open · Team Building · 5–10 min · 3-20 people · low energy

What Are You Bringing to the Meeting?

This check-in activity helps participants acknowledge their mental and emotional state before a meeting, fostering presence and focus. By creating space for personal acknowledgment, it allows individuals to transition into the collaborative environment more effectively.

When to use What Are You Bringing to the Meeting?

Use this method at the beginning of a meeting or workshop to help participants transition from their previous activities and become fully present. It's particularly useful when participants are coming from diverse situations or when a demanding task requires focused attention.

What it solves

Distracted participants, lack of engagement, lingering stress from previous tasks.

How to run What Are You Bringing to the Meeting?, step by step

  1. Arrange participants in a circle or ensure everyone can see each other. (2 minutes)
  2. Explain the purpose of the check-in: to acknowledge personal states and transition into the meeting. Emphasize that sharing is brief and optional. (1 minute)
  3. Invite each person to briefly share 'where they are at' as they enter the meeting, including energy levels, recent activities, or pressing thoughts. Offer the option to pass. (5-7 minutes)
  4. Thank participants for sharing and encourage them to set aside external thoughts for the meeting's duration. (1 minute)

Facilitator tips

  • Emphasize brevity and avoid allowing check-ins to turn into lengthy discussions.
  • Model vulnerability by sharing your own check-in first.

Common pitfalls

  • Participants sharing overly personal or irrelevant information. Remind the group of the purpose and time constraints.
  • Participants feeling pressured to share. Reiterate the option to pass.

Variations

  • Use a scale (e.g., 1-5) to rate energy levels.
  • Ask participants to share one word describing their current state.

Running it online or hybrid

Use a virtual whiteboard or chat function for participants to share their check-ins.

What it produces

A shared understanding of the participants' current states and a collective agreement to focus on the meeting's objectives.

Origin

Based on work by Teampedia — source

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