The Skip-Level Meeting
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A 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:
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Group round-table meetings are more efficient than one-on-one meetings for skip-level meetings.
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Leading organizations plan a skip-level meeting with every team or workgroup at least once per year.
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Don’t wait for your boss or the HR department to arrange skip-level meetings for your direct reports.
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There are five key steps to conducting an effective skip-level meeting:
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Plan the skip level meeting
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Conduct the skip level meeting and record the feedback
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Analyze the information collected at the skip level meeting
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Create an action plan based on the feedback
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Follow up and report progress
Skip Level Meeting Planning Questions:
- When is the last time a skip-level meeting was conducted with this group?
- Has the feedback from last skip level meeting been acted upon?
- Have skip-level meetings been conducted in parallel business areas?
- Will the skip level meeting be used to ‘build a file’ for disciplinary action on the leader of the group?
- Have I followed the five-point planning process for skip-level meetings?
- Do I need to improve my skills in any of the related areas, for which information is available?
Skip Level Meeting Potential Pitfalls:
- Do not use skip-level meetings to ‘build a file’ on a leader you want to fire.
- Tell all managers what you are doing and why.
- Don’t include the manager in the skip level meeting if your goal is to get back honest feedback.
- Don’t ask about topics about which you are unable or unwilling to do anything.
- Provide some level of feedback to the manager about the feedback received from his/her direct reports during the skip level meeting.
- It is more damaging to do a skip-level meeting poorly than it is to not do it at all.
Get the Complete ‘Skip-Level Meeting’ Topic Bundle
The Skip Level Meeting topic bundle includes:
- Skip Level Meeting Cheat Sheet (pdf)
- Skip Level Meeting Booklet (pdf) containing:
- In-Depth Topic Overview
- Skip-Level Meeting Readiness Self-Assessment
- Skip-Level Meeting Communication Timeline
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Sample Skip-Level Meeting Invitation Letter
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Sample Skip-Level Meeting Follow-up Letters
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Skip-Level Meeting Discussion Guide
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Suggested Skip-Level Meeting Questions
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Recommended Resources – where to find out even more about skip-level meetings
- Easy-print versions of the tools contained in the Skip Level Meeting Booklet (pdf)
- Skip Level Meeting Podcast (mp3)
- Skip Level Meeting Podcast slides (Powerpoint)
Get the complete ‘Skip Level Meeting’ topic bundle now – IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD!
I think the very existence of skip-level meetings is proof of how messed up things have been. When someone feels the need to call a special meeting and to hop over one of the lines of the co. flowchart just to communicated and to get face time with someone, it’s evidence that there’s a big structural problem in the co.
When I have such a meeting, I almost always involve the manager. The only time I do one with a whole work group (without the manager present) is when I suspect s/he is not doing their job properly or they’re causing problems with their management style or approach. But, as Jason suggests, I only do this in rare, problematic situations.
I sometimes have one-on-one meetings with people one or more levels “down”, but I always tell the manager that I’m doing so (in advance) and I always tell him/her what was discussed after the fact. I do these just to “look people in the eye” and try to find out what they’re really thinking or feeling without someone in between “filtering” the information. Partly for succession planning reasons, partly to get a better idea of key issues or situations.
Is skip meeting is legal? Can skip meeting be a stage for slander, defamations or Bullying of the manager?
Can a skip meeting be done only for a few supervisors/ managers or not to other?
Hi Avi,
Like so many other things, the devil is in the details. Skip Level Meetings are certainly legal, but not if you use them for other illegal activities like harassment or slander. When they are done well, they can be tremendously positive, and enhance performance. When done poorly, they can be a disaster.
My suggestion is that skip level meetings be used for all managers in an organization as a regular developmental tool. If you select only certain managers, then there will be the appearance of singling individuals out, that may have the optics of a witch-hunt.
Jed and I talk about some of this on the podcast. Hope it helps,
bob