What to Say in a 1:1 When You Have ‘Nothing’ to Say

Picture this: You’re heading into your 1:1, and you and your manager have nothing to say to each other. Awkward, right?

Now, let’s define “nothing” — you’re just having a low-key touchpoint where you’re talking about the day. And sure, value does exist in small talk and reliving those little moments together. Creating rapport and maintaining the connection are essential parts of any professional relationship.

It is to be expected that there would be downtime in between conversations or routine catch-ups with your manager. Yet, if you’re always showing up to your 1:1s with “nothing,” then it might be a sign that something needs to be tweaked.

Why Does This Happen?

• You’re Meeting Too Frequently — If meetings are meeting too frequently, then there might not be enough new information to report on each meeting.
• You’re Not Ready — If you haven’t taken a little bit of time in advance to consider conversation topics, then it feels as though there isn’t much to discuss.
• You’re in a Slump — Sometimes the project is on a roll and there aren’t outstanding issues to report.

What to Do Instead