At Rebaca, one-to-ones are not about status updates. They’re about giving our people space to share concerns, ideas, and career aspirations. Leaders focus on asking questions, listening carefully, and taking feedback with openness. This builds trust and stronger collaboration. This means that your time should be spent asking great questions and actively listening to what your team member has to say.

This is also the time to ask your employee for feedback. What could you be doing to help him or her be more successful? We listen to our employee’s views and just say “thank you.” Doing this will helps Rebaca have better interactions with the employee and ultimately increase employee engagement and productivity.

We don’t believe growth happens only within four walls. A casual coffee, a walk, or lunch outside the office often leads to more honest conversations. Changing the setting helps our people feel at ease and more open.

We value dialogue over debate. It’s not about pushing one viewpoint, but about exploring ideas together and deciding next steps. That’s how we build trust and synergy. We believe it is not about winning acceptance for ones viewpoint, but exploring options and gaining agreement on next steps.

When we spot a trend or theme with our employee that could hold him or her back, it is time to put our coach hat on. Remember that coaching is different from mentoring. Coaching means asking questions that spark reflection, helping our people seeoptions and take ownership of change.

Every one-to-one ends with clear takeaways for both sides. We use the SMART approach— Specific, Measurable, Maintainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. At the next check-in, we review progress together. Before concluding the one-to-one, we make sure that both parties have actionable items that they are responsible for.

Feedback at Rebaca is direct and constructive. We talk about what’s changed, what needs to shift, and set a timeline for improvement. We communicate what’s changed, how the person’s approach should be modified and the time frame that’s been granted for turning things around. Sometimes all people need is a nudge in the right direction.

If one person raises a concern that may be shared by many, we bring it into the open. We encourage team forums where employees can speak freely, and we work together on solutions.

It’s very hard to direct someone without understanding what makes him or her tick. We take the time to get to know employees: What are their long-term goals and aspirations and where would they like to see their career headed in the next one to three years?

With this knowledge, it’s possible to ensure that our people are assigned to the right roles and tasks.

It’s critical to include employees in the process of outlining individual performance targets. We ask our people how they would like to improve, what they would like to achieve and the new skills they want to learn. Inviting this level of engagement motivates our folks to work hard and strive for betterment.

Follow-up is part of our culture. Once goals are set, leaders check in regularly, support progress, and hold themselves and their teams accountable

We believe showing an interest in the work of employees can significantly boost a company’s culture and morale.

Improvement deserves recognition. Whether through growth opportunities, incentives, or simply a genuine ‘thank you,’ we make sure progress is noticed and appreciated.