A recurring meeting between a manager and a direct report, typically weekly or biweekly, dedicated to the report's career growth, blockers, feedback, and longer-arc topics that don't fit the team's group rhythm. Well-run 1-on-1s belong to the report (they set the agenda), not the manager (who facilitates and listens). The conversation should run in roughly this order: how are you, what's blocking you, what's coming up, what's on your mind, and finally — only if there's time — anything the manager needs to push. Skipping 1-on-1s is the single most common manager failure mode in distributed teams; the meetings feel skippable because nothing breaks immediately, but the lack of regular individual contact compounds over months into disengagement and surprise departures.