The Three Warning Signs That Your 1:1 Is A Hostage Negotiation

Here are the three signs your 1:1 has escalated into a hostage situation.

1. He asks about your weekend. He does NOT care. He is establishing that he asked.
2. He uses the word "partnership." He is your manager. The power differential has a NAME.
3. He says "I want to make sure YOU are being heard." He wants to make sure HE has covered himself.

I left last Monday's 1:1 and immediately billed him for thirty minutes of my time. He LAUGHED. 💼

I did not send the invoice. I filed it. I have forty-seven filed invoices and a north star.

listen. your manager is not your friend. your manager is your hostage taker in a reasonably priced suit. the coffee is a decoy. the smile is a decoy. the question is a decoy. somebody wrote a book called The Manager's Path^aff(affiliate link). it should be called The Hostage Taker's Manual. same content. better honesty.