In this article, Dalia Abuadas discusses how engineers can use one-on-ones with their managers for meaningful career growth, moving beyond status updates to strategic alignment and problem-solving.

How Engineers Can Use One-on-Ones with Their Manager to Accelerate Career Growth

By Dalia Abuadas

One-on-one meetings with your manager can be a powerful tool for career advancement and opportunity creation—when used intentionally. Too often, engineers limit these sessions to status updates, missing the chance to address challenges, seek feedback, and plan professional growth.

Unlocking the Potential of One-on-Ones

Dalia shares a personal experience: by expressing interest in mentorship and leadership during a one-on-one, she was offered the chance to co-lead a project, developing both technical and leadership skills. This experience underscored the value of leveraging these meetings for development beyond routine reporting.

While status updates and blockers are common topics, a well-structured one-on-one can accomplish much more. It’s an opportunity to treat your manager as a decision-making API—highlighting achievements, clarifying challenges, and aligning on both immediate work and longer-term goals.

Example Discussion Approach

Instead of asking for approval, present trade-offs and context:

“Here are the pros and cons of refactoring this service now versus later. How does this align with our broader business goals?”

This invites a collaborative and informed decision-making process.

One-on-Ones for Career Versioning

Even if promotion isn’t imminent, use one-on-ones to discuss long-term development. Early conversations about performance, skill gaps, and growth opportunities help build clarity and drive progress. Useful questions include:

  • Where am I meeting expectations?
  • What skills should I focus on?
  • What kind of work would show I’m ready for the next level?
  • Are there visibility or scope-expanding opportunities I can take on?

Dalia introduces the “Three Circles of Impact” framework to guide career conversations:

  1. Individual Contributions: Direct impact of your own work.
  2. Collaboration: Support and teamwork across the department.
  3. Enabling Others: Mentorship, sharing knowledge, and improving systems.

Bringing up contributions across these spheres helps your manager advocate for you, demonstrating readiness for new roles and responsibilities.

Managers Need Visibility to Help Debug

Managers aren’t always aware of day-to-day blockers. Use one-on-ones to surface persistent issues or unclear expectations. Dalia recounts addressing a latency issue, and through her manager’s perspective, realized that perhaps the SLO thresholds—not the code—needed re-evaluation. By voicing challenges, she saved valuable time and reframed the problem and solution.

Making the Most of One-on-Ones

To maximize value:

  • Prepare with accomplishments, obstacles, and growth goals.
  • Share ambitions and feedback early—don’t wait for promotion windows.
  • Treat career advancement as an ongoing, iterative process.
  • Collaborate with your manager to identify opportunities for growth.

Key Takeaways

  • Your manager isn’t a mind reader; clearly articulating your direction is essential.
  • Growth is shared, but starts with your own initiative.
  • Early, intentional one-on-ones lead to more visible impact and progress.

Dalia also recommends resources like The Engineer’s Survival Guide for further perspective shifts.

Ultimately, reframing one-on-ones as a strategic tool positions engineers for sustained professional development and influence in their teams.

This post appeared first on “GitHub Engineering Blog”. Read the entire article here