Communicate with your manager using 15Five

Strong communication with your manager is key to your success—and 15Five is here to make that easier, more consistent, and more meaningful. In this article, we’ll walk through how tools like Check-ins, 1-on-1s, Actions, and Best-Self Review® help you stay connected, share feedback, and work together to overcome challenges and celebrate wins.

Check-ins: Your Weekly Conversation Starter 📝

Check-ins are the foundation of ongoing communication between you and your manager. Think of your Check-in as your weekly work journal—a place to reflect, prioritize, and share what's happening in your world.

Here’s how different sections of your Check-in help drive better conversations:

• Pulse: Answering "How did you feel at work since your last Check‑in?" lets you quickly share how you're doing. Adding a comment gives your manager context—and you can choose to keep it private if you want.
  
• Priorities and Objectives: List what you’re focused on each week and update your longer-term goals. This keeps your manager in the loop on both what’s getting done and where you might need support.
  
   
• Questions: You’ll answer questions set by your company, group, or manager. This is where you can share wins, surface challenges, and reflect on how things are going.
  

1-on-1 Agendas: Turn Updates into Conversations 🤝

After you submit your Check-in, you and your manager can push important topics directly into your 1-on-1 agenda. This makes your 1-on-1 meetings more focused, meaningful, and action-driven—so you're not spending valuable face time on status updates.

You can also create Action Items during your 1-on-1s:

• Assign next steps to yourself or your manager
• Keep track of what needs to happen after the meeting
• Make sure important conversations lead to real action

Actions: Keep Track of What Matters 📋

Your Actions List pulls together all the tasks and action items you’re responsible for across 15Five. You’ll see actions from:

• Your Check-ins and 1-on-1s
• Bulk actions assigned by leadership
• System-generated tasks (like completing a review)
• Action Plans your company may be driving

Actions make it easy to stay organized, prioritize what matters, and keep both you and your manager aligned on next steps.

Best-Self Review®: Reflect Deeper, Grow Stronger 📈

All the communication you build through Check-ins and 1-on-1s pays off during your Best-Self Review cycles.
During a review, you and your manager reflect on your growth, wins, and challenges—using real data collected from your Check-ins, High Fives, Objectives, and Feedback.

Why it matters:

• You won't have to rely on memory alone—your journey is already captured in 15Five.
• You’ll have more complete, meaningful conversations about your development and future goals.
• Reviews feel less stressful because feedback has been continuous, not a once-a-year surprise.

Think of it like this:
✅ Check-ins = where the feedback loop starts
✅ Best-Self Review = where you step back and reflect on the full picture

Best-Self Kickoff

Start strong with a Best‑Self Kickoff—a guided conversation where you and your manager share preferences, align on how you like to work, and set expectations for communication and support.

 

Use Kickoff to align on

• How do you like to receive feedback and recognition

• Collaboration and meeting preferences

• Strengths, growth areas, and support you’ll need

Conclusion

15Five makes it easier to stay connected with your manager every step of the way—not just during meetings or review cycles, but throughout your entire journey. The more consistently you use Check-ins, 1-on-1s, Actions, and feedback tools, the stronger your communication will be—and the more supported, seen, and successful you’ll feel.

Keep the conversations going—you’re building your best work experience! 🚀