My teams used to protect their 1:1s with me like sacred time. When scheduling conflicts arose, they'd fight to reschedule rather than cancel. "We need to move it, not skip it," they'd say. Why? Because these weren't status update meetings where we droned through project timelines—they were strategic investment sessions where real growth happened. We'd brainstorm solutions to the challenges keeping them up at night, dissect team dynamics that were creating friction, and explore leadership opportunities they hadn't even realized existed. Today, AI dashboards can track and summarize their deliverables, reserving our 1:1 time for something no algorithm can replicate: building human capability and trust.
So, when I read a recent Fast Company article that declared 1:1 meetings "irrelevant" thanks to AI, arguing that real-time performance dashboards and sentiment analysis tools have made weekly check-ins as outdated as fax machines, I was surprised. The author paints a picture of AI avatars conducting meetings with each other. At the same time, humans skim transcripts over lunch, suggesting we're moving toward a world where scheduled human connection becomes obsolete.
But here's where this logic falls apart: The problem isn't the calendar invite. It's what we do when we show up.
Scheduled Connection Works—When Done Right
Think about the most successful relationships in your life. They involve some form of scheduled, intentional time together. Marriage counselors have recommended weekly date nights for decades, not because couples can't connect spontaneously, but because life's demands make intentional connection essential for maintaining a healthy relationship. My weekly workout sessions with my best friend haven't weakened our friendship; they've been the foundation that's kept us connected through job changes, health crises, and the chaos of daily life.
Work relationships are no different. The challenge isn't that we're calendaring time to invest in people—it's that most leaders have never been taught how to use that time effectively.
The Real Problem: We're Teaching Status Updates, Not Leadership
Walk into most 1:1 meetings and you'll witness a ritual that would make Frederick Taylor proud: managers asking for project updates, reviewing task lists, and discussing calendar conflicts. It's management theater at its finest—lots of activity that feels important but creates little value.
No wonder AI advocates (and I am one) argue these meetings are redundant. If your 1:1s are just verbal versions of your project management dashboard, then yes, Slack summaries and performance analytics can replace them. I recall creating an 'I Hate Status Meetings' Facebook group out of frustration in 2016. Eliminating 1:1s is like saying we should eliminate date nights because couples can text each other updates about their days.
The issue isn't the format—it's the fundamental misunderstanding of what these conversations should accomplish.
Three Types of Problems, Three Different Solutions
Here's what most managers miss: there are fundamentally different types of problems that require different approaches, and conflating them destroys the value of 1:1 meetings.
Status and Information Sharing: This is where AI genuinely shines. Real-time dashboards, automated progress reports, and intelligent summaries can handle the "Where are we on Project X?" conversations far more efficiently than any human interaction. The Fast Company article is absolutely right about this.
"I'm Stuck" Moments: When someone hits a roadblock, needs creative input, or faces an urgent decision, they need help in real-time, not next Tuesday at 2 PM. These moments require immediate access, quick brainstorming, and rapid problem-solving. Scheduled meetings are the wrong tool for this job.
Development and Growth: This is where intentional, scheduled time becomes irreplaceable. How is someone approaching their work? What patterns do you notice in their communication style? How are they building relationships across the organization? What skills are they developing, and where do they need support? These conversations require observation, reflection, and the kind of nuanced human insight that takes time to develop. AI could provide managers with patterns and examples, but don't replace a person deeply invested in your success.
The Leadership Skills Gap
The real crisis isn't meeting frequency—it's that most people are promoted into leadership roles without ever learning how to lead. They default to what feels manageable: checking boxes, reviewing deliverables, and maintaining the illusion of control through information gathering.
Effective leadership requires a different skillset entirely. It means learning to:
- Observe patterns in how team members work, communicate, and collaborate
- Ask questions that uncover growth opportunities and hidden challenges
- Provide feedback that builds confidence while driving improvement
- Create psychological safety where people can be honest about their struggles
- Connect individual development to broader team and organizational goals
These capabilities don't develop through osmosis or good intentions. They require practice, coaching, and yes—scheduled time to focus on people rather than projects.
The Curveball Connection
In my work with technology and healthcare executives, I consistently encounter this challenge. Leaders who excel at tactical execution often struggle when they need to develop others or navigate unexpected challenges—what I call "curveballs." They've never learned to pause, assess, and respond strategically rather than reactively.
The same mindset that turns 1:1s into status update sessions is the one that treats every business challenge as a fire drill. Both reflect a fundamental gap in strategic leadership capability.
When leaders learn to approach these conversations differently—focusing on development rather than deliverables, growth rather than tasks—the value becomes obvious. Team members feel more supported, develop faster, and become more capable of handling challenges independently.
AI as Enhancement, Not Replacement
Here's what the Fast Company article gets wrong: AI should enhance human leadership, not replace it. Use AI to handle information flow and identify patterns, but don't delegate the human work of building trust, providing guidance, and developing capability.
Imagine if instead of trying to eliminate 1:1s, we used AI to make them better. What if your calendar assistant could flag when someone's communication patterns suggest stress? What if sentiment analysis could highlight team members who might benefit from additional support? What if AI could track development goals and suggest conversation topics that align with someone's growth trajectory?
The future isn't AI avatars having meetings with each other—it's human leaders using AI insights to have more meaningful, impactful conversations with their teams.
The Intentional Investment
The most successful leaders I work with treat their 1:1s like strategic investments, not administrative tasks. They come prepared with observations, questions, and genuine curiosity about their team members' development. They create space for honest conversations about challenges, aspirations, and growth opportunities.
These leaders understand what the AI enthusiasts miss: building human capability requires human attention. You can't automate trust. You can't dashboard your way to psychological safety. And you certainly can't algorithm your way to the kind of deep, sustained development that creates resilient, high-performing teams.
The ritual isn't broken. We just need to learn how to use it properly.
Disclosure: I am an advisor to AdamX.
Graphics in this post were developed using ChatGPT. Claude.ai was used to improve the structure of the content.