Check-ins are an approach to encourage each person in a meeting to speak to their peers. One by one, group members respond to a selected question or prompt. Prompts are chosen to elicit who participants are, how they feel or what they think about an almost limitless range of work-related and personal concerns. Leaders use check-ins deliberately to further a group’s development and ultimately, to enable it to perform at the highest level.

What

The check-in is a simple, deceptively powerful tool for collaboration that encourages each person in a group to speak. Check-ins prime the behaviors that make collaboration possible.

Why

Check-ins urge groups toward higher performance. On the way, they help people sharpen their focus, create greater psychological safety, build stronger relationships, and increase commitment to their work.

When

If your group has to accomplish anything—regardless of whether it meets regularly or gathers for a single meeting, whether members know one another well or just met—check-ins can help.

How

Selecting appropriate check-in questions is both science and art. Your job is to select a question that both explicitly and implicitly urges your group in the direction it needs to travel.

Jannika
Zurich, Switzerland
One of my heroes is my dad.
Jannika
Zürich, Switzerland
I like where I live because of all the water!
Amelious
Minneapolis, MN, United States
One thing I’m proudest of is my PhD.
Cata
Talca, Chile
I like where I live because “es tranquilo” (it’s quiet).
Dorothy
St. John's, Canada
On TV I like to watch the Great Canadian Baking Show.
Janine
East Haven, CT, United States
An expression I like is “I am not my thoughts; I am the thinker of my thoughts.”
Chad
Mesa, AZ, United States
One of my guilty pleasures is Pokemon.
Marc
Pürgen, Germany
I like where I live because it is simply beautiful.
Eef
Brussels, Belgium
One of my favorite books is Eefje Donkerblauw (Eefje Dark Blue).
Heidi
Baltimore, MD, United States
One thing I’m proudest of is my children.
Astrid
Brühl, Germany
I like where I live because it’s a great neighborhood in a peaceful place.
Patricia
Minneapolis, MN, United States
I like where I live because Minneapolis is a great city.
Douglas
Singapore
When I grew up I wanted to be a doctor.
Ingibjorg
Reykjavík, Iceland
When I grew up I wanted to be a candy store worker.
Tina
Alfter, Germany
When I grew up I wanted to be a priest, poet, singer, dancer, actor and disco owner.
Stuart
Hillsdale, NY, United States
When I grew up I wanted to be a world citizen.
Eef
Brussels, Belgium
An expression I like is “Het kan verkeren” (It can change).
Tony
Youngstown, OH, United States
An expression I like is “Insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result.”
Paul
Olympia, WA, United States
I like where I live because it’s a progressive, compassionate community.
Katinka
Betschwanden, Switzerland
I take comfort in meditation.
Theo
Rorschach, Switzerland
Something I do for fun is sailing.
Kitrina
Toowoomba, Australia
When I grew up I wanted to be an advertising executive accountant.
Kate
Sofia, Bulgaria
Something I do for fun is sing.
Anna
Vienna, Austria
One of my heroes is Gandhi.
Flávia
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Something I do for fun is crochet.
Francisco
Manizales, Colombia
The music I love the most right now is French cafe music.
Emma
Sergy, France
I like where I live because of the mountains.
Amy
Worthing, United Kingdom
One of my favorite books is The Gargoyle – a fantasy gothic tale which enchants me every time!
Alex
Singapore
An expression I like is “respect.”
Carey
Mount Stuart, Australia
One of my heroes is Martin Luther King.

Your Check-Ins

Richard Cohen
GREAT POND RESOLUTIONS
We all want to get things done in our meetings. Check-ins encourage people to build the kind of relationships that enable them to get things done better: more efficiently, more effectively, and more enjoyably.