Culture Amp's 1-on-1s tool empowers both employees and managers to have meaningful, productive conversations. Our collaborative approach encourages joint ownership, with both parties able to contribute agenda topics.

When using Assigned topics, remember that these should enhance this collaborative experience, not override it. Assigned topics should be used strategically to enhance meaningful discussions, not as a substitute for regular company communications, or a way to distribute information that could be shared through other channels.

This guide will help you implement Assigned topics in a way that supports your employees, while respecting the purpose of 1-on-1 conversations.

Core Principles

Preserve Shared Ownership

1-on-1s are fundamentally a shared space between managers and their direct reports. Try to frame assigned topics as suggestions rather than directives.
Example: "This might be a good time to discuss..." rather than "Please discuss and document your answers to..."

Quality Over Quantity

Be selective with your assigned topics. Research shows that too many prompts can lead to decision fatigue and ultimately disengagement.
Example: Instead of weekly topics about various HR initiatives, choose only the quarterly performance review preparation as your key topic.

Add Genuine Value

Every assigned topic should provide immediate value to both the manager and employee as conversation participants. If you are ever unsure, ask yourself, "Would I want this topic in my own 1-on-1?" Always keep the employee experience central to your decision-making.
Highlight relevant opportunities with direct employee impact, which will also improve engagement with assigned topics. Examples include new roles, projects, or learning and development budgets.

What works well:

Timing topics with relevant organizational cycles
Providing light-touch reminders for key deadlines
Including links to relevant resources
Offering clear context for why the topic matters now

Facilitate Meaningful Conversation

Admin topics should open doors to dialogue, not deliver one-way communications.
Example: "New mentorship opportunities are available this quarter. Consider discussing which skills you're most interested in developing" rather than "Reminder! All employees need to complete their required training modules by end of quarter."

Target Your Audience

Leverage your organization's demographics to deliver relevant topics to the right people. Ask yourself: “Is this topic valuable and relevant to all employees, or is it more applicable to only some parts of your organization?”
For example: A prompt to the 1-on-1s between leaders of leaders and their direct reports (people leaders) to discuss their readiness for upcoming compensation discussions. This is critical, but not an appropriate topic to send to all employees.

Implementation Guide

Manage Posting Responsibilities Thoughtfully

Only Culture Amp admin roles have the ability to create an Assigned topic in 1-on-1s. If you have multiple admin roles in your organization, we recommend considering which of these roles is best placed to have responsibility to manage and create assigned topics.

Centralizing this responsibility can help maintain quality and prevent overuse, by ensuring you have oversight of the types and numbers of messages that go out.

Note: At this stage, we do not have a separate admin role for 1-on-1s.

Set Clear Limits

While there's no hard rule about the best number of topics, we recommend that you use this feature judiciously. Consider:

Creating guidelines for topic types and frequency that you can use for discussions with your stakeholders.
Discussing alternative channels for updates that don't require conversation. For example, newsletters or training programs.

Plan a Calendar

Align admin topics with your organizational rhythms and events, such as:

Performance and development cycles
Budget planning periods
Major organizational changes
Seasonal opportunities (such as accessing learning budgets, or benefits enrollment windows).

Measure Success, and Gather Feedback

Track utilization rates and collect feedback from both managers and direct reports.

Sample questions:

"Did the suggested topics add value to your one-on-ones?"
"Were the topics relevant and timely for your team members?"

What to Avoid

Micromanagement

Avoid using admin topics to steer conversations solely toward organizational priorities, or to cover perceived gaps in management actions. This could undermine trust in the 1-on-1 tool, making it appear like a HR surveillance mechanism

Instead of:	Try:
"Please discuss compliance training completion status. Ensure all outstanding modules are completed by Friday."	"Our annual compliance training deadline is fast approaching! Do you have time set aside to complete your learning?”
"Discuss how you are implementing the new customer experience framework, and document your adoption metrics for review."	“Our new customer experience framework just launched. This could be a good time to discuss how it's influencing your work” Note: Do you need additional support for successful integration into your work?

Capability Gap Fillers

When we notice leadership capability gaps, it might be tempting for the business to ask to use Assigned topics as a quick fix. However, systemic development needs more comprehensive approaches. Assigned topics shouldn't substitute for leadership training or other developmental tools.

Instead of:	Try:
“Employee engagement scores show feedback is an area for improvement. Please use your next 1-on-1 to provide some feedback.”	“Our new Feedback tool launches next week! Take a moment to discuss how you like to give and receive feedback” Note: What makes feedback most valuable and meaningful to you? This could be a great opportunity to explore that.

Vague or Generic Prompts

Every topic should have specific, actionable context.

Instead of:	Try:
"Discuss the newly launched work policies"	"We've updated our flexible work policy. Consider discussing how these changes might support your work arrangements” Note: Please see this link for more information on what these changes might mean for you, and how these changes might support your preferred work arrangements.”

Sensitive Topics Without Support

Culture Amp 1-on-1s sliders already provide a mechanism for managers to discuss topics such as wellbeing and work relationships. These have been thoughtfully designed to encourage supportive conversation. Outside of this, we would generally recommend avoiding topics requiring specialized knowledge or sensitive handling without providing appropriate resources.

When approaching sensitive topics like inclusion or mental health, we would recommend aligning with broader organizational initiatives (which provide important context to the topic, and likely additional support). We would also recommend providing links to relevant resources to support both managers and employees.

Instead of:	Try:
"It's Mental Health Awareness Month. Use this 1-on-1 to discuss any mental health challenges you are experiencing"	"Did you know that we have recently expanded our available mental wellness resources?” Note: This could be a good time to review what’s available [link], and discuss which resources might be most relevant to your current needs and priorities."

Example Topics

Note: Assigned topics are limited to 120 characters for the title. You can use a note to provide further information or detail, such as a link to additional resources.

Topic	Audience	Example
Engagement	All relevant employee demographics	“With the recent release of engagement results, now is a great time to check in and see if you have any questions.”
Performance	All relevant employee demographics	"It's almost performance review time. Take a moment to discuss who you'd like to nominate to ask for feedback” Note: “If you haven't already done so, this could be a good opportunity to discuss who might give you the most helpful insights.” "Performance review season is approaching! To prepare, you may want to reflect on your key achievements this year.” Note: “This conversation could help you identify what you're most proud of and what you want to highlight in your review.”
Calibration	For Leaders of Leaders and their Direct Reports	"Calibration sessions are coming up. This is a great time to discuss your readiness for the process.” Note: “Make sure you have ample evidence and feel well-prepared for the session. Are you clear on the process that’s followed?”
Compensation	For Leaders of Leaders and their Direct Reports	"Compensation outcome conversations are happening in two weeks. This could be a good time to check in on your readiness” Note: "Do you feel prepared for these discussions? Are there any areas where additional support would be helpful?"
Goals	All relevant employee demographics	"We've refreshed our quarterly priorities. This might be a good time to explore how your work connects to these goals” Note: “Are there any areas where you need more clarity on the broader goals, or additional support?" "We're halfway through the performance year! If you haven’t already, you might find it helpful to check in on progress” Note: “Are there any updates or adjustments to your goals that you'd like to consider?"
Development	All relevant employee demographics	"With development planning time coming up, consider setting aside time to review and discuss your draft plan” Note: “Plans should be finalised before [XX date]. This conversation could help refine your priorities and next steps." “Annual learning budgets are refreshing next quarter. Take a moment to explore new learning opportunities" Note: If you're considering professional development, this could be a good time to discuss your priorities and potential options. “It’s Career Week! If you haven’t had an opportunity to discuss career aspirations before, now’s a great time” “[Demographic e.g. Department] recently completed a workshop on [topic]. Do you have reflections on the skills you've learned?" Note: How have you been practicing these skills? Do you have any reflections or insights you'd like to discuss?
Benefits	All relevant employee demographics	"Open enrollment is just around the corner. Do you have any questions about your benefits?” Note: “If you are unsure about your benefits options, this could be a good opportunity to discuss them. See this [link] for more details."
Seasonal	Targeted demographic, e.g. Sales	“Peak season is approaching! Take a moment to review key projects and deadlines" Note: Now’s a great time to ensure you're set up for a successful period. Do you need any additional support? “It's peak season! Take a moment to discuss the support you might need” Note: “Is there any support you need to help you have a successful end of quarter?”
Organizational Topics	All relevant employee demographics	"With the recent [initiative] announcement, this might be a good time to check in on what it means for your work.” Note: “If you have any questions or thoughts, this could be a useful discussion to have." “The new [name] policy has been in place for a month. Take a moment to share your perspective.” Note: "This could be a good opportunity to share perspectives on how it's working and whether any adjustments might be helpful." "The recent [initiative name] announcement affects many teams. Take a moment to discuss how you’re feeling about it.” Note: “You might find it helpful to discuss any questions or thoughts that have come up and how this change impacts your work." "We've recently expanded our wellbeing resources. Have you explored them yet? Note: “This could be a good time to check in on what’s available and discuss any resources [link] that might be useful for you." "The company has refreshed its strategy. This might be a good time to explore how your work connects” Note: “Are there any areas where you need more clarity, or support on how your work connects to these broader goals?"