One-on-one meetings with managers are crucial for career growth and discovering new opportunities beyond status updates.They can lead to mentorship, leadership opportunities, and pushing you out of your comfort zone in a positive way.View one-on-ones as a chance to debug challenges, optimize workflow, and align on long-term career goals.Use these meetings to discuss not just work updates but also decisions, trade-offs, and career aspirations.Start early career growth conversations to build clarity and momentum, even if promotion isn't imminent.Focus on demonstrating readiness for the next career level and seeking opportunities to expand visibility and skills.Utilize the Three Circles of Impact framework to show value through individual contributions, collaboration, and enabling others.Highlight persistent blockers and unclear expectations during one-on-ones to seek guidance and rethink problem-solving approaches.Make these meetings strategic by preparing well, sharing successes, challenges, and growth aspirations with your manager.Embrace one-on-ones as tools for impact and growth, understanding that your manager needs your direction and input for effective support.