What's up, everyone? This is Alex Lieberman, co-founder and executive chairman of Morning Brew.

Welcome back to Founders Journal, my personal audio diary, where I give you the business builder,

the tools you need to think better in order to build better, whether that's building a business,

a team, or a new product. Today, I am talking about how to crush one-on-ones as a manager or as a

direct report. Let's hop into it. So I will be the first to say one-on-ones are not sexy,

but they are super important. It is one of the only times in a week where you have the undivided

attention of your boss or of your direct report. And think about it this way. If you want to be

successful in your career, you need to be successful in one-on-ones. It's that simple. As a manager,

your performance is based on the performance of the team. And your team is made up of different

individuals. The highest leverage activity you can do to support those different individuals,

so your team does well, and therefore you do well, is weekly one-on-ones. And as an employee,

you perform well when you understand how your role contributes to the business,

when you do your role very well, and when your manager recognizes that you're doing your role

really well. A one-on-one is the perfect space to make sure that you are clear on what your job is

and that your work is being recognized. And here's how Andy Grove, who is basically the Godfather

of management, here's how he put it. He describes one-on-ones as the essential high leverage activity

that all managers need to invest in. Basically, 90 minutes of your time can enhance the quality

of your subordinates' work for two weeks or for some 80 plus hours. And while Grove is totally

right, I see one-on-ones as a two-way street. Both parties need to make a count. As a direct report,

it's your chance to show why you're great at your job, to over-communicate things you're thinking

about, to work through challenges together, and to ask questions that you ordinarily wouldn't have

had the chance to get answered in the day-to-day of business. And for managers, it's a great time for

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