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Picture this: You're in a one-on-one meeting with a team member, having a valuable conversation about their goals, challenges, and accomplishments. You're nodding along, offering advice, and making mental notes about how to best support them. But without taking notes, you realize later that you can't quite remember everything you talked about. Oops.
Don't worry, we've all been there. To help you avoid those awkward "Wait, what did need from me again?" moments and make the most out of your one-on-one meetings, we've compiled a list of 12 prompts that will guide your conversation and ensure that no important insights are left behind. So sit back, relax, and let's get started.
Prompt 1: "What challenges or obstacles were brought up by your teammate?"
Understanding the difficulties your team faces can help create solutions, improve workflows, and foster a supportive work environment.
Example Insights:
- "David mentioned struggling with a new coding language, which could indicate a need for further training or resources."
- "Michelle expressed difficulty balancing multiple projects, perhaps we need to reevaluate workload distribution."
- "Tom reported technical issues with his work-from-home setup, maybe IT support could help."
Prompt 2: "What suggestions for improvements or changes did the teammate make?"
This can highlight potential opportunities for innovation and growth within the team and the broader organization.
Example Insights:
- "Lisa suggested integrating a new project management tool, showing her initiative to improve team coordination."
- "Mark proposed a shift in our testing procedures, which could indicate his analytical thinking and understanding of the development cycle."
- "Sophia recommended more regular team meetings, hinting at her desire for increased communication and collaboration."
Prompt 3: "What achievements did the teammate mention during the conversation?"
Identifying your team member's accomplishments can provide insights into their strengths and areas of expertise, and enable you to better assign tasks in the future.
Example Insights:
- "Anna mentioned successfully debugging a stubborn code issue which could mean she has a talent for problem-solving."
- "James talked about leading a successful client presentation; this highlights his communication and leadership skills."
- "Rebecca noted her success in meeting all her deadlines; it seems she excels in time management."
Prompt 4: "Did your teammate express any personal or professional goals?"
Knowing your team's aspirations can guide their professional development and improve overall job satisfaction.
Example Insights:
- "Daniel wishes to learn more about AI, revealing his ambition and drive."
- "Karen wants to take on more leadership roles, showing her aspiration to grow within the organization."
- "Sam expressed a desire to improve his coding skills, indicating his dedication to personal development."
Prompt 5: "What was the teammate's overall sentiment during the catchup?"
This can give insights into their current morale, job satisfaction, and personal well-being.
Example Insights:
- "Amy sounded enthusiastic and upbeat, suggesting she's happy in her role."
- "John seemed frustrated during the call, possibly indicating some dissatisfaction with his current situation."
- "Emma was noticeably quiet, perhaps she is feeling overwhelmed or disengaged."
Prompt 6: "Did the teammate provide any feedback regarding team dynamics?"
Feedback about team interaction and dynamics can help improve communication, collaboration, and overall team performance.
Example Insights:
- "Steven mentioned he enjoys working in small, focused teams, which could inform our future project groupings."
- "Rachel noted that there's been too many emails lately, perhaps we need to streamline our communications."
- "Andrew complimented the collaborative spirit of the team, indicating a positive team culture."
Prompt 7: "Were there any moments of learning or growth that the teammate shared?"
Identifying moments of learning or personal growth can help reinforce positive behavior and encourage a culture of continuous improvement.
Example Insights:
- "Peter shared his newfound proficiency in a new software tool, showing his commitment to learning."
- "Nina recounted how she overcame a challenging project obstacle, demonstrating her resilience."
- "Luke discussed his improved time management skills, suggesting his personal growth."
Prompt 8: "What are the next steps or actions the teammate plans to take?"
Understanding future plans can help align team efforts and manage expectations.
Example Insights:
- "Ella plans to complete the application prototype by next week, showing her focus on progress."
- "Mike intends to start learning a new programming language, revealing his self-initiative."
- "Sarah will follow up with a client, displaying her responsibility."
Prompt 9: "Did your teammate mention any additional resources or support they need?"
Understanding your team's needs can improve their productivity and job satisfaction, while also fostering a supportive work environment.
Example Insights:
- "Brian mentioned he needs additional training for the new software, showing a potential gap in current knowledge."
- "Tina expressed a need for a second monitor, perhaps we should reconsider our remote work equipment policy."
- "David asked for more feedback on his work, which could improve his performance and confidence."
Prompt 10: "Did your teammate share any unexpected insights or observations?"
Unanticipated insights can often shed light on unique perspectives, potential problems, or opportunities within the team.
Example Insights:
- "Laura noticed that morning meetings tend to be more productive, indicating a potential best practice for the team."
- "Josh identified a loophole in our code review process, showing his attention to detail."
- "Emily expressed that our team is more efficient when working remotely, suggesting we might need to reassess our work-from-office policy."
Prompt 11: "What did the teammate appreciate or express gratitude for?"
Understanding what your teammate values can help foster a positive, appreciative culture, and shows what motivates them.
Example Insights:
- "Frank thanked us for the flexible working hours, showing the value of work-life balance to our team."
- "Olivia appreciated the positive feedback she received on her project, highlighting the importance of recognition."
- "Alex was grateful for the opportunity to lead a project, indicating his ambition and the value he places on trust."
Prompt 12: "How did the teammate reflect on their own performance?"
Self-reflection is a key component of growth and development. Understanding how teammates see their own performance can provide insights into their self-awareness and areas they may want to improve.
Example Insights:
- "Sophie acknowledged that she could improve her communication skills, showing her self-awareness and desire to grow."
- "Aaron admitted that he needs to work on his time management, suggesting an area where he needs support."
- "Liam praised his own problem-solving skills, indicating his self-confidence and strength in this quarter.”
Awesome prompts! But umm… Where can I even use it?
- ChatGPT
You can paste the transcript of your meeting into ChatGPT, and then attach the prompts to produce results.
Upside:
- You can try for free and it works for shorter transcript of 15-minute calls.
Downside:
- The free version doesn’t have high reasoning capability. So it’s likely you will get answers that make your eyes roll.
- Token limit. If the transcript is from a 30+ minute call, it’s likely that you will get an error that your prompt was too long.
- Might not produce results during peak hours.
- Wudpecker
Wudpecker.io is an AI meeting tool that records, transcribes, and summarizes your meetings. It is built for you to enter these prompts and extract insights.
Upside:
- Can extract insights despite the meeting length
- Offers quality summaries and transcripts, making it easy to review meetings and find important insights quickly
- Transcription available in 100+ languages
- Records calls for later reference and sharing with remote team members
- Provides ready-made templates or the option to create custom templates for note-taking
- Allows users to create snippets from recordings, making it easy to share important sections of a meeting with others
- Recognizes speakers during the meeting and separates their dialogue in the transcript, making it easy to follow along and attribute comments to the correct person
Conclusion
In a world where scribbled notes and unreliable memory are no longer cutting it, we've come a long way from a mountain of recordings that no one has time to watch. The 12 prompts outlined in this article are invaluable tools that can help managers put their focus back to where it matters, empowering their team. By understanding their team members' challenges, achievements, goals, and sentiments, managers can better support their team and foster a positive work environment.
