The Art of the One-on-One
About the Course
One-on-one meetings are one of the most powerful tools for boosting employee engagement, productivity, and performance—yet most managers admit they don’t do them well. In this session, Pat Downey explores why these meetings matter, how to introduce them to your team, and the best way to structure them for success. Whether you’re a funeral home manager, team leader, or business owner, this video will help you establish meaningful touchpoints with your employees to improve communication, mentorship, and overall team effectiveness.
Key Takeaways
The Power of One-on-Ones: Regular one-on-one meetings can make employees up to three times more productive.
Common Manager Struggles: 70% of employees feel their managers don’t conduct effective one-on-ones, and 73% of managers admit they aren’t confident in doing them well.
Meeting Structure Matters: There are three key types of meetings—daily huddles, weekly formal meetings, and personal one-on-ones. Each serves a unique purpose.
How to Introduce One-on-Ones: Communicate their value, set a regular schedule, and explain what employees can expect.
Ideal Agenda: Start with a check-in, recognize accomplishments, discuss challenges, review work metrics, and encourage employee-driven participation.
Encouraging Ownership: Over time, 83% of employees prefer leading their own one-on-one meetings, making them more engaged in their development.
More Modules by Patrick
About the CXpert
Patrick Downey
Patrick has over 40 years of experience in the cemetery and funeral profession. He has worked in top sales leadership and management roles, building and developing successful sales and marketing programs for multiple cemetery and funeral firms. He also serves funeral and cemetery clients across the country as an independent sales training and coaching consultant.
Patrick is a past President of ICCFA and past Chancellor of ICCFA University, and continues to lead classes in the J. Asher Neel College of Sales and Marketing. He was awarded the honorary degree, Doctor of University, in 2019. His passion continues to be teaching, training, and coaching sales professionals and sales leaders in cemetery and funeral services.