regularly have to solve for your target audience?

Asking good questions is a simple way for you to know what your team needs or what they don’t understand.  Many times we move too quickly through information and assume that our leaders have absorbed and understand much more than they really do.  Usually there are very simple things we can do to help our leaders become more effective in their role.

Challenge them to do ONE thing.

Before you arrive to the meeting, think about the different areas that you would like to see them improve. Or, maybe there is a specific area of their leadership where they need more experience.

Maybe there is something new that you would like to give them to lead. Maybe there is a new area of responsibility that you are preparing them for in the future.

During your one-on-one, ask them to do ONE thing. Challenge them with something new. Encourage them to take some of the leadership principles you’ve talked about and put them into action. Always give them something that they can walk away and DO!

Your influence is multiplied when you encourage and lead other leaders. Time spent investing in great leaders is never wasted!

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Who do you need to schedule a one-on-one meeting with this quarter?