Workplace Jiujitsu #8: Why 1-on-1s Always Matter
In knowledge work, 1-on-1s are considered foundational. They're taught to every new tech lead learning to manage. In practice, they’re often the first thing to go when things get tight.
What Happens in “War Mode”
When a team is sprinting toward a hard deadline, almost everything feels optional except the next deliverable.
All-hands meetings get cut. Non-essential projects are paused. 1-on-1s vanish from the calendar.
And sometimes? That’s valid.
If your team has 30 days to keep the company alive, retention metrics for next quarter don’t matter. In moments like that, you're not optimizing for culture. You're optimizing for survival.
But Here’s What Gets Missed
1-on-1s aren’t just a nice-to-have. They’re quiet infrastructure for keeping alignment, morale, and long-term direction intact. When trust gets paused, it also gets diluted.
The longer it's de-prioritized, the harder it is to recover. So the question becomes: how do you adjust without severing the thread?
Adapting the Cadence Based on Context
If you’re in wartime, simplify and don’t eliminate.
If trust is high: Shorten 1-on-1s to 15–20 minutes. Focus on pulse checks, not project updates.
If trust is shaky: Keep them weekly. These are your insurance policy against burnout, drift, and unspoken friction.
If you’re a senior IC or Staff+: Use your 1-on-1s to help managers stay oriented. Offer systems-level feedback, not just status.
If you’re in peacetime, treat 1-on-1s as your career infrastructure:
They shape retention, morale, clarity, and long-term planning.
They let you calibrate authority and momentum in non-reactive ways.
They’re where coaching happens before it’s needed and not after someone has already checked out.
1-on-1s are a maintenance system, not a motivational ritual. They exist to:
- Prevent quiet breakdowns.
- Preserve directional alignment when things feel loud.
- Surface context, not just concerns.
And when done consistently, they build a system of trust you can lean on when it’s no longer quiet.
Takeaways
Know the season your team is in: wartime or peacetime.
Match your 1-on-1 cadence to your team’s actual trust baseline.
If you’re the report, and things feel unstable, ask: “Would a brief weekly check-in help keep us aligned?”
If you’re the manager, and things are going well, keep the rhythm because the best time to build trust is before you need it.
Workplace Jiujitsu is a series on subtle systems moves and quiet influence at work. If this post helped, follow the author Gilberto Guadiana and Small Levers Lab for more. Also, share this with someone who needs it.
Has there been a time when a 1-on-1 acted like a lifeline for you or for someone on your team?