Emotional Intelligence for More Effective 1-1s

1-1s are ubiquitous in the software engineering industry, and great leaders cherish these discussions.

What makes 1-1s so valuable?
1-1s are just like any other meeting - they are used to exchange data - be it tactical project updates, personal updates, or perspectives on how a project is going. There is also implicit data exchanged, signals that are interwoven with each word that is spoken. These are our emotions.
Emotions can be felt and observed but can be difficult to interpret and process. Our brains are in overdrive when communicating with other humans as we take in these implicit signals along with the literal words being spoken. During 1-1s, this can intensify as our focus is entirely on the other person; What signals are they sending? How will I respond? What isn’t being said here?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify, understand, and manage our emotions to communicate more effectively with others. In this interactive discussion, we will explore how to leverage the four emotional intelligence skills to facilitate more productive and enjoyable 1-1s.

About Kate Wardin

Kate Wardin is an Engineering Manager at Netflix and is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She enjoys exploring the psychology of happiness at work and is passionate about building inclusive and high performing teams via people-first leadership. She believes in the power of humor to bring people together to create a positive and cohesive workplace. In her free time, Kate enjoys unwinding by watching The Office or chasing her toddler and dog.

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