Your Guide to Impactful End-of-Year 1:1s
As the end of year approaches, we often get caught up wrapping up projects and finalising outstanding tasks. Now is a great time to meet with your team members to reflect on 2025 and set the scene for 2026.
These meetings matter because they show employees they’re heard and valued, not just measured.
3 Simple Steps
1. Make Time
- Even 30 minutes counts.
- Choose a setting that feels personal: coffee, a walk, or a quiet space.
- Make it clear this conversation is about understanding their experience and what matters to them, not a performance review or a planning session.
2. Ask, Don’t Tell
Focus on the below questions:
- Wins: What are you most proud of in 2025?
- Reflections: What did you learn this year?
- Future: What would you like to stop, start and continue?
- Feedback: Is there anything I am doing (or not doing) that makes your role harder than it needs to be?
Tip: Listen more than you speak. This isn’t a feedback session.
3. Wrap It Up
Thank them for their contribution, reiterating their wins. Summarise key points and confirm you’ll act on integrating/actioning/considering in the new year.
Bottom Line
Make time for these conversations before the holidays. When your people pause to reflect on the year, they should feel they’re part of a workplace that invests in them. That sense of belonging and care is what keeps engagement strong into 2026.
