In “Yahoo’s 1on1: Communication Techniques for Growing Subordinates”, it states that the best time for 1on1s is Thursday 3-5 PM, so I’ll introduce this finding.
My 1on1 Scheduling
When I first started doing 1on1s, I used to pack all the 1on1 schedules into one specific day of the week, but I would get extremely tired before the end of work just on that day.
So I started scheduling 1on1s evenly throughout morning and afternoon from Monday to Friday, but I was wondering “Is this scheduling really good?”
While reading the “Yahoo’s 1on1” book, I found information about the best timing.
Best Time for 1on1s = Thursday 3-5 PM
Also, regarding 1on1 operations, Yoshikawa-san shared an interesting story. For example, he says Thursday at 3 PM is the best time for 1on1s (with Wednesday afternoon and Friday afternoon as second choices).The reason is that with Thursday, you can work on homework and other tasks after the 1on1. If it’s late on Friday, homework gets forgotten, and if it’s Monday or Tuesday, you don’t remember what happened last week.
Also, mornings often involve morning meetings → focused time, so it’s better to avoid them. 3-5 PM is right when concentration starts to break, so that timing is just right.
I think this is an optimal method developed from years of experience.
Here’s a summary. I immediately rescheduled my 1on1s to a format close to this.
Suitable Times for 1on1s
- Thursday 3-5 PM
- Wednesday afternoon
- Friday afternoon
That’s all from the Gemba where I’m exploring the best timing for 1on1s.