Checking Out of the Meeting

Welcome. This is a JLC event which can be found on our JLC YouTube channel, your subscribed podcast channels as well. Here at JLC, we focus on holding conversations that produce desired results. This series is on results and relationships. This episode is called Checking out and it focuses on enhancing engagement and accountability through everyday leadership conversations. Colleen. I'm Colleen and I have my colleague Julie here with me today. And before we move forward, I'd like to do just a quick introduction. So as I mentioned, I have my colleague here. Julie and I have had the pleasure working with Julie for about, I think, three years now, isn't that right? And a couple things that I know and I really appreciate about Julie. She has been working as an educator for over 20 years. And one of the things that I can share about her, she's always a glasses half full. Many times if I'm working with a client, you know, you have one of those days when you're just not feeling it or I felt like I didn't give my best effort or I was like, oh man, I needed somebody really to kind of pick me up and help me move forward. Julie's the girl. She is absolutely a glasses half full.

Oh, thank you. I love that. So my colleague here is Colleen. She has been with JJLC for about 16 years or more. She was a previous educator and also continues to be an executive coach and work with businesses and the military. And she has been a fantastic mentor professionally, but also personally, she's the sister that I never had and we joke with each other all the time and bust each other because she's from the west coast and I'm from the east coast. So she always points out how the west is the best and then I will point out how the east is the beast. And so we had so much fun.

The east is the beast. I like it, Julie. I like it.

Thank you. Thank you very much. So here at jlc, we recognize how busy everyone is and we are so grateful that you choose to spend some of your primary resource time with us. And, and when learning and time go together, if it's used well, it can really improve the quality of your leadership. And so we invite you to let go of any distractions or top of mind concerns for the next few minutes and just lean into learning about professional development. And we hope that all of you enjoyed these next few minutes together. Now, before we start to jump in, I want to do a focusing statement on exactly what we're going to be talking about today during this podcast. And as you know, with the title it's called a checkout. And oftentimes there's so many agenda items that happen in the meeting that we just are not really quite sure what's the priority or who's doing what. And so when you're asked, when you use a checkout, at the end of the meeting, each person is asked to reflect on their personal learning and their commitment of an agenda item that they're going to then go out and. And do. Because as a result of the meeting, and so we hope at the end of this podcast, you will have not only an understanding of what a checkout is, but you'll also be able to create your own and you'll be able to enhance your meetings as a result. Colleen, what did you hear me say about what we hope to cover today during our podcast?

Sure. Thanks, Julie. Yeah, I heard you talk about the importance of a checkout and how it really gives people an opportunity to be engaged, to really kind of ensure that as the meeting facilitator, the information you're sharing or the meeting leader is landing on people in the way intended. And so it sounds like at the end of our short conversation, people will hopefully have a little tool that they can walk away and begin to implement immediately in some of their meetings and huddles.

Yeah, that's right. And I know that you've been doing some research. Can you share with us some research that you found of the importance of using a checkout?

Yeah, absolutely. I think, you know, one of the things is that we meet all the time. I mean, people, one of our primary reasons consultants, clients call us is to say, hey, come take a look at our meetings. And so we go in and we've seen thousands of meetings and huddles, and we always like to go in and observe. And. And so I found when we decided we're going to do this podcast, I found this piece of this article that I really wanted to share. I think it kind of sets up our chat here pretty well. It's from Forbes magazine, and the article is called why accountability is vital to your company. According to author and transformational Leader Ann Lower, 93% of employees don't even understand what their organization is trying to accomplish. So. So they can align themselves with that goal, startling 93%. Additionally, 85% of leaders aren't defining what their employees ought to be working on, and 84% describe themselves as trying but failing. They're avoiding accountability even when employees know what to do or fix. And so this very first topic that we're talking about is how A checkout can promote continuous improvement and learning and the importance of that piece. So before we move forward, I'm just going to pause and say, Julie, what are you thinking about that article and that study and the numbers that I'm sharing with you here? What are you thinking?

On one hand those numbers are startling, and then on the other hand it's not, because I too have sat in on meetings and used that as a time to clean up my email or answer texts or, you know, and I'm not really paying attention at all unless it's time for me to present myself. And so those numbers aren't startling. And yet the understanding that the majority of time and money spent in meetings does not have that same result. And so it's great to hear that a checkout is something that we could do in order to ensure that everyone is aligned, that everyone knows what they need to do, when it needs to be done, and who's going to do it?

Yeah, absolutely. I couldn't say that better myself. Absolutely. These little tiny things that you can do at the end of a meeting or huddle or even a conversation that you're having, especially in the virtual environment, really promotes continuous improvement and change. Otherwise, as the study said, people are trying to get better, we're trying to improve. But unless I can pause and hold up the mirror to say, okay, Julie, we shared some incredible information about the new standard operating procedure around renting a car. So what'd you hear and what are you going to be doing differently as a result of that information? So I'm going to pause just for a minute and go back to the other thing that I wanted to make sure that I mentioned was many times the definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing and expecting another result. So thinking about this checkout as an opportunity to pause and self reflect, self reflection generates change, and it's around those changes. That's why we're meeting many times. This is an opportunity for us to think about as a team. We what are we doing well and what are some of those things that perhaps we need to enhance or do differently? So checkout is one way it can be used to promote continuous improvement and change. And I'm going to give you a couple examples and I'm going to ask you to weigh in as well, Julie. So once again, anytime I'm having a meeting, at the end of it, I can say either at the end of an agenda item or at the end of the meeting itself, I can say, what are the key learnings? What are some Things you're doing well, and what are some things that you can enhance or do differently? But once again, this is about pausing, holding up the mirror as a meeting leader, having people think about what they're doing in their day to day, and if they're actually achieving the desired result, and if not, what they need to change or shift so they can ensure that they're not just busy doing working. They are very specifically choosing the things they're doing each and every day that will move the needle forward and help achieve those goals. So I'm gonna pause. Julie, just what are you thinking? And you have some other examples of checkouts that you've seen. The clients that you support really promote change and continuous improvement.

Yeah. First of all, when I first started doing this, the participants were shocked that they were being held responsible for reflection on their thinking of what they heard, because they realized, oh my gosh, I was not really listening so many times we can sit here and we can listen, we think we're listening, but we really, truly are not making that change connection of, oh, okay, that's different than the way I did it now. Now I'm going to do it differently. I need to take a few minutes to reflect and think, how am I going to do it differently? How am I going to share that with the leaders that are out there? And one of my favorites is, as a result of our conversation, what will you do differently? So again, it's the focus is as a result of our conversation, as a result of our meeting. That's the reason why we're having it. What are you going to do differently? And that focus is then on a change. So you came in one way and now you're leaving, and there's something that needs to be changed.

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that sense of thinking about that personal responsibility piece. Right. So I'm not sitting here just listening to the information you're sharing. Part of how we can close that out is talking about, as a result of what did you learn? What resonated with you? And what will you do differently? How might you shift and change? I think is beautiful. So that's that really first big point we wanted to make sure everyone gets. And that, once again, is that a checkout is a way, when used at the end of an agenda item or the end of a meeting, consistently will promote continuous improvement and change.

So the second point is that checkouts provide an opportunity for the meeting facilitator to discover how the information is landing on the participants. Its surface is really what resonated Most with them, what they're surprised at, what questions do they still have, what do they disagree with? And depending on the size of your meeting, you could do it with just partners. Turn to a partner and share with a partner what resonated with you most and why. You can call on a few partners, or if it's a large group, you could have them do it in groups of four, or you could just call on a few people. But what happens is there's an intention of finding out what has resonated with them. So you, as a meeting leader, know, moving forward how the meeting went, and it gives you a little bit more information instead of finding out through the grapevine or water cooler conversation later. For example, I don't know about you, but oftentimes I think, as Colleen told you, I'm a positive person. So I'm in a meeting or I'm in training, and I'm like, crushing it. I think that I'm doing great.

Right, Patting yourself on the back.

I got PowerPoint. I'm having them turn and talk. I mean, everything is just going really good. And I'll never forget this one time I was doing a training for Navy medicine. It's called arop, which is the Advanced Readiness Medical Officer course. And I teach there every few weeks. And at this time, when I was teaching, there was a lot of change that was happening in the restructuring process of the Navy. And as I was speaking, my presentation was on the four step meeting process. So I was talking about check ins, I was talking about closing the loop, I was talking about checkouts, but I still had them turn and talk several times. And at the very end, I did a checkout to find out what were the key points that resonated with you. And everyone was talking about this restructuring. I didn't talk about the restructuring at all. And so that really let me know how sometimes distractions of other things that are happening can really pull you from the main content. So I'm glad that I did that checkout, because then when we came back from break, I was able to sort of redirect them and say, let's put that restructuring off to the side. That's a distraction. And let's really focus on the four step meeting process. Colleen, what are you thinking about?

Yeah, you know, I think that's a really good example because many times in a meeting, you know, we think we're communicating those key pieces of information. And the thing that I like so much about the checkout and this creating the space, you know, to surface people's thinking you could have continued at the end of that, you know, at the end of the day with all of those participants at amdoc, Right. You get to pat yourself on the back. Yeah, that was awesome. Because you thought that they were really embracing how to hold a more effective meeting and huddle when guess what? That was what you thought. However, what truly was happening was they were so distracted by something else. What really, truly resonated with them were the conversations they had with each other on this different topic. So I think that's a great point. You can think that perhaps you share these key pieces of information for people to take action, for people to move forward towards goal accomplishment, but how do you know? How do you know for sure that they're embracing those key concepts and that they're understanding them until you give people an opportunity to process? One of the things that we talk about is conversation is the natural way we learn, not the only way. And I think that checkout at the end of the agenda item gives people an opportunity to process and is the meeting leader for me to really listen what did they hear and what's important to them? And so what a great example. Especially if there is something that might be causing drama in the, you know, in your team or throughout your organization, you know, many times just creating that space to surface their thinking in a checkout at the end of a meeting, you can really learn where might you need to spend a little bit more time in your next meeting or conversation.

Yeah, exactly. So that's a good feedback loop for the facilitator to know moving forward, what we can change or enhance and so on. And so there's one more topic. Colleen, do you want to do the last topic?

Sure, absolutely. So we're moving towards our kind of our final topic here, and that's surfaces committed actions and really, really refines this accountability piece of. I can't tell you how many times in working with clients across the country, people go, oh, hey, Colleen, can you help my team with accountability? And I'm always like, well, sure. They're asking for a book. They're asking for some sort of app, some sort of, I don't know, software on talking stuff or whatever. And I was just like, well, you know, perhaps I could listen into your meetings. And so what I noticed in listening to some of these meetings is, is that at the end, everybody says, okay, we're done. And most of the time, and I'm this way too, don't get me wrong, you know, I get up. And when you're done, you just bolt, you bolt off to the next thing. You've got to go to the bathroom, you've got to take care of some, you know, personal thing. You just move right along. And the biggest thing that this checkout does, it holds you there to ensure that you have each person state in their own words, committed actions. So I'm going to share another quick story. So literally I was with, I would say senior level executives. Senior level executives. And at the end of this, I was asked to observe. And at the end of this 90 minute meeting, they all said, okay, anything else? Any last questions? No. And everybody adjourned. So they all got up. One gentleman who asked me to observe, he goes, wait a minute, wait a minute. Before we all leave the table, I just want to ask each one of you, what did we just decide to do? Literally, Julie, Everybody looked at each other. They were like, I don't know, I mean, what did we decide to do? So they had taken time to talk about something that was important. And yet, because there were no specific people assigned and connected to a task, they surfaced, but nobody paused to even write them down. So at the end of every agenda item and at the end of every meeting, we invite you to use a checkout because it does this. Accountability. Accountability lives in your meetings. Pause to take 30 seconds to say, okay, I'm going to go around the table just in a quick, quick summary and I want to hear what are your committed actions now notice I said in your words. I can sit here and go, hey, Julie, you need to do this by Tuesday. Hey, Joe, you need to do this by Wednesday. I can push that out, but the studies and the research support, people need to say it in their own words. It's that piece of having a promise in front of a colleague. When I promise something to my colleagues, there is a higher probability that will absolutely ensure it gets done. So that is a huge piece of this check in. So I'm going to pause. Julie, I'd love for you to weigh in. What are you thinking? And do you have anything else to add when it comes to checkouts with those specifically those committed actions?

Yeah, I do. The majority of clients that I work with complain about accountability, and yet they don't understand how the importance of consistency, doing this on a daily basis and also having the date and the time and the who. And oftentimes people will say, yes, yes, ma', am, yes sir, or you know, yes, I'll do it. And before they even really know what they're meant to do. And so it sort of Slows down the conversation to really get clear that, yes, I am willing to do it, but no, I'm not really sure I have the resources for it. So you deal with those sort of issues that maybe might slow you down when you leave the meeting. And my story is, keep in mind that this, a meeting is a conversation with one or more people. So it could be at home, it could be with your husband, with your kids, with, you know, anyone. It doesn't have to just be a professional thing. And of course, I usually always use my husband as an example. And he was going to change the lights and he didn't change the lights, light bulbs. And he didn't change the light bulbs and he didn't change the light bulbs. So I thought I need to use a little JLC strategy called a checkout.

Little accountability coming on, coming his way.

And ensure that not only, yes, he's going to do the do the light bulbs, but by when. And so he had to come up with, okay, by Thursday. And I said, what time? You know, by Thursday at 6, because people are coming at 6:30. So we had to get really clear. And that just, it was simple. It took the drama away from it, it took the judgment away from it. And when you use that as an accountability consistently, you get used to that cadence and that routine and then it's just part of your conversation.

Yeah, no, I love that. And it also links back to your check ins that you've been using as well. Because the cool thing that I love about the accountability piece and this committed actions is now that you've had that conversation, right, you can begin the next meeting with those committed actions from the prior meeting. Because one of the other things that I've noticed in the thousands of meetings is I always say, hey, all right, people hold meetings in isolation. So this simple little tool, a checkout, when you have people service, committed actions. And to your point, Julie, great enhancement. They're people specific and they're time specific. Write it down. And my invitation is, if it's a formal meeting, put them in your meeting minutes and then your next meeting begin with those meeting minutes as your check in. And it helps create connectivity to those meetings. Because otherwise what happens is we might have had a great conversation, Julie, of how we're going to move our podcast marketing strategy forward. But if we are not closing the loop in the next meeting by saying, okay, Julie, what were your promises from the last meeting? Where are you now and how can I support you if we don't begin to link those with our checkouts and our check ins, then it's like we're having a new conversation each week and we're really not holding each other accountable and we're not truly achieving results.

Yeah, you're exactly right. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we have come to the end of our event and we will model this practice, actually at the end of our podcast that we've been talking about. And we're going to be using a checkout that really has an impact right away on the facilitators and the participants. And so as we've been answering provocations throughout the podcast, we invite you to also respond as well. So you can respond in the chat, you can write on your own notes, you can take these and try them in your meetings and in your conversations. And so the checkout for today, Colleen, and then I'll answer, is what resonated most during the conversation that we had today and what's one behavior you intend to adopt right away?

Sure. I really like your checkout, the story with your husband. I think what resonated with me is checkouts are critically important, not even in your professional life, but in your personal life as well, because I want to make sure that we have aligned expectations. I can walk away from that conversation about changing some light bulbs in my mind. Take care of that right now. And you might be thinking your husband's probably going, well, I got a week or so. I don't even hounding light bulbs. I don't even know who they are. So that checkout is just a simple thing and it doesn't have to be super formal. Although it can. Although it can. But it's just saying, all right, when's that going to happen? And by when? Because it's just so helpful to align those expectations as well. And I'm out.

Yeah. And I think that the biggest thing that I need to remember, and you sort of talked about this in the beginning, is the importance of slowing down the conversation to create a space to surface the thinking and to validate what you're hearing in your own words. Because we know that personal reflection creates change. And when you pause and you say it in your own words, not being told what to do, but you're saying it in your own words, not only are you then engaged and owning it, but other people can also hear. And it's a great feedback for that leader to know, okay, we're all on the same page, or, oh, my word, we have a few things to clean up. And it's just one question. It takes literally three minutes and it is a game changer.

Absolutely. And thanks so much. And Julie, once again, those points we talked about today, the check in. Sorry, the checkout. The importance of a checkout. It promotes continuous improvement and change. It also creates space to surface the participants thinking and the person's thinking that you're engaged in that conversation with. And finally, it surfaces committed actions and really ensures accountability. If you'd like if you'd like some additional information on the checkout, please feel free to go to our website. We have lots of other resources. And thanks again for joining us. Sincerest thanks for listening to this episode of the Everyday Leadership Conversations podcast. The Jorgensen Learning center offers a variety of programs for individuals and organizations to enhance their communication and leadership skills. To find out more about programs and upcoming webinars, check out our events page@gojlc.com.