How to
The best one-on-ones are built around real conversations, not general impressions. When you can point to a specific conversation and the moment that mattered, feedback becomes something a team member can act on.
Porter does most of the prep work: it surfaces the patterns, strengths, and examples worth discussing, so the meeting can focus on coaching. This guide builds on Porter best practices for coaches.
1. Set a rhythm
Consistency matters more than length. A simple cadence that works:
One longer one-on-one each week with each team member. Use it to look past single conversations at patterns, progress, challenges, and goals.
Quick touchpoints in between, when needed. Follow up on a coaching topic, check on a customer issue, or recognize a recent win. These don't need to be full coaching sessions.
2. Prepare with Chat with Porter
Before the meeting, ask Porter to review the team member's recent conversations. In a few minutes you'll know what's improved, what keeps coming up, and which conversations are worth discussing.
“What patterns do you see across this team member's recent conversations?”
“What have they improved since our last one-on-one?”
“Which conversations should I review with them, and why?”
“Help me create an agenda for this one-on-one.”
Treat Porter's answers as a starting point. Open the conversations it points to and confirm the details before you bring them into the meeting. Pull in any notes you left during the week too.
3. Keep the agenda short
A good weekly one-on-one covers a few things well, not everything. A simple structure:
Wins: what went well since the last meeting, with a specific conversation to point to.
Progress: how they're doing on the focus areas you agreed on last time.
Coaching: one or two opportunities, each backed by a real conversation.
Their turn: difficult visits, recurring customer questions, and what support they need.
Next steps: what to keep doing, change, or practice before you meet again.
Pick two or three conversations to review together. With more than that, nothing sticks.
4. Review real conversations together
Open the conversation in Porter and use your timestamped notes to jump straight to the moment you want to discuss. Listening to it together works better than describing it from memory.
Ask before you tell. Play the moment, then ask: “How do you think that went?” or “What would you try differently?” Team members often spot the opportunity themselves, and feedback they arrive at sticks better.
Then add what you see, using Coach's Corner feedback to back it up. Keep it about the behavior in the conversation, not the person.
Cover strengths the same way. Playing back a moment they handled well shows exactly what to repeat.
5. End with one or two commitments
Don't end the meeting on a list of everything to fix. Agree on one or two things to focus on before you meet again, and make each one specific enough to spot in a conversation.
“Be more confident on price” is hard to measure. “When a customer asks about price, explain what's included before you give the number” is something you'll both hear in the next conversation.
Also agree on what they should keep doing. It reinforces the strengths you covered.
6. Follow up after the meeting
The one-on-one isn't finished when the meeting ends.
Write it down. Ask Chat with Porter to summarize what you discussed or draft a follow-up email with the agreed focus areas. Review it before you send it.
Watch the next few visits. Check their upcoming conversations to see whether the behavior is changing.
Close the loop quickly. When you hear the change in a conversation, leave a note or mention it in a quick touchpoint. Recognizing progress right away is what keeps it going.
Start your next one-on-one with that progress. Over time, each meeting builds on the last instead of starting from zero.
