{"id":12445,"date":"2023-07-03T00:00:42","date_gmt":"2023-07-02T15:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/?p=12445"},"modified":"2026-02-23T13:06:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T04:06:55","slug":"3-checkin-questions-to-reduce-meeting-distractions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sasugacommunications.com\/ja\/3-checkin-questions-to-reduce-meeting-distractions\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Checkin Questions To Reduce Meeting Distractions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever been in a meeting where your colleague didn\u2019t seem to be paying attention or contributing fully?<\/span><\/p>\n

You might feel frustrated.<\/span><\/p>\n

But you probably don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on in that person\u2019s life that could be distracting them.<\/span><\/p>\n

One day, I joined a 1:1 coaching call on Zoom and saw my client was on his mobile phone, looking flustered.<\/span><\/p>\n

He finished his conversation and we were about to start our session, but first I asked, \u201cIs everything okay?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

He told me he\u2019d just heard that his wife had been in a car crash. She was okay, but he was still worried.<\/span><\/p>\n

I suggested rescheduling, and he gratefully agreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Reading this, you may think that\u2019s the obvious thing to do, but it\u2019s amazing how many times people are focused on the meeting agenda and not on the people.<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s the people and their engagement levels that lead to the meeting results, right?<\/span><\/p>\n

So here\u2019s a simple, proven technique that you can use to start team meetings to help everyone focus and make the most of your meetings – less effort, more impact!<\/span><\/p>\n

3-question checkin<\/b><\/p>\n

We do this for our Team Sasuga! meetings as well as just before starting workshops and events where I\u2019m one of a team of facilitators, speakers, or organizers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

First, take turns for each person to answer 3 questions:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. In a word, how are you feeling?<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Anything stopping you from focusing on our conversation?<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What do you most want to achieve in this meeting?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Second, respond to any issues or distractions that can be dealt with immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Now, let\u2019s look at the impact of each question.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Question #1<\/b><\/p>\n

    This shows that you care about the people and not just about the task, and can help to boost motivation and engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Answers could be \u201cfine,\u201d \u201cexcited,\u201d \u201ctired,\u201d \u201chungry,\u201d \u201ccold\u201d – anything goes. If the person isn\u2019t feeling good, sometimes just having the opportunity to say so helps them to feel a little better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    And, if you can quickly address an issue, do that. For example, if the person is cold, check with everyone else whether it\u2019s okay to adjust the air conditioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Question #2\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

    This makes it easier for people to open up if something is distracting them. For example<\/span><\/p>\n