Why a quick check-in at the start of your meeting goes a long way.
Research suggests that a short check-in at the start of a meeting makes sense. Here's why.
(1) A few minutes of small talk before the actual meeting starts can increase its effectiveness (according to one study, even by 25%) because participants feel more connected and at ease. Deliberate small talk builds positive feelings that ripple across the meeting.
(2) When people speak up at the start of a meeting, they are more likely to contribute later on. Think of the first few minutes of your meeting as a role model for how you want the other parts of your meeting to look.
(3) Explicitly inviting participants to contribute at the start of a meeting is a foundational behavior for fostering psychological safety. High psychological safety is a crucial predictor of learning, innovation, and growth.
You have plenty of options when you want to try out a meeting check-in. I hope the tips below can help you on your journey of improving meeting effectiveness.
(1) You can ask check-in questions that are people-oriented ("Who is a completely overrated movie star?") or task-oriented ("What was the latest compliment you received on a job well done?").
(2) You can ask check-in questions about the meeting itself ("What can you do to make this meeting a success?") or about an unrelated topic ("What have you been focusing on over the past week?").
(3) You can ask people to respond in a roundtable setting or invite participants to break out into smaller groups.
A good check-in sets the scene for a good meeting. Trying this out with your team is a great way to connect, learn, and improve forward.
Sources:
A. Allen, J., Lehmann-Willenbrock, N., & Landowski, N. (2014). Linking pre-meeting communication to meeting effectiveness. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 29(8), 1064-1081.
Rider, C., Ferrère, A., Belovai, Z., Guadalupe, M., & Englmaier, F. (2023). Proven Tactics for Improving Teams’ Psychological Safety. MIT Sloan Management Review.
Edmondson, A. C., & Besieux, T. (2021). Reflections: voice and silence in workplace conversations. Journal of Change Management, 21(3), 269-286.