Make meetings 10x better
Think about a meeting or a conversation you have regularly. However good or bad it usually goes - think of 3 things that would make it twice as good?
How about 10x better?
Dream up 3 things that would make it that much better? Write these bada$$ dreams down now.
This simple technique can can be customized to support whatever changes you've just imagined.
Add a check in/check out ritual to the meeting or conversation.
Now this strategy can flop just as easily as it can succeed.
(I've got a great list of examples and questions to get you thinking about how to do this well linked below.)
Done with intention, a check-in supports presence, focus, and mutual commitment. It develops skills for increased self-awareness and emotional agility in the group.
I often say that the barriers to us reaching our goals are usually context. By context, I mean the mindset and attitudes we have about the issues.
We aren't usually stuck around content - the facts and knowledge of the problem. (And frankly, if you need content, it's usually fairly easy to get.)
Check-ins are a great way to introduce more context into the discussion. And you can dial up or down the amount of vulnerability you feel the people/group are ready for.
Here is a list of great check-in questions and some excellent prompts to help you think about what kind of a check-in would work best for the group/setting/type of conversation you are having.
A check-out at the end of the meeting is a chance to reconnect to presence, focus, and mutual commitment. It's also a great moment to ask for feedback. (e.g. What worked well in this conversation and what is one thing you/we could do better next time?)
This article also has some great ideas for check-out questions.
The concept of a check-in/check-out is formal and that might work for you. But the idea can be informal and casual too.
For instance, let's say you are getting ready to talk about something in a close relationship. You can invite a check-in by sharing something about your context and asking a question.
Like this:
"Let's sit down and talk a little about vacation plans for this year. I've been looking forward to planning a getaway for so long - I feel excited and a little nervous that COVID might get in the way again. How are you feeling about travel this year?"
For the next meeting or conversation you have: What would you need to add or take away to make it 10x better?
What check-in would support you in moving toward that change?
To your presence,
Marijke Ocean
P.S. Want some help brainstorming this shift for your particular scenario? Just shoot me an email and we can figure it out together!
-MOJ