One-on-One Meetings for Software Engineering Managers

Transitioning from a software developer to a manager requires a shift from writing code to supporting people, and the weekly one-on-one is your most powerful tool to make this shift successful. Yet, many engineering leaders struggle to keep these meetings from turning into simple status updates. This text-based course guides you through establishing a structured, trust-building framework for your one-on-ones, ensuring they drive performance, alignment, and career growth. What you'll learn: - Understand the core purpose of one-on-one meetings and how they differ from technical status reports - Establish psychological safety and build deep trust with your software engineers - Structure your meeting agendas to balance career development, feedback, and technical challenges - Navigate difficult conversations, address signs of developer burnout, and support remote team members - Apply modern career pathing frameworks to guide your engineers' professional growth - Practice active listening and constructive feedback techniques through written scenarios and self-reflection exercises The course begins with the foundational principles of engineering leadership and the psychology of trust. From there, you will progress through practical agenda designs, communication strategies for different developer personalities, and methods for tracking action items over time. Designed for new software engineering managers, tech leads, and aspiring team leaders, this program requires no prior management experience. Start reading today to transform your one-on-ones into the most valuable hour of your team's week.