Use Check In to begin meetings or anytime an individual or group check-in would add more value to the current team interactions.
- Speaker says “I feel [one or more of mad, sad, glad, afraid].” Speaker may provide a brief explanation. If others have already checked in, the speaker may say “I pass.” (See the Pass protocol.)
- Speaker says “I’m in.” This signifies that Speaker intends to behave according to the Core Commitments.
- Listeners respond “Welcome.”
- State feelings without qualification.
- State feelings only as they pertain to yourself.
- Be silent during another’s Check In.
- Do not refer to another’s check-in disclosures without explicitly granted permission from him or her.
- In the context of the Core Protocols, all emotions are expressed through combinations of mad, sad, glad, or afraid. For example, “excited” may be a combination of glad and afraid.
- Check In as deeply as possible. Checking in with two or more emotions is the norm. The depth of a group’s check-in translates directly to the quality of the group’s results.
- Do not do anything to diminish your emotional state. Do not describe yourself as a “little” mad, sad, glad, or afraid or say “I’m mad, but I’m still glad.”
- Except in large groups, if more than one person checks in, it is recommended that all do so.
- "Happy" may be substituted for "glad", and "scared" may be substituted for "afraid".