Guide: One-to-One Meeting

Objectives:

Craft a comprehensive meeting agenda for a structured 1:1 conversation
Understand the do’s and don’ts of a 1:1 meeting
Uncover Power-Within to build trust and relationships with potential leaders </aside>

Time Required: 30 / 60 minutes

Resources Needed: Meeting agenda, note-taking tool or One-to-One Contact & Leadership Development tracker, quiet meeting space. Optional: interpretation, accessibility supports

Audience Setting: Two individuals

Meeting Location: Meet somewhere public, comfortable, and quiet enough to hear one another. When possible, meet this individual where they are, in their neighborhood, or at a familiar community space.

Purpose of the Meeting & Introduction (5 minutes): Share the purpose of the meeting with the individual. Clarify the goal of the meeting. Recruitment, maintenance, or escalation?

Explore (25 minutes): The goal of the 1:1 meeting is to actively listen for values, self-interests, and motivations that align with the movement, organization, campaign, or issue. This should be the bulk of the meeting.

If this is the first 1:1 with the individual, keep the conversation friendly and conversational. The goal is to get to know the person, understand their capacity, and clarify their self-interests. If the individual has the capacity and interest, consider moving them up the Ladder of Engagement by asking them to make a specific commitment, such as attending a stakeholder meeting, signing a petition, or joining an upcoming action.

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Example Questions:

Tell me a little about yourself.
What brought you into this kind of work?
What’s a moment that shaped how you see the world?
Why do you think things are set up this way? How do you think we can fix that?
Who / what are you fighting for?
Can you tell me about a time when this issue affected you or someone close to you?
What keeps you showing up, even when it’s hard?
How does this connect to the work you do? </aside>

Connection (15 minutes): The purpose is to draw the connection between what is personally at stake for the individual and the broader issue or campaign.

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Example Questions:

Why does this feel important to you personally?
What would change in your life and your community if this issue were improved?
What would it cost if nothing changed? </aside>

Exchange (10 minutes): This is where the organizer shares their own values, self interest(s), and connection to the issue. This may include a story of self. See Chapter 3 for more guidance on public narrative and story of self.

Commit (5 minutes): Close the meeting by making a specific ask and aligning on next steps.

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Example:

Will you join us for our next action/meeting on __________?
Do you know anyone else I should talk to about this?
Would you be willing to invite two friends to our next event? </aside>

Tips for using this tool:

Ask open-ended questions, meaning questions that can’t be answered with a simple “yes or no”. Listen more than you talk; you should follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the conversation should be focused on the individual, 20% on the organizer. Reflect back on what you hear and listen for “lead ins” or ways to uncover motivations. Remain curious and don’t try to persuade someone to have the same motivations as you; instead, focus on shared values.
Appropriately agitate, meaning challenging individuals by highlighting the contradictions between their values and the current reality or issue.
Be as specific as possible with your ask. The ask should be time-bound (5 pm on February 2nd) and achievable (are there barriers preventing the individual from committing? How can you help remove those barriers?).
A “no” to an ask or commitment is probable; it is okay to pivot on the ask or suggest a follow-up. Have clear tracking tools.

Originally sourced from: https://provechocollective.org/tools-and-support/power-building-toolkit/