Managing Tech: Cadence

This is part of a series:

• Managing Tech: People
• Managing Tech: Heroes
• Managing Tech: Professionals
• Managing Tech: Time
• Managing Tech: Cadence (you are here)
• Managing Tech: 1:1

I have mentioned before that a manager's currency is meetings. This is markedly different from the individual contributor, whose currency is focus time. As a manager at Amazon, it was not uncommon for me to sit down at my desk on Monday morning and find that I already had 20 hours of meetings scheduled for the week. How could that possibly be the case?

In this post, I will walk through the meetings that should be on a manager's calendar, along with recommended timing and cadence. I will also discuss - at a high level - the purpose of each meeting and why it matters. Future posts will dive deeper into agendas and specific considerations for each meeting type.

Direct Report 1:1

Weekly, 30 minutes

You should have dedicated time with each of your direct reports every week. This is especially important for remote teams, but it applies just as strongly when you are co-located. This is their time to speak - to tell you how things are really going. While there should be dialogue, the primary flow of information should be from them to you. Communication flowing downward can happen in other meetings.

To that end, if an employee wants to cancel their 1:1 for the week, that is their prerogative. You, however, should respect the scheduled time and avoid canceling or rescheduling unless it is absolutely necessary. Canceling sends the message that your direct report is less important than other work - when, in reality, they are the reason your role exists. Rescheduling risks disrupting the focus time they have carefully arranged for their own productivity.

If you must reschedule, ask whether it works for them and what time they would prefer. Do not assume you understand their calendar well enough to make that decision unilaterally.

Remember that employees are people. Do you enjoy having your schedule changed without warning? If your mechanic needs to reschedule your car service, do you want them to simply pick a new time for you?

Preparation matters. You should never show up to a 1:1 without an agenda. By the time the meeting begins, you should already have a clear view of the employee's status. When did they last take time off? What goals have they stated? What follow-ups are pending?

I personally schedule 30-minute 1:1s, but I block 30 minutes on either side of each meeting. The time before allows me to prepare; the time after gives me space to capture notes and address action items. This ensures I am fully present - and it also allows the meeting to run long if needed.

Direct Reports Team Meeting

Weekly, 30–60 minutes

The team meeting is your opportunity to set and reinforce direction. This is where pass-down information belongs. This is manager talk time. Your goal is to ensure everyone is aligned - focused on the same point on the horizon - and that objectives are being communicated clearly.

You should also leave room for questions.

Remember that not everyone feels comfortable speaking up in a group setting. Avoid putting anyone on the spot. If you would like someone to share work or insights with the team, ask them privately during a 1:1. They may prefer to contribute via a written document, an email, or collaboration in team chat.

As someone inclined toward Socratic questioning, I have learned that questions meant to probe deeper meaning can sometimes be misinterpreted as "stupid." No question is stupid. Every question is valid. Psychological safety is essential - without it, valuable insights will remain unspoken.

Be careful with spillover from 1:1s. Personal information shared privately is not for team discussion unless explicitly acknowledged and agreed upon.

Office Hours

Weekly, 60 minutes

When can employees reach you for clarification outside of structured meetings? I do not consider office hours mandatory unless you are managing through change. During periods of uncertainty, people often have questions after talking with peers, family, or simply reflecting during their commute.

Office hours create space for those questions.

In modern environments with persistent chat tools, office hours may be less necessary. Use your judgment. Your role exists because your direct reports exist. Be available to them.

Manager 1:1

Weekly, 30–60 minutes

Just as you meet with your direct reports weekly, you should meet with your manager weekly as well. The same principles apply - you are one of their direct reports. This is your time to gain clarity on expectations, performance, and priorities.

Thirty minutes is often sufficient, though some managers also use this time for pass-down communication, which may require a full hour.

Manager Team Meeting

Weekly, 60 minutes

This is the equivalent of your team meeting, but for your manager's direct reports. This is manager time - time to think about team needs and alignment with broader organizational goals. These meetings should be driven by your manager and primarily focused on pass-down information from higher-level discussions.

Peer Manager Meeting

Weekly, rotating, 30 minutes

I recommend meeting regularly with peer managers. I rotate through peers - one per week. With six peers, that is one meeting every six weeks with each.

These meetings help you grow and help others grow. Approach them with humility. You will learn about processes that work well elsewhere - and sometimes you will be the one offering guidance.

They are also a chance to build alliances. If you and your peers notice a broader issue or missed objective, this is the place to identify it and plan how to surface it constructively. This is not a gossip session. Complaining solves nothing; plotting a path forward does.

Partner Team Meetings

Weekly, 30–60 minutes

Partners are managers of teams your direct reports collaborate with - Product Managers, program leads, or even VPs. Whenever possible, attend these meetings. Your direct reports should also attend when their work is directly involved.

When a direct report is doing the hands-on work, your role is to support them - especially when priorities conflict or clarification is needed. You never want "because my manager said so" to be the explanation. Your presence allows you to explain trade-offs and course-correct in real time.

These meetings may surface important signals - declining revenue, shifting priorities, or organizational changes. Being early to these signals allows you to plan and communicate proactively with your manager.

Direct Reports Fun Meeting

Monthly, 60 minutes

People connect over shared interests. This meeting exists to foster personal relationships. While you may lead it initially, long-term ownership should shift to the team - perhaps a senior contributor or a natural facilitator.

Topics should vary widely: books, movies, hobbies, cooking. I have had team members give live cooking demos from their kitchens. These moments matter.

Your employees will talk without you present. That is healthy. Encourage it.

Attendance should be encouraged but never required. No one should feel guilty for skipping due to deadlines. Participation should also be optional - lurking is fine. The goal is freeform connection, not forced engagement.

Direct Report Performance Meeting

Quarterly, 60 minutes

This is an extended 1:1 focused on performance. Annual reviews should never be the first time feedback is shared. Quarterly cadence allows for course correction.

I like to work with three development goals per employee: short-, medium-, and long-term. This creates continuity and momentum.

These meetings must be honest and clear. You can see performance patterns across the team and organization - use that insight to collaborate on closing gaps. You are not responsible for achieving their goals, but you are responsible for helping chart the path.

This is also the right time to discuss potential moves into management and to gather materials for promotion narratives.

Feedback should flow both ways. Ask directly: "How am I doing as your manager?" and "What do you need from me to be successful?" If you have missed the mark, own it and improve.

Manager Performance Meeting

Quarterly, 60 minutes

This mirrors the performance discussion you have with your team, but with your manager. It is also an opportunity to validate or contextualize feedback you are hearing from your team and to identify concrete actions for improvement.

Partner Owner Meeting

Quarterly, 30 minutes

This is an executive-level 1:1 with business owners your team supports. Come prepared with accomplishments, current work, and future plans.

Use this time to understand the business deeply. Partners enjoy explaining their products and strategy - and that knowledge makes you a better advocate for alignment.

Always ask: "How are we doing?" If there are concerns, this is the moment to surface them.

Skip-Level Manager Meeting

Quarterly, 30 minutes

Encourage skip-level meetings - both for your employees and for yourself. These conversations remove narrative bias and provide fresh perspective. They help individuals understand how objectives connect across the organization and why certain decisions are being made.

In-Person Direct Report Meeting

Quarterly, all day

Applies mostly to remote managers.

Remote management requires intentionality. If budget allows, visit each direct report quarterly. Meet for coffee or lunch. Connect as people.

For co-located teams, consider a quarterly team lunch.

Annual Direct Report Performance Meeting

Annually, 60 minutes

If you are holding quarterly performance meetings, nothing in the annual review should come as a surprise. The structure may be more formal due to corporate requirements, but the substance should already be familiar.

Closing Thoughts

Take notes - lots of them. When no process is defined, I use Obsidian because Markdown is searchable and reusable (even as input to AI systems). I follow up each meeting with written notes.

When corporate tools exist, use them. Shared documents - with agendas prepared in advance - keep everyone aligned and eliminate ambiguity.

This list may feel exhaustive. It may be too much - or not enough - depending on your culture. But the core truth remains: managers spend time in meetings. Done well, those meetings build cohesion, alignment, and serendipity.

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