Check-in and check-out processes are fundamental to the work we engage in and set the context for what we actually do. The shaping of questions to check-in at the start of a meeting will help your team avoid distractions and regain focus.

Check-In

I

Managing time is crucial for running effective meetings. As the session leader or facilitator, you can introduce different constraints to check-in to allow for more or less time. Examples are:

• “What’s one hope you are bringing to this meeting?”
• “What are you looking forward to this week?”
• “What has been the highlight of your day so far?”

The idea is to get people talking.

II

Think about what stage the group is at. What would be a useful question for them to check-in with?

Think about the context and the general mood.

• How much time do you have for the check-in? Does the question invite a 3-5 minute story from each person, a word or two, or a sentence or two?

• How can the check-in connect and support the rest of the agenda and the overall purpose of the gathering?

• What kind of tone do you want to create? Playful? Serious? Connecting? Learning something new about each other?

• Consider: What has happened? What are they about to do? Has there been conflict? Is this a celebration?

Choose a reflection question that will support the ambiance and atmosphere that you want to create.

Check-Out

• How are you feeling as you leave this meeting?
• What is one thing you are taking from today?
• Share a few words to describe how you are feeling.