# Pm 1on1s

> Structured PM 1:1 templates by partner type — manager, engineering-manager partner, designer, IC reports, cross-functional — grounded in Radical Candor, the GROW coaching model, and the Manager Tools 1:1 framework.

- Skill: `borghei/pm-1on1s` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 8 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add borghei/pm-1on1s`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/borghei/pm-1on1s/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: AI & ML
- License: MIT + Commons Clause
- Author: borghei (https://skillmd.com/u/borghei)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/borghei/pm-1on1s

---

# PM 1:1 Expert

## Overview

PMs run more 1:1s than almost any other role: with their manager, their engineering manager partner, their design lead, cross-functional partners (sales, support, data), and -- once they have reports -- with their direct PMs. Each 1:1 type has a different purpose, cadence, and ideal structure.

This skill provides templates and question banks for the most common 1:1 types a PM runs, calibrated to the PM context. It draws on Kim Scott's Radical Candor (caring personally + challenging directly), the GROW coaching model (Whitmore), the Manager Tools 1:1 framework (Auzenne & Horstman), and PM-specific 1:1 patterns popularized by senior product leaders.

### Five core principles

1. **The 1:1 belongs to the other person** — their agenda first.
2. **Status updates do not need a 1:1** — write them async; reserve live time for trust, growth, judgment, feedback.
3. **Care personally, challenge directly** — avoid ruinous empathy and obnoxious aggression.
4. **Cadence matters** — weekly for direct partners, monthly for tier-3; don't skip, reschedule.
5. **Document agreements, not transcripts** — capture decisions and next steps.

### When to Use

- **Starting a new 1:1 relationship** -- use the kickoff template to set expectations.
- **Existing 1:1s feel transactional** -- adopt the structured partner-type template.
- **You manage other PMs** -- use the direct-report template for growth and feedback.
- **You partner with an EM, designer, or cross-functional lead** -- use the partner-type template.

### When NOT to Use

- Ad-hoc problem-solving meetings (treat as project meetings, not 1:1s).
- Performance management conversations (use a separate, manager-led structure).
- Initial intro meetings during onboarding -- use `pm-onboarding/` for those.

## Clarify First

Before drafting the 1:1 agenda, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:

- [ ] **Partner type** — your manager, EM partner, designer, direct report, or cross-functional lead (selects the agenda template and question bank)
- [ ] **Relationship stage** — brand-new vs steady-state (decides whether you run the kickoff script or the recurring agenda)
- [ ] **Purpose this session** — growth/feedback, alignment, or status-clearing (sets which sections matter and whether the Radical Candor frame applies)

Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.

## References

Load the reference that matches the task; keep this file lean and pull detail on demand.

- **[references/one-on-one-templates.md](references/one-on-one-templates.md)** — the five core principles in full, per-partner agenda templates (manager, EM partner, designer, direct report, cross-functional), the kickoff conversation script, the Radical Candor feedback frame, the run-the-system workflow, troubleshooting table, and success criteria. Read this when designing or fixing any specific 1:1.
- **[references/1on1-playbook.md](references/1on1-playbook.md)** — deep dive on cadence by partner type, the three failure modes, and structuring manager / direct-report / EM / design / async 1:1s. Read when you want the underlying theory and quarterly-review discipline.
- **[references/red-flags.md](references/red-flags.md)** — bad-vs-good examples of agendas, notes, and question banks. Scan after drafting a 1:1 agenda or notes, before your next 1:1.
- `assets/kickoff_template.md` — script for kicking off a new 1:1 relationship.
- `assets/1on1_notes_template.md` — recurring 1:1 notes template.
- `assets/manager_1on1_agenda.md` — ready-to-use agenda for your manager 1:1.

External: Scott, K. *Radical Candor* (2017); Whitmore, J. *Coaching for Performance* (GROW); Auzenne & Horstman, *The Effective Manager* (Manager Tools 1:1).

## Scope & Limitations

**In Scope:** 1:1 templates for the 5 common PM partner types; the GROW coaching framework for direct reports; Radical Candor feedback; kickoff conversation script; notes/agenda templates.

**Out of Scope:** Formal performance management (PIP, terminations, reviews — requires HR); compensation conversations; skip-level design from the senior-leader perspective; career conversations beyond growth-plan refresh (use `pm-career-ladder/`).

**Caveats:** 1:1 patterns are culturally inflected — calibrate directness to the room. Templates are starting points that should evolve as the relationship deepens. Re-establish the kickoff conversation when you join a new team.

## Integration Points

| Integration | Direction | What Flows |
|-------------|-----------|------------|
| `pm-career-ladder/` | Bidirectional | Quarterly growth 1:1s use the ladder rubric as the calibration tool |
| `pm-onboarding/` | Receives from | Onboarding 1:1s evolve into steady-state 1:1s after day 90 |
| `pm-interview-prep/` | Reuses | Behavioral story prep often surfaces from 1:1 reflections |
| `senior-pm/stakeholder-mapper/` | Reuses | Tier-1 stakeholders should be your weekly 1:1s |
| `personal-productivity/weekly-review/` | Feeds into | Weekly review captures 1:1 actions and growth-plan progress |