Skip-Level Meeting

Another typical American HRM term ...

Skip-Level Meeting is a meeting between managers and team members who are one or more levels below them. The purpose of a skip-level meeting is for managers to get to know their team members, build trust with them, and understand their problems. Skip-level meetings can never take the place of direct communications within teams, but it can be a powerful adjunct to these efforts.

Skip Level Meeting Key Concepts:

• Group round-table meetings are more efficient than one-on-one meetings for skip-level meetings.
• Leading organizations plan a skip-level meeting with every team or workgroup at least once per year.
• Don’t wait for your boss or the HR department to arrange skip-level meetings for your direct reports.
• There are five key steps to conducting an effective skip-level meeting:

1. Plan the skip level meeting
2. Conduct the skip level meeting and record the feedback
3. Analyze the information collected at the skip level meeting
4. Create an action plan based on the feedback
5. Follow up and report progress