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.

Mehr
Peshawar, Pakistan
I like where I live because that’s where my family resides.
Daniel
Glendale, KY, United States
Something I do for fun is spend time with my kids.
Tania
Ottawa, Canada
The music I love the most right now is the soundtrack to Heated Rivalry.
Natalie
CHALFONT, PA, United States
An expression I like is “let them.”
Sophie
Suquamish, WA, United States
One of my heroes is Oscar Romero.
Siswan
Makassar, Indonesia
An expression I like is “santai” (relax/chill out).
M
Chicago, IL, United States
One thing I’m proudest of is being a published author.
Noemi
Strathmore, CA, United States
When I grew up I wanted to be a teacher.
Julie
Centennial, CO, United States
I like where I live because I’m in the mountains, with no neighbors on top of me, room for my dogs and horses, and I get to see wildlife on a regular basis.
Stacey
Maumee, OH, United States
Something I do for fun is exercise.
kristin
st paul, MN, United States
Something I do for fun is pull weeds.
Ashik
Gladstone, Australia
Something I do for fun is spend time gardening.
Nino
Tbiisi, Georgia
When I grew up I wanted to be a TV anchor.
Patricia
Maua, Brazil
One thing I’m proudest of is “minha empresa” (my company).
Hema
New Delhi, India
When I grew up I wanted to be a pilot.
Jane
Brooklyn, NY, United States
An expression I like is “I was a much better parent before I had kids.”
Richard
Nürnberg, Germany
One of my favorite books is Shadow Slave.
Jennie
Folkestone, United Kingdom
Something that gives me hope is exploring creativity for the first time.
Hannah
Perth, Australia
When I grew up I wanted to be an ambulance officer.
kristin
st paul, MN, United States
One of my favorite books is The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Jan
Macleay Island, Australia
One of my favorite books is Where the Crawdads Sing.
Theresa
Edmonton, Canada
I like where I live because all the creepy, crawly bugs die over the winter.
Natali
Köln, Germany
One of my heroes is Pippi Langstrumpf.
Clara
Miami, OH, United States
On TV I like to watch cooking shows.
Christine
Berlin, Germany
When I grew up I wanted to be an opera singer.
Clara
Palm Beach, FL, United States
Something I do for fun is read books.
Mindy
South San Francisco, CA, United States
Something I do for fun is bake.
Van
Roseville, CA, United States
On TV I like to watch dystopian movies and shows.
Mary
Hamilton, OH, United States
An expression I like is “Sounds like fun, let’s do it!”
Jen
Allegan, MI, United States
When I grew up I wanted to be a lawyer.

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.