pm-1on1s

name	pm-1on1s
description	Structured PM 1:1 templates by partner type — manager, engineering-manager partner, designer, IC reports, cross-functional — grounded in Radical Candor, the GROW coaching model, and the Manager Tools 1:1 framework.
license	MIT + Commons Clause
metadata	{"version":"1.0.1","author":"borghei","category":"project-management","domain":"pm-career","updated":"2026-06-15T00:00:00.000Z","tech-stack":"1on1s, manager-cadence, grow-model, radical-candor"}

PM 1:1 Expert

Overview

PMs run more 1:1s than almost any other role: with their manager, their engineering manager partner, their design lead, cross-functional partners (sales, support, data), and -- once they have reports -- with their direct PMs. Each 1:1 type has a different purpose, cadence, and ideal structure.

This skill provides templates and question banks for the most common 1:1 types a PM runs, calibrated to the PM context. It draws on Kim Scott's Radical Candor (caring personally + challenging directly), the GROW coaching model (Whitmore), the Manager Tools 1:1 framework (Auzenne & Horstman), and PM-specific 1:1 patterns popularized by senior product leaders.

Five core principles

1. The 1:1 belongs to the other person — their agenda first.
2. Status updates do not need a 1:1 — write them async; reserve live time for trust, growth, judgment, feedback.
3. Care personally, challenge directly — avoid ruinous empathy and obnoxious aggression.
4. Cadence matters — weekly for direct partners, monthly for tier-3; don't skip, reschedule.
5. Document agreements, not transcripts — capture decisions and next steps.

When to Use

• Starting a new 1:1 relationship -- use the kickoff template to set expectations.
• Existing 1:1s feel transactional -- adopt the structured partner-type template.
• You manage other PMs -- use the direct-report template for growth and feedback.
• You partner with an EM, designer, or cross-functional lead -- use the partner-type template.

When NOT to Use

• Ad-hoc problem-solving meetings (treat as project meetings, not 1:1s).
• Performance management conversations (use a separate, manager-led structure).
• Initial intro meetings during onboarding -- use pm-onboarding/ for those.

References

Load the reference that matches the task; keep this file lean and pull detail on demand.

• references/one-on-one-templates.md — the five core principles in full, per-partner agenda templates (manager, EM partner, designer, direct report, cross-functional), the kickoff conversation script, the Radical Candor feedback frame, the run-the-system workflow, troubleshooting table, and success criteria. Read this when designing or fixing any specific 1:1.
• references/1on1-playbook.md — deep dive on cadence by partner type, the three failure modes, and structuring manager / direct-report / EM / design / async 1:1s. Read when you want the underlying theory and quarterly-review discipline.
• references/red-flags.md — bad-vs-good examples of agendas, notes, and question banks. Scan after drafting a 1:1 agenda or notes, before your next 1:1.
• assets/kickoff_template.md — script for kicking off a new 1:1 relationship.
• assets/1on1_notes_template.md — recurring 1:1 notes template.
• assets/manager_1on1_agenda.md — ready-to-use agenda for your manager 1:1.

External: Scott, K. Radical Candor (2017); Whitmore, J. Coaching for Performance (GROW); Auzenne & Horstman, The Effective Manager (Manager Tools 1:1).

Scope & Limitations

In Scope: 1:1 templates for the 5 common PM partner types; the GROW coaching framework for direct reports; Radical Candor feedback; kickoff conversation script; notes/agenda templates.

Out of Scope: Formal performance management (PIP, terminations, reviews — requires HR); compensation conversations; skip-level design from the senior-leader perspective; career conversations beyond growth-plan refresh (use pm-career-ladder/).

Caveats: 1:1 patterns are culturally inflected — calibrate directness to the room. Templates are starting points that should evolve as the relationship deepens. Re-establish the kickoff conversation when you join a new team.

Integration Points

Integration	Direction	What Flows
pm-career-ladder/	Bidirectional	Quarterly growth 1:1s use the ladder rubric as the calibration tool
pm-onboarding/	Receives from	Onboarding 1:1s evolve into steady-state 1:1s after day 90
pm-interview-prep/	Reuses	Behavioral story prep often surfaces from 1:1 reflections
senior-pm/stakeholder-mapper/	Reuses	Tier-1 stakeholders should be your weekly 1:1s
personal-productivity/weekly-review/	Feeds into	Weekly review captures 1:1 actions and growth-plan progress