This short transcript excerpt records a CEO (speaker) describing a leadership practice of holding one-on-one meetings with every employee—even at 300 people—arguing it requires only about 5% of their time (six half-hour one-on-ones per week over 50 weeks) and yields high employee engagement and direct problem awareness. The speaker frames it as the best use of their time as CEO.
Even at 300 people, I have one on one meetings with every single one of them. Oh my God. Sounds scary, but 50 weeks per year, only 6 one on ones per week. And each one, say half an hour is three hours of your time. That's maybe 5% of my working hours. And if you ask any CEO, hey, you spend 5% of your time, you can make sure all your employees are much more engaged. You know all the problems in the company, you can influence them directly. Would you spend that 5% of your time? No CEO would say no. It's actually best time I spent as a CEO.
