A LinkedIn post by Jade Bonacolta, Marketing Leader @ Google | Ranked #1 female creator worldwide | LinkedIn growth coach | Founder of The Quiet Rich™, inspired this article.
Most people walk into their 1v1s ready to take notes and expecting their leader to guide the discussion.
1v1s are really designed for you to lead the conversation, gain clarification and ask for support.
Instead of just showing up and seeing where the conversation goes, take charge!
If you don't design your career, someone else will.
Greg McKeown, author, public speaker, leadership and business strategist
The 3-3-1 Framework
The 3-3-1 Framework empowers you to take charge of your 1v1s by focusing on wins, priorities and new ideas. For your next 1v1, consider preparing and sending a pre-read in advance with:
- 3 wins from the past week (+ ideally a quantifiable impact)
- 3 priorities for the next week (+ specific questions you need input on or a request for support)
- 1 new idea to make the team better or your leader’s job easier.
When you’re thoughtful and show up prepared, it sets you apart from others.
Why 3 Wins?
Most of us don’t give our leaders enough visibility into the great work we’re doing. This helps solve that!
Emphasize Impact Not Activity
Focus on impact when you compose your list of “Wins” and resist the temptation to list a lot of activities. Here are some examples:
THIS (Impact) |
NOT THAT (Activity) |
|
Ensured all stakeholders are aligned and prepared, leading to a smooth and coordinated launch event. Joe, our sponsoring partner said, “Thanks to the team’s meticulous planning, every stakeholder was on the same page, resulting in a flawlessly executed launch.” |
Developed a comprehensive communication plan for the upcoming campaign launch. |
|
Provided useful information about the [insert upcoming event] in a compelling way, increasing registrations by 15%. |
Wrote an article for the company intranet to promote the [insert upcoming event]. |
|
Generated positive media coverage from 3 news outlets, resulting in a 15% increase in brand awareness and significantly enhancing the company’s public image. |
Drafted and distributed a press release to 6 news outlets announcing a major company milestone. |
|
Increased brand awareness and engagement across multiple platforms, driving 5% more traffic to the company’s website vs. last month. |
Created engaging social media content for the company’s new campaign. |
Whenever possible, include quotes (like in the first example) from emails you received with positive feedback from a partner, client, another leader or colleague.
Sure it’s a few more words to express impact but look at the difference!
AL’s Insight: Each year, create a “What Others Have Said” document and capture quotes along with the person’s name and title. Before long:
- You’ve documented a nice track record of success and collected a series of testimonials, which serve as great references when it comes time for your performance review.
- Additionally, you may have made it easier for your leader when the time comes to make the case for your promotion.
Why 3 Priorities?
By zeroing in on just three priorities, you sharpen your focus and direct your energy toward what matters most. This strategy keeps you in the zone where you can take deliberate action and consistently deliver top results.
Narrowing your focus allows you to make meaningful progress on what you and your leader agree is the highest priority right now. Plus, setting your own priorities shows leadership, positioning you as proactive rather than simply following orders.
Why Just 3?
It’s all about focus, clarity and quality over quantity. Limiting yourself to three priorities each week ensures you’re tackling the most important tasks, making them more achievable and delivering higher quality outcomes.
The benefits are twofold:
- This approach prevents you from feeling overwhelmed and allows for better time and resource management.
- It also prevents overwhelming your leader with excessive information and reassures them that you understand having too many priorities indicates a lack of focus on what’s truly important.
Also, include any questions you may have about those priorities. When you put all your questions in one place, you avoid interrupting your leader multiple times over the next week.
AL’s Insight: Think of potential risks that could come up and how you might solve or mitigate them. “Proactive” eats “Reactive” for breakfast.
Why 1 New Idea?
Think of something your leader finds inefficient or doesn’t enjoy.
If you can find and recommend a solution, you’ll likely be trusted to take on more responsibility.
Yes, but… Make sure you set healthy boundaries and don’t take on too much extra work at a time. While additional responsibility often leads to salary raises, which are nice, your health—physical and mental—is far more important.
AL’s Insight: If the idea isn’t embraced, there’s likely a reason. Be curious and ask questions like, “Can you share more to help me understand?” Every “no” or “not now” you encounter gives you an opportunity to learn something new.
In any event, offering fresh ideas demonstrates that you’re thinking with a growth mindset and about continuous improvement. It also shows that you’re thinking of ways to help your leader and others on the team. Good leaders love that!
It’s Time. Become Your Own Best Advocate.
No one will magically realize how incredible of an employee you are. The era of keeping your head down, working hard and being recognized for doing great work is long gone.
This is especially important for introverts and those who are naturally driven to work hard but may find self-promotion challenging.
As Cal Newport, Georgetown University professor and author, said in his best-selling book with the same title, be So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
One way to do just that is to take charge of your own career by managing the modern-day 1v1.
By using this 3-3-1 framework, you can confidently self-promote without feeling icky because your content is objective, focuses on the impact of the work you’re doing, and demonstrates that you’re forward looking and thinking about more than just yourself.
Inspire On!
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