Mastering 1:1s as a Data Scientist: From Status Updates to Career Growth

Use your 1:1s to gain visibility, solve challenges, and advance your career The post Mastering 1:1s as a Data Scientist: From Status Updates to Career Growth appeared first on Towards Data Science.

Mar 4, 2025 - 20:38

Mastering 1:1s as a Data Scientist: From Status Updates to Career Growth

I have been a data team manager for six months, and my team has grown from three to five.

I wrote about my initial manager experiences back in November. In this article, I want to talk about something that is more essential to the relationship between a DS or DA individual contributor (IC) and their manager — the 1:1 meetings. I remember when I first started my career, I felt nervous and awkward in my 1:1s, as I didn’t know what to expect or what was useful. Now, having been on both sides during 1:1s, I understand better how to have an effective 1:1 meeting.

If you have ever struggled with how to make the best out of your 1:1s, here are my essential tips.

I. Set up a regular 1:1 cadence

First and foremost, 1:1 meetings with your manager should happen regularly. It could be weekly or biweekly, depending on the pace of your projects. For example, if you are more analytics-focused and have lots of fast-moving reporting and analysis tasks, a weekly 1:1 might be better to provide timely updates and align on project prioritization. However, if you are focusing on a long-term machine learning project that will span multiple weeks, you might feel more comfortable with a biweekly cadence — this allows you to do your research, try different approaches, and have meaningful conversations during 1:1s.

I have weekly recurring 30-minute 1:1 slots with everyone on my team, just to make sure I always have this dedicated time for them every week. These meetings sometimes end up being short 15-minute chats or even casual conversations about life after work, but I still find them super helpful for staying updated on what’s on top of everyone’s mind and building personal connections.

II. Make preparations and update your 1:1 agenda

Preparing for your 1:1 is critical. I maintain a shared 1:1 document with my manager and update it every week before our meetings. I also appreciate my direct reports preparing their 1:1 agenda beforehand. Here is why:

Throughout the week, I like to jot down discussion topics quickly on my 1:1 doc whenever they come to my mind. This ensures I cover all important points during the meeting and improves communication effectiveness.
Having an agenda helps both you and your manager keep track of what has been discussed and keeps everyone accountable. We talk to many people every day, so it is totally normal if you lose track of what you have mentioned to someone. Therefore, having such a doc reminds you of your previous conversations. Now, as a manager with a team of five, I also turn to the 1:1 docs to ensure I address all open questions and action items from the last meeting and find links to past projects.
It can also assist your performance review process. When writing my self-review, I read through my 1:1 doc to list my achievements. Similarly, I also use the 1:1 docs with my team to make sure I do not miss any highlights from their projects.

So, what are good topics for 1:1? See the section below.

III. Topics on your 1:1 agenda

While each manager has their preferences, there’s a wide range of topics that are generally appropriate for 1:1s. You don’t have to cover every one of them, but I hope they give you some inspiration and you no longer feel clueless about your 1:1.

Achievements since the last 1:1: I recommend listing the latest achievements in your 1:1 doc. You don’t have to talk about each one in detail during the meeting, but it’s good to give your manager visibility and remind them how good you are Read More