#Hi just checking in professional
We make time to go through past check-ins, personal and professional goals, family goals and progress, calendars for the next quarter, and make any updated commitments. We also do an annual check-in to wrap up the year and prepare for the next. I’m happy to go deep into any of these questions in comments or in DMs - so please do ask!Įach quarter we do a deeper dive, which is sometimes a vacation weekend or a ‘staycation' day (which just means getting a babysitter for a few hours). This DOES NOT take the place of discussing things in real time – it is simply checking in on what stands out most from the last 30 days. The goal is to dig deep, be specific and candid, listen and feel, ask clarifying questions, have more discussion if applicable, and grow for each other and ourselves. What is an area we want to improve or focus on with family/our son?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Progress check - What is one thing I have improved and/or not improved (from our check-ins or stated commitments and goals) Goals check - how can we help each other with goals or interests? Pick 1 or 2, then ask for and offer help Optional share: What is the thing that I/we spent money/time on that provides the most value /least value One thing I can do differently (more, less, etc.) to be a more effective/better partner for you? We used to ask for only 1 thing, but a few years in, we wanted to get more specific, so we changed it to listing 1 thing to stop, 1 to start, and 1 to continue. We review the last 30 days via our calendars, because who remembers last week, much less all month? We then go through our 10 questions.Įach question starts with, "when you look back at the last 30 days, what is…." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We reserve 30-60 min each month on our monthiversary for our ‘check-in'. My husband and I want to show gratitude, honor our relationship, and intentionally grow. Quick Start Guide to our Monthly Check-Ins To give you an example, I’m sharing what my husband and I use: A similar set of questions and format is applicable for teams, employees, peers, and other relationships. I’d love to share my format for those Monthly Check-Ins. My favorite version is "Monthly Check-Ins" with my husband I take immediate action on what I realize in that exercise (we’ll dive into this in a future post)Ģ) checking in with others : This is a great way to get actionable feedback and strengthen relationships. I envision a person I admire in my role and challenge myself to see my job through that new person's eyes. It takes humility and curiosity to ask, and courage to answer and act.ġ) checking in with myself: "The Hot Shot Rule". It can be anywhere, for as little as 5 minutes. The format for my check-ins is to have the intention and space to reflect on a topic, article, or experience. “Checking in” is one of the techniques I've learned to use across all parts of my life to make the most of where I am and who and what I have. And to do that, we need perspective and feedback and permission to change in all areas of our life. I have learned that being our best at work is directly related to being our best at home, and the reverse is true as well. Now that you have some background on the newsletter and name, here's little core content for this first post. I’m super happy to be able to check in to this platform and have you do the same, to check in with you, and to share lessons.
So that love of the concept of checking in led me to the name of this newsletter. Check-Ins help create a commitment to action that drives micro-improvement: small changes that add up to big moves over time. Check-Ins give us space to reflect on how a topic applies to us. Through mistakes, wins, personal experiences, and learning from others, this simple act captures a mindset and a process.įinally, reading, workshops, and experiences aren’t fully impactful unless we decode, digest, and apply lessons. Second, I’ve found one of the biggest hacks for getting stronger in many aspects of life is the simple act (and art) of “Checking in”. It’s a moment, a gesture, a phrase and it’s an action. We check in to let loved ones know we’ve arrived.
We check in to places as part of a journey. I check in with myself, my team, with friends and family. When I call or text someone I’m thinking about, I often say, “hi…just checking in.thinking of you…how are you?”. I want to share a bit behind the name of this site and newsletter and to provide a first post of what I hope is super-useful content!įirst, I use the phrase…a lot. This newsletter, Checking In with Kat Cole, is one more step in that journey.
That motivates me to connect and share with other media and digital tools. I miss that connection and related opportunities. In a post-pandemic world, we have fewer in-person conferences, coffee meetings, and serendipitous catch-ups.