A lightweight 4-part system to align priorities, surface blockers early, and make your growth impossible to ignore… in just 30 minutes a week.

Hey Fellow Accelerators,

In last week’s edition, we spoke about how to take control of your career growth when your role comes with no development structure - a common occurrence in many startups. In this week’s edition, we continue to build on the theme of managing your own development by utilising one of the few structured touch points you do have available to you… the 1:1.

Unless you’re very unlucky, you’ll likely have weekly, or at least biweekly, 1:1s scheduled with your manager. For the first few weeks, these are often more check-ups as opposed to check-ins. During that period (especially while you’re still on probation), 1:1s are a chance for you to get familiar with expectations and processes (if any exist), and for your manager to check you’re adapting to startup life.

For this phase, the best approach is knowledge gathering. Be relentless in documenting questions about the job, the company, processes, procedures, the team... basically anything and everything you hit during your early tasks. And be unapologetic about asking them. There is no question too silly in these early weeks, and there will never be an easier time to ask. So do it.

Soon enough though, you need to switch gears and turn these 1:1s into growth platforms. The problem: most managers are time-poor. Many are first-timers. If you turn up expecting them to bring the magic and hand you a blueprint to your next career goal, you’ll likely be disappointed. You’ll get a friendly chat about your weekend, a few generic project questions, and the same again next week.

The key shift for me was revisiting what a 1:1 is supposed to be, and which obligations sit where. What I landed on was your manager brings the time; you bring the structure. Once you accept that, and take ownership of the 1:1, you can turn up with a system that creates clarity, faster decisions, and a platform to evidence your impact.

Today, I’ll show you how to turn 30 minutes into a promotion engine with a simple 4-part system you can adapt to your stage of career and company culture.

What we’ll cover:

• The Pre-Meeting Update -> Set the stage, lighten the meeting load and avoid “I’ll get back to you.”
• The Agenda -> Take control of what gets airtime and balance work vs development chat.
• The Weekly Update -> A quick note that focuses decisions and support.
• The Ask Ladder -> A simple framework that compounds trust and opportunity.
• The Me Mandate -> The non-negotiable mentality for growth.

Let’s rebuild your 1:1s so they work for you. But first... why do we need to?

I’m sure there are times you check your calendar, see an upcoming 1:1, and groan. Maybe you’re tight on a deadline and could use the extra time. Maybe you haven’t progressed the task you promised last week. Or maybe you’re dreading it because you want to ask about your career growth but aren’t quite sure how.

Now imagine your manager looking at a whole morning, or even day, of back-to-back 1:1s. With little spare time and a mountain of tasks, they’re unlikely to prep. That’s how these sessions can so easily become just another time drain in a sea of meetings.

But 1:1s can be one of the biggest catalysts for your growth: a consistent slot where you are the focus. So it makes sense that the best person to own that conversation is… you.

Follow these four steps to turn your next 1:1 into the growth springboard you’ve been looking for:

Part 1 → The Pre-Meeting Update

One reframing changed my approach: shift the 1:1 focus from work to career. Yes your manager should know where you’re at on current work, but there are plenty of touch points for that outside of your 1:1's (stand-ups, team meetings, Slack). In the 1:1, work updates should be a fraction of the agenda, allowing more time to be focused on blockers or decisions that need manager input.

And the best way to ensure this happens is by sending a short update 2–3 hours before (or the afternoon prior if the 1:1 is first thing) covering all current tasks so they don't run up with any questions to steal your time.

It could look like this:

1. Wins —> Two or three outcomes you have delivered (include a metric if possible).
2. Next —> One or two things you’ll move to next (plus ETAs).
3. Risk —> The single biggest risk you foresee and your proposed solution.
4. Unblock —> The decisions, resources, intros, times, or reviews you need from them to continue on your way, and the impact not having them is having.

Why this works:

• It turns your manager into an accelerant, not a bottleneck, by prompting them to think ahead, and reduces the chances of the least helpful response... “I’ll get back to you on that.”
• If you’re nervous about a big blocker, this opens the discussion loop before the meeting.
• It creates a running log of wins you can use in reviews and promotion cases.

Part 2 → The Agenda

Most 1:1s fail because there’s no structure. Your job is to bring one. This lets you control both what is discussed and how long each topic gets.

With the pre-meeting update sent, you can reduce time on existing task status and focus on unblocking decisions. Use the rest for what moves you forward like new responsibilities, interest areas, promotion criteria.

Use this ultra-tight agenda so your manager sees signal immediately:

• Section 1: Running agenda (≤3 mins)
  • Only if there were pending actions from last time. Otherwise, a 60-second recap of the pre-meeting update is fine.
• Section 2: Blockers / decisions (≤5 mins)
  • Reference the pre-meeting update. Be direct to focus the conversation on the decision/support you need.
• Section 3: Career / growth tracker (≥10 mins)
  • Use blockers, interests, and recent wins to ask for aligned opportunities. If you’re unsure, request a resource they recommend. No time in a 1:1 should be wasted or left for silence to fill.
• Section 4: Time for their feedback (≤10 mins)
  • Feedback is fundamental for growth, but only when it's relevant. Keep it targeted by focusing the attention and if they struggle, use openers like:
    • “What would make this a strong yes?”
    • “Is there a past example that hits the bar?”
• Section 5: Summary (≈2 mins)
  • Confirm decisions and next steps for both sides. Capture in your doc to provide logs and accountability.
• Section 6: Backlog (asynchronous)
  • Keep a running list of questions/ideas that might not necessarily be a priority but would facilitate you learning and developing further. These are for the times you have nothing pressing to discuss, or didn't have time to plan an agenda - the key here is to ensure no 1:1 is wasted, even on quieter weeks.

Once you have your agenda, document it (a shared doc works great). Share it with your manager alongside the pre-meeting update, and add notes afterwards so you build a reliable reference and tracker.

Why this works:

• It zooms in on what leadership actually cares about. The outcomes, risk and next steps and covers it quickly.
• It signals ownership: you’re not dumping problems; you’re proposing solutions.
• It lets you introduce sensitive topics (performance, pay, promotions) without blindsiding anyone - you prime the conversation.
• It bakes growth into the agenda so development isn’t a “nice to have,” but a non-negotiable.

Part 3 → The Ask Ladder

Steps 1 and 2 build the foundation. But you’re not entitled to the dream project or the next promotion just because you discuss goals. Trust, and the bigger responsibilities that follow with it, is won through small, consistent reps.

There’s always something that moves you closer, even if it’s not the title yet. This is where the Ask Ladder comes in:

• Level 1 (small, frequent responsibilities)
  • Take the first crack at tasks your manager usually leads; you do the work, they review. Low risk, high exposure, and perfect for proving you can execute behind the scenes.
  • e.g. “Mind if I draft the email/outline/PRD?”
• Level 2 (contained ownership)
  • Step up to lead a contained slice live (e.g., the first 10 minutes of a customer call) with your manager present as a safety net. This shows you can perform “on stage” without needing every move reviewed.
  • e.g. “Can I run the first 10 minutes of the customer call?”
• Level 3 (end-to-end slice)
  • Own a project or client start to finish and use your 1:1 cadence to keep leaders calm and informed. Shift from asking to proposing (within role boundaries and company priorities) because you’ve earned enough trust to drive.
  • e.g. “I’ll lead v1 of the roadmap for Feature X and present options next week.”
• Level 4 (outcome ownership)
  • Move from tasks to metrics: own a measurable outcome for a period and report weekly. This is where you start touching strategy and results, setting up the next promotion step.
  • e.g. “I’ll own this metric for the next quarter and report weekly.”

Why this works:

• Each ask you complete is proof you can identify and ship what moves the business.
• Lower levels give you a safety net to test, iterate, and build real intuition.
• The growing document of tasks completed + metrics impacted becomes rocket fuel for your next review.

Part 4 → The Me Mandate

This is a mentality. 1:1s are about you. Run properly, they should cover both your current work and your development. The Me Mandate is your reminder to protect them fiercely, ensure they happen consistently, and hold both yourself and your manager accountable for what you discuss and decide.

Here’s what you learned today

• Your manager brings the time; you bring the structure.
• The right 1:1 structure turns casual chats into decisions and momentum.
• The weekly update is your visibility engine.
• The Ask Ladder earns you bigger opportunities, one rep at a time.

This week’s action

• Check when your next 1:1 is scheduled and send a pre-meeting update 2–3 hours before.
• Run the agenda and stick to your time limits.
• Use the Ask Ladder (whichever level you’re at) to begin one development-focused task this week.
• Log the outcome and file it for your next review.

That's all for this weeks edition of TSCA. Until next time…

Here’s to clarity in the chaos.​
Hayds & The TSCA Team

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