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Are you managing your individual contributors in a way that fuels growth, performance, and alignment?

In this episode, I’m talking with Faris Aranki, founder of Shiageto Consulting, about leading individual contributors through regular one-on-one meetings. Faris brings a wealth of experience from his career in strategy consulting and leadership coaching. We dive into a proven system for structuring these meetings to keep performance management simple, effective, and human-centered.

We explore how to align individual performance with company goals, why weekly check-ins are crucial, and how to integrate these meetings into your larger performance frameworks. Faris also shares how building rapport and listening actively can lead to stronger relationships with your team, ensuring that growth is both continuous and aligned with the broader mission.

You’ll Learn:

• The real reason weekly one-on-ones are critical for individual contributor success
• Why a rolling agenda document is your most powerful tool in building trust and accountability
• How to use silence strategically in one-on-one meetings to encourage deeper conversation
• The quiet damage of neglecting active listening in engineering teams
• What it feels like to lead with empathy and get results without micromanaging
• How to align individual performance with company goals through simple, structured conversations
• The surprising link between personal development plans and long-term organizational success
• Why you should avoid status updates in one-on-ones and focus on personal growth
• How asking the right questions based on learning styles can level up your coaching approach

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[06:30] The impact of the rolling agenda document on trust and accountability

[08:00] How to structure one-on-ones to focus on personal growth and alignment

[10:15] The role of silence in encouraging deeper conversations

[12:00] How active listening can strengthen team communication and trust

[16:30] Using the VARK model to tailor coaching to individual learning styles

[19:10] How to integrate weekly, quarterly, and annual meetings into a performance management system

[22:50] The benefits of focusing on experience over output in one-on-one meetings

[25:00] Handling performance improvement plans and documentation for legal clarity

[28:30] How to use one-on-ones to build influence and promote personal development

[32:00] The importance of aligning individual goals with company objectives

[34:50] Best practices for conducting quarterly and annual performance reviews

Resources Mentioned:

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni | Book or Audiobook

Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek | Book or Audiobook

Hanlon's Razor | Principle

Movie: Moneyball

You can connect with Faris on LinkedIn or take the Shiageto effectiveness assessment here.

Find more from Adam on LinkedIn and YouTube, and check out Adam's CTO coaching company Synova Tech.