Topic 4 — One-on-One Check-ins
Topic 4 · Head of Product

One-on-One Check-ins

Warm-up

  • Has anyone ever run a really good 1:1 with you? What made it good?
  • Are you naturally someone who listens first, or jumps to advice first?
  • What's one thing you'd want a PM to feel comfortable telling you in a 1:1?

Listen & Notice

A manager runs a real 1:1 with a PM who's having a rough couple of weeks. Notice the phrasal verbs in bold.

Manager: Hey Dana, thanks for making time. How's everything going?
Dana: Honestly, it's been a tough couple of weeks.
Manager: I'm glad you're willing to open up about that. What's been going on?
Dana: The roadmap keeps shifting, and I feel like I'm always playing catch up. Every time I plan the sprint, priorities change again by Wednesday.
Manager: That sounds exhausting. How long has it been like that?
Dana: Pretty much the whole quarter. I haven't said anything because I didn't want to sound like I was complaining.
Manager: I'd rather you tell me than sit with it. Is there anything else you want to bring up while we're talking?
Dana: Actually, yeah — I've been trying to deal with a conflict between two engineers on my team, and I'm not totally sure how to handle it.
Manager: Don't hold back — tell me more. What's the situation?
Dana: They disagree on the technical approach, and it's slowing everything down. One of them barely talks to the other in stand-ups now.
Manager: That's more than just a technical disagreement, then. Okay, let's work through it together. Have you asked them to speak up about their concerns directly with each other?
Dana: Not yet, actually. I kept hoping it would sort itself out.
Manager: Understandable, but it usually doesn't. Maybe set up a short conversation between the three of you this week. And in the meantime, you can always lean on me if you need backup in that conversation.
Dana: Thanks, I appreciate that. It already feels less overwhelming just saying it out loud.
Manager: That's what these check-ins are for. Let's touch base again next week and see how the conversation with the engineers went.

Key Phrasal Verbs

Tap each card to reveal the meaning. After each one, we'll talk about how you'd actually use it.

open up
открыться, поделиться откровенно
tap to flip
💬

What could you do in a 1:1 to make someone feel comfortable enough to open up?

catch up
наверстать, поговорить, обменяться новостями
tap to flip
💬

Do you think your 1:1s will feel more like catching up, or more structured than that?

bring up
поднимать (тему), упоминать
tap to flip
💬

How would you invite someone to bring up something that's not on the agenda?

deal with
справляться с, разбираться с
tap to flip
💬

What's something a PM might need help dealing with in their first few months?

hold back
сдерживаться, не решаться сказать
tap to flip
💬

What would make someone hold back from telling you something important?

work through
прорабатывать, решать шаг за шагом
tap to flip
💬

Would you rather work through a problem together, or let someone try to solve it on their own first?

speak up
высказаться, озвучить своё мнение
tap to flip
💬

How do you get a quiet person to speak up in a 1:1?

lean on
опираться на кого-то, рассчитывать на поддержку
tap to flip
💬

Would you want your PMs to feel like they can lean on you, or mostly solve things independently?

Quick Recall

  • Which of today's phrasal verbs feels the most natural to you already?
  • Which one do you think will be hardest to remember to use in the moment?
Phrasal verbs: open up · catch up · bring up · deal with · hold back · work through · speak up · lean on

Speaking Task 1

Roleplay

Your First 1:1

Run a first check-in with a new PM. They're polite but a little guarded — you'll need to open well, ask open questions, and actually listen rather than fill silences with your own talking.

I'll play the PM — fairly reserved at first, but I'll open up if you handle it well.

Speaking Task 2 — swap & repeat with new facts

Roleplay · Harder

A Struggling PM

Same skill, harder situation: this PM is clearly unhappy or burnt out, but won't say so directly. You'll need to draw it out using reflection and open questions, without being pushy.

I'll play someone giving short, deflecting answers at first — see if you can get past that.

Wrap-up

  • Which 1:1 felt harder to run — the first one or the second? Why?
  • What's one phrasal verb from today you'd like to start using in real 1:1s?

Three short tasks to lock in this week's phrasal verbs. Should take about 15 minutes total.

Task 1 — Fill in the Gap
Tap a phrasal verb, then tap the blank it belongs in.
1. She finally started to about how stressed she'd been feeling.
2. Let's grab coffee and — it's been a while.
3. Feel free to anything that's on your mind, even if it's not on the agenda.
4. He's been trying to a difficult client all week.
5. Don't — I'd rather hear the honest version.
6. We sat down and tried to the disagreement together.
7. If something's bothering you, please — don't just let it sit.
8. You can always me if things get overwhelming.
open up
catch up
bring up
deal with
hold back
work through
speak up
lean on
Task 2 — Build the Sentence
Tap the words in the right order to rebuild each sentence.

Sentence A:

want
I
like
me.
you
can
to
feel
open
up
to
you

Sentence B:

work
Let's
of
through
alone.
this
instead
together
you
dealing
with
it
Task 3 — Write & Record
Write 4–5 sentences: imagine part of a real 1:1 conversation, using at least 5 of today's phrasal verbs.
🎙️ Then record yourself saying it out loud as a voice message and send it over.