AI Summary
5 min readHow to Have Effective One-on-Ones
Of all the meetings in a business, the one most leaders dread—or skip entirely—is the one that advances the business most. "Most leaders dread one-on-ones or don't do them at all," says John Felkins, head coach at EntreLeadership. "But when you do these the right way, one-on-ones actually give you back hours in your week."
Why Leaders Avoid Them—and Why That's Costly
The most common objection is time. Leaders with seventeen fires burning hear "add another meeting" and recoil. Felkins pushes back hard: "If you're leading people, you don't have time to not meet with them regularly. You're either going to spend 30 intentional minutes addressing issues, or you're going to spend the entire week getting interrupted."
Other objections: one-on-ones feel like micromanagement. But Felkins distinguishes between interrogation and coaching. Asking "What did you do this week?" is an interrogation. A real one-on-one is about helping someone succeed, not controlling them. "It gives you the opportunity to get ahead of the problems before they blow up," he says. "That's not micromanagement. That's being proactive."
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The EntreLeadership Podcast
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **The Most Important Meeting** - Why one-on-ones matter more than strategy or quarterly planning, and how they can actually give you back hours in your week.
- 2 (00:46) **Why Leaders Avoid One-on-Ones** - The three biggest objections: no time, feels like micromanagement, and fear of complaint sessions.
- 3 (03:44) **Reframing the One-on-One** - Stop thinking of it as a meeting; it’s a conversation, an investment, and a trust-building tool.
- 4 (05:56) **Tip #1: Be Present** - Full attention is non-negotiable; distractions communicate that the person isn’t important.
- 5 (06:40) **Tip #2: Come Prepared** - Both leader and team member should bring topics, questions, and observations to avoid aimless conversation.
- 6 (07:58) **Tip #3: Listen More Than You Talk** - Let the team member steer the conversation; silence gives them space to open up.
- 7 (08:17) **Tip #4: Change Up the Setting** - Walk, grab coffee, or go outside instead of always sitting in a meeting room.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
🎯 Not sure what to do next in your business? Let’s figure it out together. Book a free 30-minute consult call with the EntreLeadership® Team.
The meeting you’re skipping might be the one your business needs most.
In this episode, John Felkins breaks down how to run one-on-ones that strengthen communication, develop your people, and create accountability without micromanaging.
Next Steps:
· 🎥 Watch our video The Biggest Time Waster in Your Business.
· 💻 Get the digital tool that makes preparing and hosting one-on-one meetings easier.
· 📖 Learn how to host the most important business meeting you'll have with your direct reports.
· 📞 Have a question for the show? Call 844-944-1070 or send us a message.
· 📚 Order Dave’s most recent EntreLeadership book, Build a Business You Love.
· 📧 Get EntreLeadership’s free weekly newsletter: expert advice and practical tips from the same playbook we used to build Ramsey Solutions into a $300 million company.
· 🌎 Attend our world-class leadership conference, EntreLeadership Summit.
· 📝 Stop guessing. Get a plan built for your business and someone who holds you to it. Find out which coaching option is right for you.
· 📈 Take a deep dive into the EntreLeadership System™ at our Master Series event, where our Executive Team shares the exact strategies behind our growth so you can run your business the same way.
Connect With Our Sponsors:
· Go to Belay Solutions or text ENTRE to 55123 for their free resource!
· See if Christian Healthcare Ministries Groups are the right fit for your organization.
· Visit NetSuite today to learn more.
Listen to More From Ramsey Network:
Ramsey Solutions Privacy Policy
<
More from this podcast
The EntreLeadership Podcast →