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AgendaHR & people1:1 & people

Skip-level meeting

45 minutes 8 blockspro Runs with Pro

A trust-building skip-level with a team: anonymous pulse votes, pre-sent questions answered by theme, never by name, and a clear what-happens-next.

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Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Pro, free for 14 days on every new account.

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45 min · 8 blocks, drawn to scale Fits exactly
  1. Warm-up: one word for the team's last month, 3 minutes 3
  2. Why I'm here and what happens with what you say, 4 minutes 4
  3. Anonymous pulse: how clear are our priorities?, 3 minutes 3
  4. Anonymous pulse: do you have what you need?, 3 minutes 3
  5. Questions sent ahead, answered by theme, 12 minutesDiscuss 12
  6. What should leadership start, stop or keep doing?, 10 minutesDiscuss 10
  7. What I'll do next, and when you'll hear back, 6 minutes 6
  8. Thank you, and how to reach me, 4 minutes 4
011233445 min
  1. +0′Warm-up: one word for the team's last monthOne word for the last month?3 minCheck-in
  2. +3′Why I'm here and what happens with what you sayTip: Say three things: this isn't a review of your manager, I'll share themes and never names, and you'll hear back from me by a date you name now.4 minInfo
  3. +7′Anonymous pulse: how clear are our priorities?How clear are the team's priorities right now?Tip: Votes are anonymous; nobody, including you, sees who chose what. Read the split out loud and ask what's behind it.3 minVote
  4. +10′Anonymous pulse: do you have what you need?Do you have what you need to do your best work?3 minVote
  5. +13′Questions sent ahead, answered by themeTip: Collect questions a week ahead through an anonymous form or HR, then group them into themes. Answer the hard ones first; skipping them costs more trust than a difficult answer.12 minDiscuss
  6. +25′What should leadership start, stop or keep doing?Tip: Ask, then wait through the silence. If nobody speaks, go back to the pulse results: "Some of you said priorities are unclear. Where does that show up?"10 minDiscuss
  7. +35′What I'll do next, and when you'll hear backTip: Commit only to what you will really do. Name the date you'll report back.6 minDecide
  8. +41′Thank you, and how to reach me4 minWrap-up

In short

A skip-level meeting is a conversation between a senior leader and the people who report to their direct reports, skipping the middle manager. This 45-minute agenda builds trust with anonymous pulse votes, questions collected ahead and answered by theme rather than name, and ends with commitments and a date to report back.
Time
45 minutes
People
3 to 15
Interactive
2 anonymous pulse votes
Plan
Pro

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

By the end of this meeting, the team has told a senior leader what's working and what isn't, and knows what will happen with it. The full agenda is drawn to scale above: every block has its own timer when you run it live.

How to run it

  1. 1Tell the team's manager about the meeting first and share the themes with them afterwards, never names.
  2. 2Collect questions a week ahead through an anonymous form, and group them by theme before the meeting.
  3. 3Use the anonymous pulse votes to get honest numbers in the room; agenda votes never show who chose what.
  4. 4Answer the hardest question first, and leave with commitments and a date to report back.
  5. 5Send the summary of themes and commitments to the group within two days.

Questions people ask

What questions should I ask in a skip level meeting?
What's getting in the way of your best work? What should leadership start, stop or keep doing? How clear are our priorities? What would you change if you ran the team for a week?
What is the purpose of a skip level meeting?
To hear directly from people further from the top, spot problems early and build trust. It isn't a review of their manager.
How often should you hold skip level meetings?
Quarterly works for most leaders. Report back on what you did with the last one before you hold the next.

Run it with your group

pro
  • A timer for every block on the shared screen
  • Results, decisions and actions in the summary
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Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Pro, free for 14 days on every new account.

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