A 1:1 Is Not a Metrics Review

Rob Cramer · 2 min read

If a monthly 1:1 is the metrics read out loud, the agent has already seen the metrics. The meeting has to carry something the dashboard can’t.

What went in the meeting

At Shaw, every agent got a monthly 1:1 with me. We covered all of the metrics, their goals, accountability — what they said they would do and whether it happened — and where they wanted to go next. Four things, one conversation, every month.

The metrics were the part everyone already knew. The goals and the career conversation were the part only the 1:1 could give them.

Why the career conversation belongs there

Plenty of agents never get asked where they want to go. When someone does ask, the numbers stop being a verdict and start being a step. An agent who wants to lead a team has a reason to care about their QA scores, and I know what to coach toward.

Say the quiet part out loud

In the coaching story from my other post, I told the agent plainly: not every customer can be saved. It sounds small. Saying it takes the pressure off the call, and an agent who isn’t afraid of a miss asks better questions — which is how you save the customers who can be saved.

New hires get the plan up front

When I trained a class of 14 new retention agents at Shaw, each one had a mapped 90-day mentorship and goal plan. A new agent’s first 1:1 shouldn’t be the first time they hear what good looks like.

Without direct reports

I don’t have direct reports at LinkNow, so my version is informal. I mentor colleagues on call handling and retention technique, and when I saw gaps in how new Client Advocacy staff were onboarded, I rebuilt the training program. The idea is the same: find out what the person needs, then build it.