What should I ask in my first one-to-one as a new supervisor?

Start with the work and the support they need

For a first one-to-one, ask what the person is working on, what makes that work difficult, and what support they need from you. Agree how you will communicate and finish with one specific next step. You do not need a perfect management speech or a full career plan in the first conversation.

The University of Texas at Austin’s guidance for new managers recommends individual meetings with direct reports, questions about their work and challenges, and following through on any action you promise. The practical agenda below is an original example you can adapt to your workplace; it is not a required meeting format.

If you have just been promoted, it can feel as though every answer must demonstrate that you deserve the role. Give yourself a smaller job for this meeting: understand one person’s work accurately enough to offer useful support. Listening does not mean agreeing to every request or delaying an urgent decision.

Tell them what the meeting is for

Send a short explanation with the invitation so the person does not have to guess whether this is a performance discussion. For example: “I’d like to learn more about your current work and how I can support it. Please bring anything you want me to understand about priorities or obstacles.” Choose a length and setting that fit the job; the sample below assumes about half an hour.

You could open with: “I’m still learning how things work here. I have a few questions, but I’d like to start with what would make this conversation useful for you.” Give a brief introduction if needed, then make room for their answer.

Avoid promising complete confidentiality if your role or policies require you to act on certain concerns. If something sensitive comes up, explain the appropriate next step rather than making a promise you cannot keep. For existing coworkers, our guide to supervising former coworkers addresses the separate issue of a changing work relationship.

Use three questions, then follow the answer

A long question list can turn a conversation into a questionnaire. Begin with a few prompts and ask for a concrete example when an answer is broad. You can return to development goals, detailed procedures or other topics at later meetings.

“Which part of your work most needs my understanding right now?” This lets the person choose a useful starting point. If they describe several projects, ask which deadline or responsibility is most pressing. Do not silently assume that the most visible project is the only important one.

“Where does progress tend to get stuck?” Listen for a specific handoff, decision, resource or unclear expectation. “Communication is difficult” is a starting point; “We wait two days to find out who can approve a replacement” gives you something to investigate.

“What would useful support from me look like this week?” They may need an introduction, a decision or a clearer priority. If the request is outside your authority, say so and identify what you can check. You can be interested without promising an immediate fix.

Agree on a practical way to keep in touch

Before leaving, discuss how ordinary questions, urgent issues and future one-to-ones will work. A meeting every week is not automatically the right arrangement for every role. Start with something workable within your workplace’s expectations and agree when to review it.

A fictional example: “For routine questions, use our team channel. If a decision is blocking today’s work, flag that clearly using our usual escalation process. Let’s try a short check-in next week and see what we need after that.” Adapt the channels and urgency rules to the actual job; do not create a new informal process that conflicts with an established safety procedure.

Ask about working preferences without requiring personal disclosures. “Would it help to have the agenda in advance?” is a practical question. You do not need somebody’s private history to offer a clear agenda, time to prepare or a chance to correct your understanding.

Leave with a small, visible follow-up

Near the end, summarize what you heard and invite a correction: “The main obstacle is getting an approval before the afternoon handoff. Have I understood that correctly?” Then name the next step, who owns it and when you will return with an answer.

For example: “I’ll check who owns that approval and update you on Thursday. I’m not promising that the process will change this week.” That distinguishes an action you control from an outcome you cannot yet guarantee. Keep notes factual and in the appropriate workplace system. Our guide to meeting notes you can use afterwards offers a simple structure for decisions and actions.

Try this five-minute preparation exercise: write your opening sentence, choose two or three questions, and leave a blank space headed “My follow-up.” After the meeting, fill that space with one real commitment and a date. Use the free if–then plan builder for a generic reminder such as “After the meeting, I will record the action in our approved task system.” Keep employee names and confidential details out of public tools.

A first conversation is a beginning, not a test you pass once. Returning with the update you promised gives the next meeting something concrete to build on. For further reading about stepping into the role, explore You’re the Supervisor Now.