Have you checked-in with your team today?
In these uncertain and unprecedented times, we are all facing a range of different emotions. A lot is going on for each of us at work and home. As a leader, this is the time to acknowledge and be able to respond to what’s going on for our people. This is where a well run team check-in can be very useful.
The concept of check-ins came from the helicopter industry in the early 90’s when they found that the safety incident rates were higher than normal. Through studying the causes of the incidents, they concluded that it wasn’t the technical or mechanical aspects, causing the incidents, but the human aspects i.e. the emotional state of the pilots. They established a simple protocol for the pilots to check-in to gauge how pilots were feeling and what was going on for them. This procedure allowed the pilots to become more focused, be fully present and improved flying safety.
Now that a lot of our work is happening virtually and the way we are working has shifted almost overnight, we need to find different ways to engage and motivate our teams. We need to find ways to make our virtual connections more meaningful and continue to drive productivity and efficiency. We can’t continue to apply the old ways in our new environment.
How can we effectively check-in with our teams, work colleagues and even families by tapping into how they are feeling and find ways to support them in the most meaningful way?
We need to create the space for people to speak what they truly need, get a pulse check of what is going on for each person emotionally and what is in the way of delivering work outcomes. A well run check-in at the start of a meeting or even each day can set the rhythm for the day for virtual teams. I am not advocating for hours long touchy-feely love-ins and group hugs with only feel-good outcomes and no concrete actionables.
Here are some actionable ideas to introduce check-ins into your work meetings.
The power is in the questions you ask. The quality of a check-in is in the questions you ask. They need to be well thought out and articulated.
In the presence of the question, the mind thinks again - Nancy Kline
Here are some ideas to frame your check-in questions:
Question 1: What are you feeling? As opposed to asking 'How are you feeling?'. In the latter question, people will often get by with the usual 'I'm fine or Good' response. The idea here is to dig deeper and be able to find out how people are really feeling.
Question 2: Is there anything stopping you from being fully present or What’s in the way of being fully present today?
Question 3: The third question can be tailored to your business/context or agenda. Here are some ideas
a. What would be valuable for you to get out of this meeting today?
b. What is the most important thing to talk about today?
c. On a scale of 1 to 10 how are we doing against our agreed outcomes? What will get you to a 10.
This question grounds you into what needs to be achieved today.
The leader goes first. This is the most important ground rule of a well run check-in. The level of vulnerability and openness of the leaders sets the tone for the rest of the group to follow. As a leader, this is your opportunity to be vulnerable and authentic. In doing this, you create safety and give permission to others to do the same. The leaders holds the space for others to open up and lower the waterline and share their real thoughts, feelings and emotions. Leaders do hold the duty of care to check-in with individuals later if they surface particularly difficult feelings and to ensure appropriate support mechanisms are in place to help the individual.
Set a time limit- No more than 1-2 minute per person. This makes it efficient. The leader needs to role model this when they open. Don’t be shy about giving someone a move-on signal if they go too long.
Popcorn style. Once the leader finishes, wait for someone to offer to go next. This removes pressure from people to think of their answers while someone is talking. People will have their turn when they are ready.
Thank each person. As common-sensical as this sounds, thank every person when they finish. Human beings love to be acknowledged for their contribution.
Make this a ritual. Introduce check-ins at your regular team meetings, daily stand up meetings, or even one-on-one catch up. You will find that this simple exercise contributes by:
Making meetings more meaningful. Leaders and team members know what are the real issues that need to be addressed. They alter the agenda to make space to talk about what is important and meaningful. This helps achieve the business outcomes.
Surfacing underlying conflicts or stress points. This simple exercise surfaces the ‘stuff’ that is not seen but is in the way of achieving business outcomes. If it comes up to the surface, it opens the door for a resolution to be found. As a leader, this gives you quick scan of the said and unsaid issues in your team. This allows you to address the real issues and what is more important for each person in the team.
Creating authentic connections.Team members begin to develop empathy for each other. They relate as human beings as opposed to being colleagues/team members or stakeholders.
Establishing win–win relationships. Once people begin to relate to each other in a human way and understand each other, this creates the pathway for more win-win relationships to get formed. Team members become more open to collaborating with each other and working towards a common goal.
