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Onboarding Mentor 1:1 Check-in Template

This template is for the onboarding mentor running weekly 1:1s with a new project coordinator. It structures the conversation so the meetings stay developmental instead of drifting into status reporting.

The weekly check-ins are run as GROW meetings — Goal / Reality / Options / Way Forward — the coaching model Cortado teaches its own consultants. Sources of truth (Cortado internal, not client-engagement adaptations):

The onboarding mentor watches videos 1-3 and reads the Job Aid before the first session.

Cadence

  • Weeks 1-4: twice weekly, 30 min each (Monday + Thursday recommended)
  • Monday = tactical / blockers
  • Thursday = weekly GROW meeting (see template below)
  • Weeks 5-12: weekly GROW meeting, 30 min
  • Weeks 13+ (if extended/converted): biweekly GROW, 30 min

Skipping is OK if both parties have nothing — but reschedule, don't ghost.

Scheduling the recurring GROW meeting

These need to land on the calendar before Day 1. The onboarding mentor is the named owner of the invite — David and Bill should NOT be on it (this is a growth conversation, not a project review).

Calendar invite — copy/paste ready:

Title:    Weekly GROW — <Project Coordinator Name> + <Onboarding Mentor>
Cadence:  Weekly, Thursdays 3:00-3:30 PM ET (adjust to project coordinator's timezone)
Recurs:   13 weeks (covers the formal 90-day window)
Attendees: <Onboarding Mentor>, <Project Coordinator>
Location: Zoom / Google Meet (the onboarding mentor's video room)
Body:
  Weekly GROW check-in — see the mentor_check_in_template.md
  in the Project Coordinator onboarding folder for the agenda.

  Bring to every meeting:
   - 1 win since last GROW
   - 1 blocker or frustration
   - The GROW topic you'd like to work through this week

For weeks 1-4 also schedule a Monday 9:30-10:00 AM ET tactical in addition. Title it Mon Tactical — <Project Coordinator> + <Onboarding Mentor>. Drop it after week 4 unless either party wants to keep it.

How to GROW Coach — Cortado's three rules (from the Job Aid)

Before the agenda, the three rules our internal training drills into every coach:

  1. Follow the structure: Goal → Reality → Options → Way Forward. Do not skip steps. End in concrete actions (SMART).
  2. Ask valuable open questions. Beware slipping into 'telling'. The skill is the question; advice is a last resort and only after the coachee has brainstormed.
  3. Make time to coach. Best practice is >30% of the week for people managers. Schedule it weekly with an agenda. Shorter is better — don't pad a 20-minute conversation into 60.

GROW weekly agenda (30 min — shorter is fine)

Run every weekly meeting through these four phases in order. Per our internal Job Aid: the session goal should be SMART — specific/strategic, measurable, achievable, results-based, time-bound. End the session with a SMART action in Way Forward.

Time Phase Verbatim questions from our Job Aid
0-3 Opener Wins since last GROW; anything urgent
3-8 G — Goal "What are you trying to achieve? Why is that the most important thing? How will you know when you've achieved it? What does success look like?" Help them make it SMART.
8-15 R — Reality "Where are you now in terms of achieving your goal? What is stopping you? What feels most challenging about this? What will happen if you do nothing? What resources exist? What haven't you considered yet? What else?"
15-22 O — Options "What could you do to move closer to your goal? Imagine you had all the [time / expertise / fill in the blank] you needed — what would you do? What advice would you give your best friend? What else could you do? What else? [when they run out, ask for 1-2 more]." Only after they've brainstormed: suggest ideas.
22-28 W — Way Forward "What will you do to move closer to your goal? What actions will have the biggest impact? How can you make that a SMART action? How will we know it was successful? What support do you need? How do you want to be held accountable?"
28-30 Wrap Confirm the SMART action and accountability mechanism in writing (Slack DM after)

The Job Aid also pairs the model with a practice exercise: one person plays Coach, the other plays Coachee. Coachee picks a topic that would feel exciting if they made progress. Coach leads them through Goal → Reality → Options → Way Forward without skipping. Useful as a Week 2 module the project coordinator actually goes through with the onboarding mentor — they should learn to coach, not just be coached.

Rotating GROW goal categories

One goal per session is the ideal. To prevent the project coordinator from picking the same easy goal every week, the onboarding mentor rotates the goal category seed through this list. Don't pick the same one twice in a row.

Default agenda (30 min)

Time Section Owner
0-5 Wins since last 1:1 Project Coordinator
5-10 Blockers, open questions, frustrations Project Coordinator
10-20 One growth topic (rotated — see list below) Both
20-25 Onboarding mentor's feedback + observations Onboarding mentor
25-30 Commitments for next session Both

Rotating growth topics (legacy — for ad-hoc 1:1s, not GROW meetings)

For non-GROW touchpoints (the Monday tactical, ad-hoc coffees), the onboarding mentor can pull from this list. Don't do the same one twice in a row.

  • Asana hygiene — review their current board; is it actually a useful map?
  • Communication clarity — pick a recent Slack thread or email; would it pass BLUF?
  • Self-direction — what did they pull from the idle backlog and why?
  • Curiosity — what surprised them this week about how the firm works?
  • Engagement awareness — can they explain their engagement's commercial logic, not just the task list?
  • People dynamics — who on the engagement do they understand best/least? Why?
  • Career direction — what part of consulting do they want more of?
  • Feedback upward — what about Cortado, the tools, or this curriculum is broken?

The last one matters. The project coordinator is the most recent person to encounter our onboarding cold; they see what's outdated faster than we do.

Red flag list

If any of these show up, slow down and dig in. Don't push past them.

  • "I don't really know what my engagement is trying to accomplish."
  • "I haven't talked to [EM/Bill/key stakeholder] in over a week."
  • "I'm not sure if I should be doing X or Y, so I haven't done either."
  • Cancelling our 1:1 three weeks in a row.
  • Asana tasks haven't moved in 5+ days with no Update.
  • Their wins section is empty more than once.

30 / 60 / 90 day formal reviews

The onboarding mentor is the primary author. David and Bill weigh in. Use this rubric:

Day 30 review

Pass = ready to own a workstream's PC functions. Specific evidence: - Asana board for their engagement is in good shape - Has produced 2+ usable artifacts (status update, kickoff agenda, meeting notes) - Bill or the EM says "yes, please keep them" - Curriculum modules 1-3 complete with reflection notes

Outcome options: Continue / Extend curriculum 2 weeks / Reassign / End

Day 60 review

Pass = doing the PC job, not learning it. Specific evidence: - Running the operational pack for at least one engagement - Has onboarded at least one 1099 if applicable - Has produced at least one artifact that goes into the firm's reusable library (idle backlog Tier 1) - Self-directed: pulls from backlog without being prompted

Outcome options: Continue toward conversion / Course-correct with explicit plan / End

Day 90 review

The conversion decision. Three outcomes: 1. Convert to FTE PC — full-time offer, level set against market 2. Extend the internship — 90 more days with a specific goal (rare; should be the exception) 3. Part ways gracefully — clean reference, no rancor; the role didn't fit

The decision is made by the onboarding mentor + David + Bill jointly, with the project coordinator hearing the outcome from their onboarding mentor first.