For one, it promotes interpersonal connection, which is especially important on WFA teams. Hybrid and WFA teams reap real benefits from making the “How are you?” question a structured, formalized meeting agenda item. 5 creative benefits of team check-insĬheck-ins can strengthen remote team members’ connection with one another, improving efficiency, productivity and troubleshooting. What is important is making check-ins part of your meeting culture. Sometimes, the line between check-in and warm up gets pretty thin, so don’t get too hung up on labels. Of course, your own team’s mileage may vary. There are variations on this “basic” version, but when we refer to a check-in, we simply mean asking all meeting participants how they are. By doing so, your team members may find something in common with one another and connect on a deeper level, which will improve communication skills as well. It is important to note that check-ins should be a top priority for your team in order to better understand each team member and what their needs are. Check-ins, on the other hand, allow your team to speak freely about how they’re currently feeling in order for everyone to be on the same page.

Warm ups allow your team a chance to break any communication barriers at the beginning of a meeting, which will improve your team’s ability to accomplish tasks efficiently. There are slight nuances between both exercises. 🔋 Energizers Online energizers are fun activities that help reload energy on your team and can involve some form of physical activity. This can be a simple question like, “How are you doing right now?” 🔥 Warm ups Online warm ups are short exercises performed at the beginning of a meeting to introduce new team members, conquer awkwardness, and help teammates get to know each other. 🤝 Check-ins ‍A short activity to establish each team member’s mood, that is, their current emotional state, at a given point during a meeting.

The word “check-in” could be used as a synonym for any of these brief exercises. Check-ins are effective tools for understanding your participants' needs in real-team, emphasizing on building a strong emotional connection with remote team members by gaining their trust and getting to know your team.įacilitators have a lot of activities in our toolboxes that drive participation and help build camaraderie - everything from ice breakers to warm ups. Typically, this involves going around the room (virtual or otherwise) and asking everyone how they’re doing. Here is an example of a team check-in used within MURAL, where each participant chooses a picture of an animal that best represents their current mood.This quick activity is a way to bring a structured few moments of fun into any meeting, helping teams build connection before 'getting down to business.' What’s a check-in, exactly?Ī check-in is the specific act of establishing each participant’s emotional state at a given point during a meeting. And we put the check-in to work in every experience we facilitate.īelow, we’ll share some of what we’ve discovered about making the most of check-ins, including why you should do them, our favorite variations, and some common troubleshooting situations. Together, we’ve helped hundreds of teams improve their WFA and remote work processes in order to use their time together efficiently and productively. Our experiences as remote learning facilitators have proven this time and again. In short, including a check-in at the top of your agenda isn’t just about checking off a box it’s about building real connection. Knowing where every member of your team stands on an emotional level before diving into the work provides clarity and increases transparency, trust, and empathy. This question is the basis for the formal “check-in” - a simple activity that should appear at the top of every meeting agenda. However, its importance goes even further than that.

Asking how a colleague is feeling (and actually wanting to know the answer) is key to fostering camaraderie, building psychological safety on your team, and connection across continents and Zoom screens.

On hybrid or work-from-anywhere (WFA) teams, however, this simple question can become a whole lot more meaningful. In casual conversation, it can be anything from a serious inquiry to a throwaway greeting. You’ve probably asked or been asked this question multiple times just this week.

Just checking synonym