You might have experienced a kind of awkward start to a big meeting or workshop when the attendees look like they don’t want to be there. They might be distracted by multi-tasking or not bought into ‘another pointless retro’. Perhaps it’s been 3 minutes and you’re not sure if anyone else is joining.
A way to un-awkward this is with check-ins. A check-in is a simple energiser activity that happens right at the start of a period of work and includes everyone involved. The facilitator will ask a simple question and each of the attendees responds. This works for big meetings, workshops, retros or even Monday mornings. Check-ins help to get brains switched on and can be a lot of fun.
Favourite check-ins of all time
Guess that tune (credit to workshopping guru Jan Keck)
The facilitator picks a theme. It could be 80s power ballads, movies or 1 hit wonders.
The facilitator plays the tune and the attendees shout out what they think it is. Keep scores if you like a competition.
Stop after a few tunes once the group is energised and ready to go.
Emoji check-in
Draw (or pick if remote) an emoji that describes how you feel right now
If it’s a small group then each person can explain their choice
If you were stranded on an island, what one item would you have with you?
Write down the item
Explain the choice
Check-in benefits
You gauge the room early. It’s really helpful for a facilitator to get an early feel for how people are doing at the start so that they can adjust the style and content to fit.
Build stronger relationships in the team. By asking unusual questions on a regular basis over a prolonged time everyone knows one another better and relationships improve.
Your meetings will be prioritised. Check-ins are fun and engaging and as a result people are more likely to choose your meeting over other competing activities.
How to get check-in success
Mix it up. A check-in can become stale and lose its power if overused. Hej.today is a fantastic place to find new check-ins at random.
Put time aside. When planning your meeting or workshop, reserve at least 5 minutes for a check-in. If it’s already a really short meeting (say 30 minutes) and you have a lot to cover, perhaps skip it.
Keep it brief. Check-ins can be so fun or interesting that it’s tempting to keep doing it for the whole meeting. Remember the objective of the meeting and get to it as soon as everyone is energised!
Remote check-in templates
Digital whiteboards have awesome pre-built templates for engaging remote-checkins. Here are some goodies to try out:
Gif battle energiser on Butter
Metro retro team mood thermometer
Hope that was useful!
Cheers Iain
Photo courtesy of Gratisography