Using Check-Ins at Meetings

How often have you been at a meeting that began with introductions? Most of the time, it’s no more than a chance to flash identity markers–“What’s your name, and where are you from (or: what’s your role)?”– creating a veneer of familiarity before getting down to business.  Introductions can be useful for newcomers to an existing group, but they’re usually a formality, and tend to reinforce the assumption that “we know each other, and we all know what we’re about.”

One of the signatures of an AoH gathering, by contrast, is to start off with a “check-in.”  A check-in differs from a round of introductions: it’s meant to bring a group together, and to start building a common field of conversation.  A check-in serves as a moment of transition, an acknowledgment that we, as disparate individuals, are coming together around a shared purpose.  Unlike “name-tag” introductions, a check-in implicitly extends an invitation to join in, to listen to others, and to recognize commonalities.  Rather than signalling pre-existing identities (job titles, roles), check-ins direct attention to the group as it emerges in the moment.

Maintaining focused attention can be a challenge in regularly scheduled or routine meetings, where the assumption that “we’re going through the motions” can be prevalent.  Part of the skill–the craft, the art–of hosting involves tending to the field of conversation, “holding the space” and knowing when to allow the rhythm of divergence and convergence to play out.   Using check-ins (and check-outs) effectively is a vital element of good practice.

Richard Cohen recently shared his new website checkinsuccess.com , including a list of sample questions, with the Art of Hosting listserv.  Thanks, Richard!

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