If you’ve ever left a one-on-one thinking, “What did we actually get done?”—you’re not alone. It’s even tougher when everyone’s remote. Agendas get lost in Slack, notes are scattered, and follow-ups slip through the cracks. If you want your one-on-ones to suck less (and actually help your team), you’ll need a better system. That’s where Fellow comes in.
This guide is for managers, team leads, or anyone running regular one-on-ones with remote team members and tired of wasting time. I’ll walk you through using Fellow to actually make your meetings useful—without adding more busywork.
Why bother with one-on-one meeting software?
Let’s be honest: you could keep doing what you’re doing. But if your remote meetings feel scattered or pointless, it’s probably not because you’re lazy—it’s because the default tools aren’t helping. Here’s what actually gets better when you use software built for this job:
- Shared agendas so both sides come prepared
- Notes that don’t vanish into the ether
- Clear action items (and reminders to actually do them)
- A single place to look back at what you decided
You don’t need an app for everything, but if you’re managing more than a couple people remotely, something like Fellow can save your brain—and your team’s patience.
Step 1: Set up your workspace and invite your team
First, get Fellow set up for your team. This isn’t rocket science, but here’s what to focus on:
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Create your account and workspace: Sign up and set up your “workspace”—Fellow’s term for your team’s shared space. Use your work email so you can connect calendars and auto-invite teammates.
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Integrate your calendar: Syncing with Google or Outlook means no double-booking and your meetings show up automatically. This is worth doing, even if you’re skeptical.
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Invite your team: You can invite people as you schedule meetings, but it’s easier to add your direct reports or peers right away. They’ll get invites to join and see what’s going on.
Pro tip: Don’t go wild inviting everyone in your org. Start with just the people you’re actually having regular one-on-ones with. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Create recurring one-on-one meetings
Recurring meetings are how you’ll keep things consistent (and avoid agenda whiplash).
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Schedule your one-on-ones in your calendar: If you’ve already got recurring meetings, Fellow will pull them in automatically. If not, set them up in your calendar first.
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Find your meetings in Fellow: They’ll show up under “Meetings.” You’ll see a dedicated space for each recurring one-on-one with a teammate. This is where you’ll build agendas, take notes, and track follow-ups.
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Customize meeting templates (if you want): Fellow offers templates for one-on-ones, but you don’t have to use them. Start simple—maybe just “Wins, Challenges, Next Steps.” You can always tweak it later.
What to ignore: Don’t get lost making the perfect template. The basics—what’s going well, what’s not, what needs to happen next—cover 90% of what matters.
Step 3: Build and share collaborative agendas
This is where Fellow actually starts saving you time.
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Add agenda items—together: Both you and your report can add talking points before the meeting. This beats the old “anything you want to talk about?” routine. List topics, questions, or updates. No need for fancy formatting.
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Comment and prioritize: You can comment on agenda items or reorder things. If something’s urgent, drag it to the top. If you’re both slammed, focus on just one or two key points.
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Share the agenda before the meeting: Fellow will remind both of you to review the agenda. This cuts down on meandering meetings and awkward silences.
Pro tip: If your team isn’t adding to the agenda, ask them directly in Slack or wherever you chat: “Anything you want to cover for our one-on-one? Add it to Fellow.” Sometimes people need a nudge.
Step 4: Take notes—without losing context
You don’t need a transcript, but you do need a record of what was discussed, agreed, and what’s next.
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Take notes live during the meeting: Both sides can type in the shared notes area. Capture key decisions, blockers, and any feedback. No need to be formal.
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Use bullet points, not essays: It’s more useful to write “Needs more support on project X” than to write a paragraph explaining why. Keep it short and clear.
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Tag people or link to docs: You can @mention teammates or drop in links to relevant documents. This keeps everything in one place instead of scattered across emails and chats.
What works: Shared notes cut down on misunderstandings. No more “I thought you said…” after the call.
What doesn’t: Don’t use this as a micromanagement tool. If you start treating notes as surveillance, your team will stop being candid.
Step 5: Track action items and follow-ups
Arguably the most important part. A good meeting turns into action—otherwise, what’s the point?
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Add action items in the meeting: Fellow lets you assign tasks to yourself or your report as you talk. Write them as “to-dos”—short, clear, and actionable.
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Set deadlines (if needed): You can add due dates, but don’t go overboard. Only add deadlines if they’re actually important—otherwise, you’ll just create alert fatigue.
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Review action items next time: Fellow automatically brings up last meeting’s action items at the top of the agenda. This is your built-in accountability. No more, “Wait, did we ever do that?”
Pro tip: If action items keep getting carried over, talk about why. Maybe they’re not that important—or maybe something’s blocking them.
Step 6: Use meeting history to spot patterns and prep faster
The real value isn’t just in smoother meetings—it’s in having a record you can actually use.
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Look back at previous meetings: You can scroll through past notes, agendas, and completed (or skipped) action items. This is great for performance reviews or just jogging your memory.
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Spot recurring issues: If the same blocker pops up three weeks in a row, that’s a sign something needs to change.
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Prep for meetings faster: Before your next one-on-one, spend 30 seconds reviewing last week’s notes and action items. You’ll look prepared (because you are).
What to ignore: Don’t obsessively document every little thing. The point is to make meetings more useful, not to create paperwork.
Step 7: Avoid the common pitfalls
Fellow is just a tool. It won’t fix broken relationships, bad management, or a toxic culture. Here’s how to keep things useful:
- Don’t make it a chore: If meetings start feeling like a box-ticking exercise, people will tune out. Keep agendas relevant, skip meetings if there’s truly nothing to discuss, and don’t add busywork.
- Respect privacy: One-on-ones are for candor, not for putting people on blast. Use shared notes wisely—don’t use them as ammunition later.
- Iterate as you go: If a template isn’t working, change it. If you’re not getting value, ask your team how to make meetings better.
Keep it simple—and tweak as you go
The point of using Fellow for remote one-on-ones isn’t to “transform” your meetings overnight. It’s to take a process that’s often messy or pointless and make it just a bit clearer, more useful, and less stressful for everyone involved. Start small: shared agenda, notes, action items. Don’t overcomplicate it. You can always add bells and whistles later—if you actually need them.
Remote work is hard enough. Your meetings shouldn’t make it harder.