Best Check-In & Check-Out Questions for Team Meetings

Effective meetings don’t happen accidentally—they’re shaped by thoughtful communication and intentional team engagement. One of the simplest yet most impactful ways to foster better collaboration is by starting (and ending) each gathering with meaningful check-in and check-out questions.

In this article, we provide a curated list of 70+ check-in and check-out questions, along with creative icebreaker ideas to keep conversations fresh.

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General Check-In Meeting Questions

1. How are you feeling about your current workload?
2. What’s one small win you’ve had this week—work or personal?
3. On a scale of 1–10, how energized do you feel today?
4. What’s one goal you’re focusing on before our next meeting?
5. Is there any challenge you’re facing that you’d like input on?
6. Have your priorities shifted since our last meeting?
7. What’s one thing you need more clarity on?
8. What’s a new idea you’re considering that you haven’t shared yet?
9. If you could remove one barrier this week, what would it be?
10. Any team process you feel can be streamlined?
11. What’s one professional development area you’d like to focus on?
12. Do you have any feedback or observations about the team’s workflow?
13. What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next few days?
14. Are there any metrics or goals you’re uncertain about right now?
15. Who has been especially helpful or supportive to you recently?

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Check-In Questions for Team Meetings

1. What’s the biggest accomplishment our team should celebrate today?
2. Has anyone encountered a roadblock that requires group brainstorming?
3. What skills within the team are underutilized?
4. Which project milestone are you most excited about hitting?
5. How is everyone feeling about our team dynamics this week?
6. Is there a best practice you’ve discovered that the team should adopt?
7. What kind of support do you need from teammates right now?
8. Has anyone learned a new tool or technique that could help the team?
9. What’s one thing we can do better in our collaboration?
10. How well do you think the team’s efforts align with our overall goals?
11. If you could change one thing about our team’s communication, what would it be?
12. Has any cross-team dependency slowed you down?
13. What’s an aspect of teamwork you’re proud of from the last week?
14. What does success look like for the team in the next month?
15. Is there a quick tip or resource you’d like to share with the team?

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Check-In Questions for Staff or Work Meetings

1. What’s one important update from your department or role since we last met?
2. Do you have all the resources you need to succeed this week?
3. Which policy or procedure feels outdated and needs revisiting?
4. Is there any interdepartmental collaboration we should focus on?
5. What’s one insight or lesson from your day-to-day work you can share with others?
6. Are there any staffing or scheduling concerns we should address?
7. How are we tracking against our quarterly or annual goals?
8. Who would benefit from more visibility into your current projects?
9. What’s your primary focus for the rest of this month?
10. Have you noticed any emerging trends or issues that need management’s attention?
11. What communication channel (email, Slack, phone) works best for you, and why?
12. Is there a staff training or workshop that would boost overall productivity?
13. How can we recognize or reward recent accomplishments more effectively?
14. What kind of support do you need from leadership to move forward?
15. If you could propose one improvement to our workplace culture, what would it be?

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Meeting Check-In Ideas

1. Rose, Thorn, & Bud: Each person shares a highlight (rose), a current challenge (thorn), and something they’re looking forward to (bud).
2. One-Word Openers: Have each participant sum up their week in a single word, then elaborate briefly.
3. Emoji Status: Ask everyone to pick an emoji that describes their current mood.
4. Fast Fives: Each member quickly states five words that reflect their state of mind or priorities.
5. Show & Tell: Encourage people to grab a small object in their workspace that represents how they feel.
6. Lightning Round Updates: Give each attendee 30 seconds to share a quick personal or work-related update.
7. Highs & Lows: Ask for one “high” (a positive moment) and one “low” (a worry or challenge).
8. Two Truths and a Goal: Each person states two factual updates and one upcoming goal.
9. Random Question Wheel: Spin a virtual or physical wheel of lighthearted prompts to break the ice.
10. Shared Playlist: Invite everyone to name a song that matches their mood, then briefly explain why.

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Meeting Check-Out Questions

1. What’s one key takeaway from today’s discussion?
2. Do you feel we achieved our main objectives? Why or why not?
3. What’s one action you plan to take immediately after this meeting?
4. Is there any topic we need more time on in the future?
5. How can we improve our next meeting based on today’s experience?
6. What’s something you learned from a teammate today?
7. Were there any unresolved questions or issues?
8. Who else in the organization might benefit from today’s insights?
9. What are you most looking forward to accomplishing before our next meeting?
10. On a scale of 1–10, how productive was this meeting for you?
11. How did today’s meeting change or reinforce your perspective on our goals?
12. Is there a follow-up conversation you’d like to have with someone here?
13. What’s one thing we did well this time that we should continue doing?
14. What was the most surprising moment or piece of information shared?
15. Any final shout-outs or recognition you’d like to share before we wrap up?

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How to Leverage PerformYard for Effective Meeting Check-Ins

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Centralize Feedback and Notes

PerformYard provides a unified platform where you can store all meeting feedback, insights, and action items. After each meeting, input your team’s check-in responses into the system as notes or informal feedback. This not only captures the team’s collective mindset but also allows you to track progress or recurring themes over time.

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Align Check-In Questions with Performance Goals

The check-in prompts you choose can directly tie into broader performance objectives. For instance, if a question focuses on a personal development milestone (e.g., “What skill are you hoping to develop next?”), you can log this goal in PerformYard. By using the platform’s goal management features, you ensure that personal aspirations align with organizational targets.

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Keep a Continuous Feedback Loop

Meeting check-in questions often uncovers small wins or emerging challenges. With PerformYard’s continuous feedback functionality, you can encourage managers and peers to give real-time, constructive input. Rather than waiting for a quarterly or annual review, you can address performance trends and growth opportunities as they arise in your weekly or monthly check-ins.

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Integrate Recognition and Praise

When a team member highlights someone’s contribution (for example, “Who has been especially helpful to you recently?”), use PerformYard to publicly acknowledge that contribution. The platform’s recognition tools let you visibly celebrate great work—reinforcing positive behaviors and boosting overall morale.

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Track Follow-Up Actions and Accountability

Many of the check-in questions will spark action items or reveal process improvements. PerformYard’s task or project tracking capabilities allow you to assign responsibilities to the right people, document target deadlines, and monitor progress. This ensures that insights from your check-in questions translate into tangible results, rather than fading away once the meeting ends.

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Create a Performance Narrative Over Time

By consistently documenting and leveraging meeting check-in discussions through PerformYard, you build a robust performance record. When formal review cycles occur, managers and HR teams have a wealth of context—demonstrating how regular check-ins have driven growth, resolve bottlenecks, and shaped ongoing development.

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