Manager answers
How often should managers have 1:1s?
Ideally, every week. At absolute worst, every two weeks. The key thing is that the meeting is regular enough that both people expect it to happen and use it properly.
I would run 1:1s weekly wherever possible. If you really cannot do that, every two weeks is the absolute worst I would be comfortable with.
The reason is simple: the value comes from cadence. A regular one-to-one gives you somewhere to raise small things before they become large things. It gives the other person somewhere to raise concerns before they sit on them for too long.
If the meeting drifts around the calendar or disappears for a month, it stops being a reliable management rhythm. It becomes a meeting you sometimes remember to have.
How long should a 1:1 be?
I would book 30 minutes. If it ends early, that is absolutely fine, but you should aim to have enough to discuss that it takes at least over 20 minutes most of the time.
A ten-minute 1:1 can work for a quick check-in, but I would not make that the standard. If you want honesty, context and proper follow-up, you need enough space for the person to think, answer and sometimes come back to something they did not say immediately.
The key here is expectation. Both of you should expect the call to happen. It should not feel like a favour squeezed into the week.
How should a manager set them up?
Book them as recurring meetings immediately. They should be a standard part of your calendar, not something you arrange when you remember.
I would also avoid stacking lots of 1:1s back-to-back. Try to split them across the week, ideally no more than one or two a day. Back-to-back 1:1s slip easily if one person talks longer than expected, and they pull you away from the team for too much of the day.
Remote is fine if that is how your team works. In person is useful when you can do it. Walking meetings can be useful for some conversations, but I do not think they are ideal as the default because you are not always looking at the person and it is harder to judge how they are feeling.
Should 1:1s ever be cancelled?
In my view, no. It is fine to move a 1:1 because of another meeting or a genuinely pressing matter. But do not simply cancel it and move on.
Cancelling sends a really bad message. It tells the individual that the meeting does not matter. If they had something difficult to raise, they are much less likely to bring it up next time if you have already undermined the value of the meeting.
If someone in your team keeps cancelling or downplaying the value of the meeting, I would be direct about it. A 20 to 30 minute 1:1 should be achievable for any individual at least once a week or once every two weeks. If it is not, that is itself worth discussing.
Make the rhythm easier
Set up a 1:1 cadence you can actually keep.
Your First 1:1 System gives you the recurring rhythm, prompts and notes structure so the meeting does not rely on memory or mood.