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1:1 prep for CS managers: walk in knowing their week

By Draft First. Updated October 2026

A 1:1 that starts with "So, what's going on?" usually ends with a status update you could have read in the CRM. Your direct report deserves better than that, and so do you. Ten minutes of prep changes the whole conversation.

What to know before you walk in

• Their accounts: anything flagged at risk, renewals coming up, open escalations.
• Their load: ticket count and age, meetings this week, anything stuck waiting on someone else.
• Wins: a renewal closed, a happy customer email, a hard ticket solved. Name them specifically.
• Last time: what you each agreed to do at the last 1:1, and whether it happened.
• Their growth: the goal they're working on this quarter.

An agenda that leaves room for them

1. Their topics first. Always.
2. One thing that's going well, said out loud.
3. Accounts that need a decision, not a recap.
4. Follow-ups from last time.
5. Growth, at least once a month.

A sample prep note

1:1 with Priya | Thu Oct 15
Wins: Larkspur escalation closed Oct 12; Tom Ng emailed thanks.
Accounts: Coastline renewal at 90 days, signer is new [CONFIRM].
Load: 23 open tickets (team median 15), 4 older than 7 days.
Last time: you said you'd get her access to the usage dashboard. Done? [CONFIRM]
Ask her: is the ticket load sustainable this month?

Notice the prep note points at a conversation, not a judgment. The ticket count is a question to ask, not a verdict.

The prompt

Before each 1:1 on my calendar with [direct report], prepare a note from
[CRM, ticket system, my 1:1 notes doc]: wins in the last 2 weeks with
sources, their accounts at risk or near renewal, open ticket count and
age vs team median, follow-ups from our last 1:1 and their status,
and one question worth asking. Keep it under 120 words.
Facts only, no opinions about performance. Share with me only.

That last line matters. A prep note is for you. It shouldn't turn into a surveillance report, and the agent shouldn't be guessing how someone feels.

This is the 1:1 Prep play in The CS Agent Playbook. If load keeps coming up, add a weekly workload check.

Questions

What should a manager prepare for a 1:1?

Their wins, accounts at risk, current load, follow-ups from last time and one good question.

Who sets the 1:1 agenda?

They do first. Your items come after theirs.

Is it OK to use AI to prep 1:1s?

Yes, for gathering facts. Keep the note private and keep opinions about performance out of it.