Holacracy Basics: Understanding Check-ins

It’s a great idea when starting meetings that are held regularly…to have everyone contribute what primarily has their attention at the moment…In the many years of consulting with teams and groups, I learned that trying to move things forward without at least a nod to the issues pulling on everyone’s psyche is an exercise in futility. 

David Allen, Making it All Work

Why Check-in?

1. Helps You Focus

What we resist persists. Like if you try to NOT think of an elephant. You can’t do it. If you intentionally try to ignore something, paradoxically you must give it some attention. So, if you walk into a tactical meeting right after you got chewed out by a customer, your instinct might be to try and focus on the meeting by ignoring, shutting out, setting aside, or somehow bracketing those distracting thoughts. It’s a good intention of course. It just doesn’t work. By calling out what has your attention at the moment, you’re allowing it and in that acceptance, distractions tend to organically pass on through. Thus, freeing up the focus and attention you wanted in the first place. It doesn’t always work, but it can help.

2. Gives Others Context

Calling out what has your attention also gives other people context. If you share something like, “Well, I just got yelled at by a customer…so, yeah. That was great. Check.” Then others have some context into your inner world. That way, if you seem a little short, distracted, or disengaged, they can understand why.

3. Sets the Tone

The check-in round also gives us a chance to shift the group’s energy. Meaning, when we enter the meeting space, our natural desire for connection and conversation takes a backseat to getting work done. And this happens in check-ins largely because “responses are not allowed.” So, if someone shares they’re having a rough day, you’re not supposed to interrupt. Even to empathize.

And this helps set a tone for the meeting because when we enter one of Holacracy’s constitutionally required meetings (tactical or governance), we are entering a very particular kind of space. While conventional meetings give us a chance to connect real-time as people, Holacracy meetings don’t. Or at least they aren’t designed to do that. For example, the agenda in a tactical meeting is a list of tensions to process, not a list of topics to discuss.

How to Check-in?

“Check-in Round: The Facilitator allows each participant in turn to share their current state or thoughts, or offer another type of opening comment for the meeting. Responses are not allowed.” — Holacracy Constitution (3.3.3a, 4.2.3a)

1. Take a Breath

Actually, take a breath before you start. Even if everyone else just said, “Check,” if you pause…take a breath…drop your shoulders…feel the energy in your belly and your feet. Now. Without rushing. What has your attention? Sense into what is alive for you, right now, in this moment.

2. Mix it Up

Any kind of opening comment is fine. So, mix it up. The facilitator can vary the prompts, or as a participant, you could just do it.

• “What has your attention?”
• “What is something you’re looking forward to this week?”
• “What roles do you have in this circle?”
• “For my check-in, I’ll share one of my favorite quotes…”

Conclusion

When thoughts knock on our door, like an annoying door-to-door salesman, trying to ignore them, just tends to make them knock louder. Sometimes just acknowledging the distractions we wish we didn’t have…but actually do…can help us become more present, conscious, and clear.

Read “Introducing the Holacracy Practitioner Guide” to find more articles.