How to close your workday effectively
You might have experienced a day at the office that makes you feel disconnected from your team. You left feeling unsatisfied or even annoyed because you didn’t have an opportunity to address pitfalls, had an argument just before the end of the day or you could not finish your work. It will result in you bringing that frustration back home and carry over to the next meeting. Having a check-out helps you close the process and be fresh for the next thing that will happen in your day!
A check out is a question to gauge the main takeaways from an activity and connect to the next steps. Did everyone working on the project enjoy their process? Was this meeting constructive? Is the team going home feeling good? What is on their mind after today? What will be on their agenda tomorrow? What actions need to be taken?
During a semester at Digital Society School, a multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team works towards a prototype in merely 20 weeks. A team is formed based on complementary skills and brings together different approaches to work and be part of a team. And working in a new environment can be quite hectic. Good team culture is important but in context, facilitating the opportunity for people to have a good work-life balance is of high significance.
A good check-out contributes to a good work-life balance and aligns your project team for the continuation of the project. Check-outs can have a variety of outputs, it can be drawings, reflect in silence, choosing a representational song. At the Digital Society School, we commonly use the circle practice. Team members are in an open circle and answer the check-out question one by one, accompanied by a so-called ‘Talking Piece’: a token that the speaker holds and passes to their right once they are finished with talking. This gives every team member the space to speak their mind and reflect on the process! However, coming up with a good check-out question that not only results in the desired effect of leaving the work at work but also addressing issues from the day can be a challenge in itself. Especially when working with a team new to the concept of check-out.
Because of this, I would like to share a recommendation about making check-outs stand out. This particular method, developed by Roxane de Jong, Anushree Jain, Alec Stewart and Ginger Ultee, is to use so-called ‘dummies’, mascots that represent a theme that can be addressed or give direction to the check-out. Their mascots consisted of ‘Laafjes’, an elf-like folk from the Efteling, an attraction park in Holland.
One day, Anushree brought in these odd statues to represent the team name and create a better team spirit. However, it was the characters on top of the sigil that was given meaning and started contributing to the team feeling with more constructivism. The ‘Laafjes’ have different characteristics, almost different personalities based on the way they act. The team gave each statue a meaning to support them in their check out:
Unveil inner thoughts of your teammates.
Cheeky: The interpretation of this is that they must have something specific to say, but the body language indicates that there is something in their mind and is contemplating the outcome of sharing this thought. For instance:
“What has been on your mind all day and you couldn’t find the right moment to share it?”
“What is the elephant in the room for us?”
“What is your opinion about the direction of our project?”
What goals have already been achieved or realised?
Pride: The meaning of this statue is that they are standing proud of their accomplishments. Take your time to boast about your accomplishments during the process. It can be easy losing oversight on the work you have put into the project and this theme will help getting the right boost to your team. For instance:
“What is something you feel proud of?”
“What unexpected event really turned this project around for the better?”
“What is the best team moment we had?”
Get honest feedback with good intentions.
Fixer: This character holds a bucket of oil, and seems to be a mechanic of some sorts. They look ready to intervene and help speed up the process or provide some extra help for the team. For instance:
“What are your concerns regarding our teamwork?”
“Do you see a problem laying ahead for our project?”
“What feedback has stuck with you since our last feedback session?”
Align the team goals.
Duty: The ‘Laaf’ stands ready as a guard holding its post. They are responsible and oversee the bigger picture. Use this one if you want to see where everybody sees their responsibilities and the priorities in the project. For instance:
“What has your main priority during this project?”
“Which personal goal have you set for yourself?”
“What do you want to achieve during this project?”
What do we love to do in this project?
Passion: Smelling the rose, this character is enjoying the moment. This is the perfect statue for a quick reality check on the project and to hear what everybody is passionate about. Questions can be:
“What are your hopes for the project?”
“What part of the project makes you excited?”
“What makes you happy to work on this project?”
How do we function as a team?
Warmth: The character is covered in snow and is trying to warm itself up. The idea behind this character was to hand out a compliment to your teammates, in case it has been a rough day. Questions can be:
“When did I serve the team well?”
“What is good about our current project?”
“What are we doing good as a team?”
You don’t need to have the statues itself to perform this check-out, use any metaphor you can find! Toys, images, Dixit / Tarot cards, coloured markers or any other random objects that symbolise something to you, even GIFS can be of help! This method is about you having the opportunity to create a ritual that will help you bring more energy to your project. Good teamwork can be overlooked during a project. Do check-outs to become more connected to the people in your team and make you appreciate how good your team really is!
The Digital Society School is a growing community of learners, creators and designers who create meaningful impact on society and its global digital transformation. Check us out at digitalsocietyschool.org.
