10. End on a positive note. Even when you are having a tough one-on-one and the news you deliver is not good, don’t underestimate the power of ending on a positive note. You don’t need to set off fireworks and throw a parade, but you can get people from good to great if you are able to keep them motivated and operating with an optimistic and positive frame of mind.

9. Leave your laptop at your desk. If you are going to be present and have a conversation, then be present. Don’t bring your laptop unless you are using it collaboratively. If you are only giving part-time attention you should expect part-time results. Thirty minutes of quality, laptops-closed time is not too much for anyone to ask for.

8. Remove barriers for them. A while back I wrote about the goal of a great manager, which is to get the best out of their people. A really important function of management is to help remove roadblocks and barriers for employees. Do they understand how business gets done? Do they know who the decision makers are? Do they understand the right dependencies? If you can help them understand their path to success and clear the road of obstacles before they get there, the result if often a more efficient and productive employee.

7. Make career development a priority. I spend most of my one-on-ones discussing near-term priorities and goals. However there is a real need for meaningful and regular conversations around career development. What do people really want to do as their career matures? Do they have the right mentors? Are they working on the right projects? If you maintain a regular cadence where you focus on this topic, you can help make future transitions far more seamless and fulfilling.

6. Ask what YOU can do better. Demonstrate your own self-awareness and find out what you can do better. If you are managing multiple people, you will find they all have different styles and personalities. You need to have some chameleon like qualities so you can get the best out of them. By understanding what you can specifically do for them, the easier it will be to have a strong working relationship.

5. Help them grow as communicators. One of the hardest things for people to master is the art of communication. How you speak to people in certain situations. How you have difficult conversations with others. How you write meaningful emails. How you run effective meetings. So much of our day-to-day success hinges on our ability to successfully communicate. Managers should spend time helping others become great communicators.