Template · Meetings
Free one-on-one meeting template for managers and reports
Keep regular one-on-ones focused and personal: wins and blockers since last time, the other person's topics first, feedback in both directions, growth, and follow-ups you can tick off.
1:1 · Oct 5
Date: Monday, October 5, 2026
With:
Since last time
Wins:
Blockers:
Topics
Their topics first
Feedback
For them:
For me:
Growth
Skills, projects or goals to talk about this month.
Follow-ups
Free. Barside asks before it adds the template, then makes a new note from it. Needs Barside 1.50 or newer.
Nothing opened? Barside may not be installed yet. Download Barside, then choose Open in Barside again.
A one-on-one is the other person's meeting. This template puts their topics first and keeps a running record, so the next conversation starts where the last one ended.
Who it is for
It is for managers and the people they support, and for mentors and mentees. Anyone with a recurring conversation about work and growth gets more from it with a steady format. Keep a goal tracker next to it for longer-term growth.
What is in the one-on-one template
- Since last time: wins and blockers.
- Topics: their topics first, then yours.
- Feedback: one line for them and one for you.
- Growth: skills, projects or goals to talk about this month.
- Follow-ups: a checklist with owners.
An example
Every other Thursday, Ana meets Leo. Before the meeting, Leo adds two topics: a tricky client and a course he would like to take. Ana adds feedback on his last presentation. They spend most of the time on Leo's topics, agree that he joins the next client call, and add two follow-ups. Two weeks later they open the new note and start by checking those.
How to use the one-on-one template
- Choose Open in Barside above. Barside opens and asks before it adds anything.
- Pick the workspace for the note, and leave Keep it in my templates ticked to use the template again.
- Choose Create note. A new note called "1:1 · Oct 5" opens, ready to fill in.
- Next time, start one from New note from a template, or let Barside make it on a schedule as a repeating note.
No Barside yet? It is free for Windows, Linux and Mac: download Barside, then choose Open in Barside again.
How to run a good one-on-one
- Keep the time even when there is "nothing to discuss". Those meetings often matter most.
- Ask open questions: "What is getting in your way?"
- Write follow-ups as tasks and start the next 1:1 by checking them.
- Keep notes private to the two of you.
Make it yours
- Make it a repeating note every other week for each person.
- Link each 1:1 to the previous one with [[ for a history you can scroll.
- Add a mood check from 1 to 5 at the top.
FAQ
Questions and answers
How often should one-on-ones happen?
Weekly or every two weeks is common, for 30 minutes. Barside can make the note on that schedule as a repeating note.
Is the one-on-one template free?
Yes. The template and Barside are both free. Barside Plus is optional and adds cloud backup and sync between computers; templates do not need it.
Do I need an account to use it?
No. Barside runs on your computer without an account, and the notes you make from the template stay in your library on your computer.
Can I change the one-on-one template?
Yes. Edit the note it makes like any other note: rename columns, add rows, delete sections. To keep your version, open the note and choose Save as template in its options.