Ongoing conversations, clear goals, and documentation that helps people grow, not just a paper trail for when things go wrong.
Don't overthink it. Consistent documentation across the employee lifecycle creates clarity and less ambiguity, the same way it does for support or engineering.
One running doc per person, or your HRIS's shared notes. Note deadlines, agreements, feedback, frustrations, and actions.
A short email confirming what was agreed: dates, timelines, goals. Two minutes now saves an argument later.
Goals that only live in someone's head can't be measured or reviewed fairly.
Document the good as consistently as the bad. A record that only starts when there's a problem looks like a case being built.
Rule of thumb: documentation is for clarity, not ammunition. If you would be uncomfortable with the employee reading a note, rewrite it until you wouldn't be.
Weekly or every other week. Short, consistent, and owned by the employee.
The employee brings what they're working on, where they're blocked, and where they need help.
The manager names one thing going well and one area to focus on. Small, regular feedback keeps it alive.
The manager asks for feedback: "How can I better support you?" Then acts on the answer.
Agreements, owners, and dates go in the shared doc, so the next 1:1 starts with follow-through.
The 1:1 is the best place to give feedback, both where things are going well and where the employee could improve, and to hear it about yourself.
Plus the editable Word template.