With the increase in digital or hybrid meetings, the human connection within teams often gets lost. This is unfortunate and impacts our motivation. After all, work isn’t just about professional topics – it’s also a social space. The Check-in helps all participants mentally arrive at the meeting by briefly sharing how they’re doing at that moment. It’s also helpful for others to hear about potential challenges, such as "I’m at home with a sick child and need to take care of them as well." This allows everyone to interpret behaviour in the meeting differently. Of course, sharing highlights is also wonderful. We’ve (actually!) had someone say, "I’m feeling great because I won a few thousand euros in the lottery yesterday." Without the Check-in, that wouldn’t have been shared – and that would’ve been a shame, right?
Structuring Meetings
The exhausting string of meetings, most of which are now digital, leaves little room for social interaction. We’ve noticed time and again that this social exchange often finds its way into meetings – some people appreciate it, while others find it annoying. The Check-in provides a dedicated space for that human connection, allowing everyone to focus on the content afterwards.
Foster understanding
It makes a big difference whether I enter a meeting well-rested, in a good mood with a fresh cup of coffee, or rushed and overwhelmed by too many tasks for the day. How can we know how the other person is feeling if we don’t (briefly) share it? Without this, misunderstandings and even tensions can arise. The Check-in helps prevent this easily and without taking much time.
This is how #Check-in works
You can use the Check-in as a standard practice for all meetings or just for selected ones. At the start of the meeting, one person says: “Check-in: What mood are you bringing into this meeting?” Then, you go around the group, and each person briefly shares how they’re feeling—around 15-20 seconds per person. After that, you move on to the main part of the meeting.
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ShareThe exhausting string of meetings, most of which are now digital, leaves little room for social interaction. We’ve noticed time and again that this social exchange often finds its way into meetings – some people appreciate it, while others find it annoying. The Check-in provides a dedicated space for that human connection, allowing everyone to focus on the content afterwards.
It makes a big difference whether I enter a meeting well-rested, in a good mood with a fresh cup of coffee, or rushed and overwhelmed by too many tasks for the day. How can we know how the other person is feeling if we don’t (briefly) share it? Without this, misunderstandings and even tensions can arise. The Check-in helps prevent this easily and without taking much time.
You can use the Check-in as a standard practice for all meetings or just for selected ones. At the start of the meeting, one person says: “Check-in: What mood are you bringing into this meeting?” Then, you go around the group, and each person briefly shares how they’re feeling—around 15-20 seconds per person. After that, you move on to the main part of the meeting.
Know someone who’d love this hack?
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