1:1 meetings are great - the opportunity to sit down together with someone for a time is invaluable, and something I expect managers to do with their staff on a regular basis.

But they shouldn’t just be “a thing managers do”. Whatever your role, a regular 1:1 with colleagues - whether they’re someone you work alongside every day, or someone more distant in the organisation - is an excellent investment.

Take the time out of your regular day to day operational work and make time to have a proper talk. This can help build rapport and trust, provide opportunities for feedback and learning, and more.

This is valuable whatever the situation, but even more so if you’re both remote from each other. If you’re seeing each other in person regularly, there are often more opportunities for casual conversation and richer interactions. When you’re not, then proactively investing in your relationship can be even more valuable.

So whatever your role, whatever your relationship, whether you work alongside each other every day or encounter each other only periodically: take some time to just talk as the two of you.