How to Have Effective 1:1 Meetings in Biotech -- version 1.0

Introduction

Weekly 1:1 meetings are the cornerstone of every managerial and technical relationship I’ve encountered in my industry experience. However, they can often feel useless if not structured properly.

Pro Tip: Be judicious about setting up recurring 1:1s. Schedule them when they are helpful but aggressively prune them as needs evolve. A calendar full of unnecessary 1:1s is a good way to seem busy without doing any real work.

Summary:

1. Start with something that builds trust
2. Use 1:1s to discuss what’s on your mind
3. Even a few minutes of preparation can be incredibly helpful
4. Align with your manager on top priorities and what success looks like for each goal
5. Use 1:1s to get feedback on actions taken in the last week(s)
6. Occasionally reflect on overall direction and career goals

Start with something fun

1:1s are a great way to build trust with your manager (or your teammates). While you can choose to talk shop right away, starting with a casual conversation about the latest Deadpool movie or the weather can ease into more traditional topics smoothly. I am always fascinated by people’s hobbies as they break my mental mould of them.

1:1s are your time

Sometimes tech leads or managers might try to steer 1:1s towards their priorities (project updates, tactical issues, etc.). While those are valid items, remember that 1:1s are YOUR time to talk about what YOU think is important.

Preparation is key

Even if you find yourself scrambling before your 1:1 a few minutes of preparation can lead to a more productive meeting. To that end, I would recommend thinking about:

1. What experiments, assays, or data analyses are on my mind right now, and how do I prioritize them?
2. How do I flag the behavior of person X or experimental design in project Y as being problematic? These two questions have usually led me to having more than enough to talk about.

Priorities and calibration

This section is particularly important for aligning with your manager. Ensure you are on the same page regarding weekly/monthly priorities and what “good” vs. “great” looks like.

There will be times when prioritization isn’t an issue, and other times when multiple demands collide. For example, balancing the needs of ongoing pipeline projects with the demands of platform R&D can be challenging. Discuss these priorities during your 1:1s to ensure alignment and avoid burnout. Biotech is a marathon, not a sprint.

Calibrating on expectations something I had to learn as an IC in industry.In academia, novelty rules, but in industry, not every project requires groundbreaking work. Sometimes tasks need to be completed with a baseline approach, while other times thorough research is necessary. Knowing which is which is both a skill you need to learn and also be aligned on with your manager.

Feedback

1:1s are an excellent venue for timely feedback, though giving feedback too early in a relationship is often counter productive in my experience. While I’ll discuss feedback structuring in detail in another post, 1:1s are ideal for delivering feedback, especially when incidents are fresh.

Ending

No single good or bad 1:1 meeting will make or break your week/month/year/career. They can be very high leverage and enable trust building over time due to their repeatable and predictable nature. However, avoid scheduling too many and enjoy the process as you navigate projects together. In the end you will be okay.