There are a lot of great suggestions here on how to be make 1:1's more valuable. Something that is missing for me though, is that they seem to put all the responsibility on the “employee”. I’ve always considered the 1:1 to be a collaboration to help both myself and my partner better. Sometimes that is myself asking questions, but it also means being prepared for the 1:1. What have I seen in the last week/month that needs to be discussed. What do I think they can do better. It isn’t just about them talking.

Also you mentioned

Weekly, managers and employees meet for a standard one-on-one. They report on progress, unblock issues, and ask and answer questions

I’m a bit concerned with that prospect. I would never utilize the 1:1 time for work management problems, unless they are systemic. Usually the things that one person struggles with are problems for the whole team, and I address at our daily standups. I don’t ever make by 1:1 a status report.