The most important meetings for me are my 1:1s. That's where I can focus on building relationships, where I see the person as they are. Sometimes it is the only time I get to see the person on a video call. Making sure I use this time as best I can, while also giving them space is key.

Here are a few tips that I've been collecting over the past years of doing virtual 1:1s:

Personal story time

Use the first 10-15 minutes, depending on how long your call is, for personal story time. Just talk about live and what's been going on. This helps to create a stronger bond, and build a better relationship.

Prepare the agenda

I treat the 1:1s with the people I manage as following: This is their meeting. They can define what we will talk about. In general I tried to at least adhere to the 90/10 rule. 90% of the topics should come from them, 10% can come from my side if needed. Oh and of course use a shared doc and make it easy for the both of you.

Have a backup

Always have a question or topic as backup. In case the agenda is short, or you are eager to dive deeper into a certain topic. But don't overwhelm the other person. Just having a topic in the back of your mind can help. Even if the discussion then down the line goes in a completely different direction.

Have good audio quality

While both video and audio are important, understanding each other well is first on the list. Even if you would want to do walking meetings or similar things, make sure that the audio quality is as good as possible. Too much noise and always having to ask "What did you say?" can disrupt the meeting.

Adapt

Understand that not every 1:1 will be the same. Humans are different and everyone has various needs. Some people will fill the whole call with topics, others might need you to guide the conversation. Some are ok with 20 minutes, others need 40. That is all ok. It can vary. Be there and adapt to the needs of the individual.