How 1:1 Prep works
When Prep is turned on, Windmill reaches out on Slack to proactively engage both manager and employee ahead of the meeting. You’ll configure when you want Windy to reach out to an employee before a scheduled 1:1. Windy will send your employee a message in Slack to collect their agenda items, asking questions like “What would you like to talk about?” and “Anything to add to the agenda?”What Windy surfaces
Windy surfaces relevant context such as:- Last meeting’s agenda and notes
- Progress on action items or goals
- Recent updates, feedback, or key events
When Prep is off
If 1:1 Prep is off, the 1:1 still exists—you can always add agenda items, take notes, or capture action items. But Windy will not send proactive prompts or reminders.Prompting Windy directly
Whether 1:1 Prep is on or off, you can always prompt Windy directly in Slack for things like:- Adding topics to the agenda
- Sharing agenda items the employee has already added
- Pulling up previous 1:1 agenda items, any recent updates or feedback
- Leaving yourself private notes
Configuring 1:1 Prep
Managers configure 1:1 settings for each person individually. This lets you tailor the experience (questions, cadence) depending on the person. You can:- View upcoming scheduled 1:1s for that employee
- Edit the discussion guide or add custom questions
- Customize when you want Windy to reach out to the employee before the 1:1
- Customize when you want Windy to reach out to you ahead of the meeting to help you understand what the employee wants to discuss
Ownership rules
When you enable 1:1 Prep between two employees, there is always one owner of the prep settings who can edit them. The other participant will not be able to make changes.Who is the owner
- The owner is the person who initially sets up 1:1 Prep for the pair
- The owner controls configuration details such as prompts, visibility, and other settings
- The other participant can view and contribute to prep notes but cannot modify the setup itself
Who can enable 1:1 Prep
- You can enable 1:1 Prep with people who report to you (directly or indirectly) or with peers
- You cannot enable 1:1 Prep for your manager (directly or through the org chart). The option to start prep with your manager is hidden
- For peers, whichever employee sets up 1:1 Prep first becomes the owner
- Once 1:1 Prep is set up, the other person will no longer be able to edit the settings
Changes in reporting relationships
- If the org chart changes and one employee becomes the other’s manager, the existing owner can disable 1:1 Prep at any time
- Once disabled, the other person (now the manager) can enable prep again and become the new owner
Summary
- If you report to someone (directly or indirectly), you cannot enable 1:1 Prep for them
- If someone reports to you (directly or indirectly), you can enable 1:1 Prep for them
- If you’re on separate teams, it’s treated as a peer relationship, and whoever sets up 1:1 Prep first becomes the owner
Bulk configuration
Configure 1:1 prep settings for multiple employees at once.Go to 1:1s and click Actions → Configure Prep
Navigate to the 1:1s page and open the bulk configuration wizard.
Choose employees
Select My direct reports to configure all, or Select specific employees to choose individually.
Set questions and timing
Configure what Windy asks employees before each 1:1, when Windy reaches out to them, and when you receive the agenda summary.
Some employees may be skipped if another participant already owns the prep configuration. You’ll see a summary after submission.