As you get back into the swing of things in the office, the start of the year provides a great time to stop and think about how to best set your team up for success.
The way teams work together, understand their environment and each other goes a long way to creating a positive and high-performing culture.
There are plenty of tools out there to help you set up a positive team rhythm, like WIPs (work in progress), stand-ups, coffee time and so on.
One tool I’ve had good success with over the years is the “Check-In”. It’s a quick and simple process commonly used in team meetings to help people be present, understand the mood of the team and create connections.
The Check-In is also easy, non-judgmental and can be a little bit of fun. And, for a group of 10, it should take no more than 8-10 mins.
In short, each person gives one to two word responses to two standard questions and a random question. Everyone has about 30 seconds or so, and the group says thank you at the end of each person speaking.
For example:
- How are you feeling? Response examples: tired, good, happy, inquisitive
- Is there anything distracting you from being present? Response examples: a deadline, nothing
- What’s your favourite super hero? What was the last book you read? (Random question that changes each time)
To help you and your team get started I’ve created a snapshot of the Check-In, which includes question examples.
It’s worth noting that it can take some groups a while to get the Check-In rhythm going, however in my experience the process works and helps teams connect and be more aware of their colleagues and environment.
