The Power of Meeting Check Ins

By Mary Silva Doctor

At Realize, we’ve started a practice called weekly reflections where we examine the most impactful client moments from that week in order to continually sharpen our work. 

This week mine came at the start of a session where @kristinekern and I guided a team through a check in. As the team settled into the challenging work they needed to do at the offsite, I experienced again the power of this simple practice that’s accessible to all meeting leaders.

A meeting check in is a proven, and, in our experience, underused tool to improve meetings. A check in is a 5 to 10 minute initiation activity centered on a question not related to the stated meeting purpose that each participant answers, that:

• Creates a clear entry into the meeting — by pausing before getting to the agenda, participants can transition mentally from the work they were doing before and reset in a way that creates focus on the business at hand
• Sets a tone of psychological safety — a check in is an inclusive process that allows each participant to be heard and seen, which is an important part of team safety
• Builds team trust — the act of displaying even the smallest amount of vulnerability automatically builds trust bonds in a group and the responses can help everyone appreciate and learn about each other
• Improves the chance of meeting success — attending to the relationship and connection in the group, improves meeting outcomes (reference)

Here are some check ins that our Realize team used with clients recently:

• What are you feeling today about this meeting?
• What’s the best experience you’ve had in nature?
• What’s possible today?

As you can see, the specific focus can vary and does not necessarily relate to the business at hand. But, meetings are a relational activity and acknowledging this creates the best platform for productive collaboration. If you’re still skeptical of the benefits, give it a try in a few meetings and experience the impact first hand. 

Already an experienced  check in practitioner? What are your favorite check in questions? Please share in the comments.