Your 1:1s become status updates
Separate project tracking from the conversation only this person can have.
Course library
See what you will learn
Make one-on-ones useful again.
A short daily path for managers and leads who want better check-ins, cleaner coaching, and fewer hidden problems.
Download Cadence free from the App Store, or request free Android testing access.
30 short lessons. Day 1 is ready.
- Best for
- Management
- Prerequisites
- No formal prerequisites
- Course length
- 30 daily lessons
- Lesson pace
- About 10 minutes a day
- Total learning time
- About 5 hours in total
- Access
- Available on the App Store, with early features and Android testing access
Right for now
If any of this sounds familiar, start here.
Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons.
You miss weak signals
Ask questions that reveal friction, confusion, or hidden risk.
You want better coaching
Help people think without taking the problem away.
You need follow-through
Carry decisions and commitments into the next meeting.
Inside the course
Your first three days are already mapped.
The course follows a daily sequence, so the next practical move is waiting when you come back.
Purposeful agenda
Give each 1:1 a useful job.
Better questions
Surface risks, motivation, and decision quality.
Coaching moves
Guide thinking without becoming the answer machine.
Continuity
Connect one conversation to the next.
Course preview
30 short lessons
One-on-Ones That Work
Day 1
What a One-on-One Is Really For
Separate support, coaching, and issue discovery from status reporting.
-
Day 2
Define a Meeting Worth Having
Name the concrete outcomes a good one-on-one should produce.
-
Day 3
Catch the Slide Into Status Updates
Spot when a one-on-one is slipping into updates.
Course arc
From vague intention to repeatable moves.
Cadence turns the course into a returnable habit: short lesson, quick check, review, and the next useful step.
01 / 04Pick the 1:1 job
Know what the conversation is for this week.
Find the real topic
Go past status into friction and judgment.
Coach the decision
Help the person choose and learn.
Close the loop
Track commitments without micromanaging.
Full syllabus
30 lessons, arranged as one clear path.
Run one-on-ones where direct reports can set priorities, surface issues, get useful support, discuss growth, and leave with clear follow-through. Build a flexible cadence that respects privacy and does more than repeat status.
Module 01
One-on-One Purpose
Define the meeting's job, boundaries, and outcome beyond status reporting.
- Day 1 What a One-on-One Is Really For
- Day 2 Define a Meeting Worth Having
- Day 3 Catch the Slide Into Status Updates
- Day 4 Protect Time for What Matters
- Day 5 Open Strong, Close Clearly
Module 02
Question Design
Build prompts that invite priorities, explicit concerns, accomplishments, growth topics, and support needs.
- Day 6 Checkpoint: Pick the Right Question
- Day 7 Clarify an Explicit Blocker
- Day 8 Choose What Matters Most First
- Day 9 Find the Help That Changes Things
- Day 10 Build a Responsive Question Sequence
Module 03
Supportive Coaching Moves
Use responses that clarify, support, and develop direct reports in the moment.
- Day 11 Follow the Cue in the Update
- Day 12 Respond So the Issue Stays Open
- Day 13 Coach Without Taking Over
- Day 14 Remove Friction, Not Ownership
- Day 15 Turn a Mess Into Useful Support
Module 04
Difficult Conversation Handling
Work through tension, bad news, and misalignment without derailing trust.
- Day 16 Checkpoint: Handle the Hard Moment
- Day 17 Deliver Bad News and Keep Trust
- Day 18 Stay Useful When They Push Back
- Day 19 Turn Disagreement Into a Next Step
- Day 20 Hold Boundaries Without Killing Candor
- Day 21 Run a Hard Conversation End to End
Module 05
Cadence, Privacy, and Growth
Create shared agendas, proportional notes, reliable follow-through, adaptable formats, and career-growth conversations.
- Day 22 Build a Shared Cadence and Agenda
- Day 23 Take Notes That Respect Privacy
- Day 24 Keep Actions From Slipping
- Day 25 Flex the Format to the Work and Career Stage
- Day 26 Run a Career Growth Conversation
Module 06
Trust and Personal Meeting Playbook
Support workload and wellbeing without diagnosing, audit power and trust, then synthesize the system into a usable playbook.
- Day 27 Discuss Workload and Wellbeing Responsibly
- Day 28 Audit Trust, Voice, and Follow-Through
- Day 29 Run a Full One-on-One
- Day 30 Checkpoint: Lock In Your Playbook
How learning works
Read, listen, check your understanding, then keep going.
Short daily lessons
Each lesson is designed around about 10 minutes of focused learning.
Reading and audio
Read the lesson or play its audio when listening fits your day better.
Checks when useful
Lessons can use quizzes, written responses, or guided practice. A lesson can also teach without adding a forced exercise.
Progress and support
Track completed lessons, keep a streak, set reminders, and ask the in-lesson coach for help.
Know the limits. Cadence supports guided self-learning. It does not award an accredited degree or professional certificate, and important AI-generated claims should be checked against reliable sources.
Free to read first
Guides on the same skill.
No sign-up needed.
Part of a career skill path
See the guides and related courses.
Free to explore.
Course questions
What to know before you start.
Who is One-on-Ones That Work for?
Every lesson connects to a conversation, decision, or habit you can change between lessons. It is listed in the management part of the Cadence course library.
Do I need any prior experience?
No formal prerequisites are required. The course is designed for guided self-learning, and it is most useful when you bring a real situation or goal to the lessons.
How long does the course take?
One-on-Ones That Work contains 30 lessons designed around 10 minutes each. You open lessons in sequence and can move at your own pace.
What is the learning format?
Lessons can be read or played as audio. The course includes quizzes or practical checks where the lesson calls for them, plus progress tracking and Ask Coach inside lessons.
Does this course award a certificate or degree?
No. Cadence is for practical self-learning and does not award accredited degrees or professional certification.
Start today
Day 1: What a One-on-One Is Really For
Get access and choose One-on-Ones That Work. Your first practical move is ready when you open the app.
Download Cadence free from the App Store, or request free Android testing access.