People are Stressed - Take Time to Check In

As 2022 gets underway, many of my clients are telling me the same thing: their staff are feeling the weight of the ongoing pandemic and it’s resulting in stress, feeling overwhelmed, and difficulty in focusing. While business needs to move forward, it’s more important now than ever to assure you’re taking the temperature of the room by checking in before launching into the business at hand.

Plan some extra time at the beginning of your meetings to have a check in to allow each person to have their voice heard and connect with the group. Stick to a timeframe by asking everyone to keep their answers to 30 seconds or less. Remember to make this a safe space and let everyone know that the check in is completely optional - they can simply say ‘pass’ without further explanation. As the facilitator, start out by giving your check in first, modeling for the group.?

Here are three check in examples:

1. How are you feeling right now (avoiding good or fine)? Also - one-word check in is a good option for a large group.
2. What’s been your rose and thorn from the past week?
3. What’s something nice you’re doing for yourself this week?

So much is uncertain as we move into 2022, but taking the time to listen and have others speak is an important way to help people feel connected and heard. You’ll also learn more about each other and bond more as a team.

If you need help facilitating a group, leading a team, or preparing for a high-stakes presentation, let’s talk. Book a discovery call with me here!

Check out this great post from Officevibe where I sourced some of these tips.