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A comment on Ask HN: What do you do in your 1-on-1s with your direct reports?. Parent comment

Re:Ask HN: What do you do in your 1-on-1s with your direct r... by sosilkj on Sunday October 21, 2018 @12:38PM (#18268786)
"sometimes I don’t want to discuss my actual career goals because it’s already been signaled that they are not in line with my current role or the needs of the company. I appreciate that a manager wants to “get to know me” and “build trust”, but let’s be honest, at the end of the day the manager is an agent of the company"

Completely agree with you. There is always an implicit agenda -- maximize the amount of work they can get out of me for as little money as possible. If I were a consultant, would I sit down for a weekly chat with a client in the same sort of 1-on-1 format? No way. The reason we are asked to have these meetings is so that management can gain useful information from us to then use as they see fit. That's it. We should approach these meetings accordingly.

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Re:Ask HN: What do you do in your 1-on-1s with your direct r... by gsdatta on Sunday October 21, 2018 @11:44PM (#18272042)
I'm sorry you're in a situation that makes you feel this way. I've had great experiences with managers that honestly do want to help me - whether that's with advice, giving me opportunities that will help me grow, or even telling me tactical things I should do for promotions (that I've gotten, so it's not just talk with no action).
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Re:Ask HN: What do you do in your 1-on-1s with your direct r... by thatoneyouthrow on Wednesday October 24, 2018 @10:21AM (#18292623)
Some of us don't want to be bullied by nice guys.
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Re:Ask HN: What do you do in your 1-on-1s with your direct r... by Nitramp on Monday October 22, 2018 @03:14AM (#18272764)
> let’s be honest, at the end of the day the manager is an agent of the company

Employment, like any other business transaction, should not be a zero sum game.

Sure, both sides are in it to gain. But your manager's job is to make the most of your time and help you be as productive as you can. That should align with your goals - the more productive you are, the more valuable you are to the company.

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