From check-ins to growth: 5 ways to bring development into your 1:1s

1. Shift the mindset

Development is most effective when it’s seen as a shared responsibility; employees take ownership of their growth, while managers provide the enablement, guidance and support to help get them there. By setting this tone, you position development as part of everyday work rather than an add-on task.

• Treat the development plan as part of everyday work.
• Use 1:1s to track progress, remove barriers, and celebrate wins.
• Position development as a shared responsibility: employees drive it, managers enable and support it.

2. Build the plan to be practical

In a previous article, we explored how to design balanced development plans using the 70:20:10 model. The key is to make plans practical, anchored in the real work employees are doing every day. Linking learning back to live projects and tangible outcomes keeps development relevant, easier to apply and more motivating for both employees and managers. A practical plan isn’t an extra task on top of the job; it’s part of how the job gets done.

3. Structure for 1:1 conversations

Not every 1:1 needs to cover the entire development plan. In fact, trying to do too much at once can overwhelm both manager and employee. A rotating focus helps create variety, keeps conversations fresh, and ensures that all aspects of growth—work, role-based learning, social learning, and formal training — get attention over time. This balanced rhythm also prevents important topics from slipping through the cracks while keeping meetings efficient and purposeful.

• Rotate focus across weeks to build a balanced rhythm:
  - Week 1: Work goals & priorities
  - Week 2: Role-focused learning – stretch tasks
  - Week 3: Social learning – mentoring, peer-to-peer activities
  - Week 4: Formal learning – progress on online training
• Quarterly: Step back, review the full plan, and adjust goals, timelines, and priorities.

By cycling through different areas of development, managers create a steady cadence that supports sustained growth without overwhelming the 1:1 agenda.

4. Conversation prompts for managers

The quality of a 1:1 often comes down to the questions being asked. Great prompts help shift the conversation beyond status updates, encouraging reflection, discovery and accountability. By asking thoughtful, open-ended questions, managers can spark meaningful dialogue that keeps development top of mind and creates space for employees to share their progress, challenges, and ideas.

• “What have you learned since our last check-in?”
• “What’s one skill you’ve practiced on the job this week?”
• “Who have you learned from recently, and what did you take away?”
• “What’s getting in the way of your learning goals right now?”
• “How can I support you in applying what you’re learning?”

5. Track & celebrate progress

Development is most powerful when it’s visible and shared. By making progress transparent, managers not only keep individuals accountable but also reinforce that growth contributes to the wider team’s success. Recognising milestones builds momentum, and adapting plans together ensures that development stays relevant as business and career needs evolve. With the right tools, managers can turn individual progress into collective achievement.

• Use Greenbeam’s collaborative development plan feature to log goals.
• Celebrate milestones: course completion, applying skills, positive feedback.
• Adjust plans dynamically as business or career goals evolve.

Development by design

With Greenbeam the development plan is designed to stay alive between conversations. Notifications keep managers and employees updated when changes are made, ensuring it remains a living, breathing plan—even when you’re not in touch.