1on1s Make a Difference in the First 10 Seconds – Designing Questions to Turn Small Talk into "Thinking" –

Selection and Variation Inc. (hereinafter referred to as "the Company"), an organizational and human resources consulting firm (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Osaka Office: Nishi-ku, Osaka; Nagoya Office: Nishi-ku, Nagoya / President and CEO: Yoshihiro Hirakatsu / URL: https://sele-vari.co.jp/), is pleased to announce that it will hold a seminar titled "1on1s Make a Difference in the First 10 Seconds – Designing Questions to Turn Small Talk into \"Thinking\" –" on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 14:30 to 15:10.

Overview While 1on1 meetings are adopted by many companies, there are also many concerns such as "it ends with small talk" and "true feelings cannot be drawn out." The background to this is the change in the relationship between superiors and subordinates, and the difficulty in maintaining the right distance. This seminar will organize these issues and focus on the "first 10 seconds," which greatly influence the quality of 1on1 meetings. By slightly changing how the conversation begins, the subordinate's way of thinking and proactive actions can change significantly. Through immediately usable questions and approaches, we will clearly convey hints on how to transform 1on1 meetings from a "place to talk" to a "place to think and grow.".

【Click here to apply】 https://sele-vari.co.jp/seminar/202604231/

Program Introduction ・Company Introduction ・Speaker Introduction ・Purpose of this Seminar

Chapter 1: Why Do 1on1s Fail? – Considering Changes in Relationships – ・Common pitfalls in 1on1s ・"What happens precisely because a relationship is established" ・Differences between past and present management (changes in distance) ・The importance of separating work and personal life

Chapter 2: Building Future Superior-Subordinate Relationships – Towards a Relationship Where You Can Trust and Still Say What Needs to Be Said – ・"Being close" and "being trusted" are not the same ・The importance of conveying difficult messages ・From a hierarchical relationship to a "relationship of thinking together" ・How to create an environment where subordinates can express their opinions with peace of mind

Chapter 3: 1on1s Change in the First 10 Seconds – Strategies for Starting Conversations – ・The "atmosphere of the meeting" is determined at the beginning of the conversation ・The difference between small talk mode and thinking mode ・The depth of thinking changes with the first word

Chapter 4: Basic Design of 1on1s to Foster Autonomy – To Create a State Where They Can Think and Act Independently – ・Three purposes of 1on1s (Work/Growth/Engagement) ・Transition from "Management" to "Autonomy Support" ・Design differences between functional and non-functional 1on1s

Chapter 5: How to Create the First 10 Seconds – Questions to Prompt Thinking – ・A phrase to convey the purpose ・Listening methods to draw out thoughts ・Questions to help them notice issues ・Approaches that focus on the future

Chapter 6: Examples of 1on1 Questions You Can Use Immediately – Hints You Can Practice Tomorrow – ・Questions to encourage reflection