Pick one for me
If you cannot decide, this chooses one prompt from the 66 on this page.
All 66 prompts
Each line works on its own. Read the group heading to choose by situation rather than by topic.
Start of the week
Use at the first meeting of the week. The answers name work and what it depends on.
- What is the one piece of work you most want to finish this week?
- Which task this week needs your longest stretch of uninterrupted time?
- What is already fixed in your week, and what can still move?
- Which deadline this week depends on someone in this meeting?
- What would make your main task this week easier to start?
- Which piece of work would you hand over first if something urgent arrived?
Mid-project
Use when the work is under way and the plan is meeting reality. Ask for facts, not for a status report.
- Which part of the project is moving faster than you expected?
- What are you waiting for before you can take your next step?
- Which assumption in our plan would you like to check this week?
- What have you learned on this project that the rest of us should know?
- Which task is taking longer than its estimate, and by roughly how much?
- What is the next result that someone outside the team will see?
Before a decision
Use when a decision is on the agenda. The answers show what people need before they can decide, not which option they prefer.
- What do you need to know before you can support a decision today?
- Which option do you understand least at this moment?
- What would this decision change in your own work next week?
- Whose view is missing from this meeting, and how could we get it?
- Which fact would change your mind if it turned out to be different?
- How easy would this decision be to reverse: easy, hard or not possible?
After a busy or difficult period
Use after a deadline, a peak or a setback. Ask about the work and what helps it, not about how people feel. A pass needs no reason.
- Which task did you put aside during the busy period that now needs attention?
- What did the team do in the last few weeks that we should keep doing?
- What is one thing we could take off the list for the next two weeks?
- Which routine slipped during the rush and is worth restoring first?
- What would help your work return to a steady pace this week?
- Which handover or loose end from the busy period should we close today?
A new or changed team
Use when someone joins, someone leaves or roles change. The answers describe how people work, not who they are.
- What do you mainly work on, in one sentence, for someone who joined this week?
- What is the best way to ask you a quick question: a message, a call or in person?
- Which part of your work do people most often misunderstand?
- What should a new colleague come to you for?
- Which team habit would you explain first to someone new?
- Which of our ways of working should stay the same after this change?
End of the week or sprint
Use at the last meeting of a week or a sprint. Look back at the work for one sentence, then move on.
- Which finished piece of work from this week should the team know about?
- What did you plan for this week that has moved to next week?
- Which conversation this week saved you time?
- What is one thing you would do differently in the next sprint?
- Who helped your work move forward this week, and what did they do?
- What should we not carry over into next week?
A remote or hybrid meeting
Use when some or all of the team join by video. Remote people answer first. Typed answers count as much as spoken ones.
- What is the best channel to reach you on today?
- Which hours today are you free for a short call?
- What do you need this week from the people in the other location?
- Which document or thread should everyone read before our next meeting?
- What was decided since we last met that not everyone may have seen?
- What would make this meeting easier to follow from where you are?
A one-minute check-in when time is short
Use when the agenda is full. Everyone types one to three words in the chat at the same moment, or says them in turn.
- In three words: what is your main task today?
- Yes, maybe or no: do you have room for one more task this week?
- One word: does your work most need time, information, a decision or help today?
- Which agenda item matters most to your work today?
- From 1 to 5, how clear are your priorities for this week?
- Name one person you need five minutes with after this meeting.
Get to know each other at work
Use when people know each other’s names but not how each of them works. These are icebreaker questions for work: they ask about tasks, skills, tools and harmless choices, never about private life. Start with the Light cards.
- Which work tool would you defend if someone tried to replace it?
- Spreadsheet or slide deck: which would you rather build from scratch?
- Morning or afternoon: when do you do your best focused work?
- Which task in your job could you happily do for a whole day?
- What is one small work habit that saves you time every week?
- Which skill do you use at work that colleagues might not know you have?
The first meetings of a new team
Use in the first three or four meetings of a team that has just been formed. The answers help people agree how to work together. Use Light and Medium cards first, and a Deeper card only from the third meeting.
- How much notice do you need before a deadline to do your best work?
- What do you think this team is for, in one sentence?
- What did the best team you have worked in do that we could copy?
- Which strength do you bring that this team should use early?
- What should a teammate do when they disagree with you about the work?
- What could make this team’s work harder in the first month, and what would help?
All-hands and large meetings
Use with more than 12 people, when a spoken round would take too long. Chat first: everyone types or votes at the same moment, you read three answers aloud and thank the rest. Answers are a few words, a number or a choice.
- In the chat: your team’s name and one word for what it is busy with this month.
- Poll: how long have you worked here? Under 1 year, 1–3, 4–10 or more than 10 years.
- From 1 to 5, how well do you know what the other teams in this meeting are working on?
- In the chat: one result from another team this quarter that helped your work.
- Which team would you like to hear more from at the next all-hands, and about what?
- Which recent change at work do you still have a question about?
Choose a check-in question by situation and time
Find your situation first, then the time you have. Card numbers run from 1 to 66 in the order of the groups on this page. A decision on the agenda or a change in the team outranks the day of the week.
| Situation | Cards | With 1 to 3 minutes | With 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of the week | 1–6 | Card 1 in the chat. Read three answers aloud. | Card 4 as a round. Write the shared deadlines beside the agenda. |
| Mid-project | 7–12 | Card 8 in the chat: one thing each person is waiting for. | Card 9 as a round. Choose one assumption to check this week. |
| Before a decision | 13–18 | Card 18 in the chat. Read out how the answers are spread. | Card 13 as a round. Take the needs into the decision item. |
| After a busy or difficult period | 19–24 | Card 21 in the chat. Choose one thing to drop. | Card 19 as a round. Agree which task comes back first. |
| A new or changed team | 25–30 | Card 26 in the chat, so that the answers stay readable. | Card 25 as a round. The newest person answers last, or passes. |
| End of the week or sprint | 31–36 | Card 36 in the chat. Read three answers aloud. | Card 35 as a round. Thank by name and by action. |
| A remote or hybrid meeting | 37–42 | Card 37 in the chat. Nobody needs to speak. | Card 39 as a round. Remote people answer first. |
| A one-minute check-in when time is short | 43–48 | Card 43 or 45 in the chat, all at the same moment. | Do not stretch it. Use card 47 and give the time back. |
| Get to know each other at work | 49–54 | Card 50 in the chat. Read out how the answers split. | Card 52 as a round. Light cards only until the group knows the format. |
| The first meetings of a new team | 55–60 | Card 55 in the chat. Note the range of answers for the team agreement. | Card 57 as a round. Write the habits named on the board for the team agreement. |
| All-hands and large meetings | 61–66 | Card 61 or 62 in the chat or as a poll, all at the same moment. | Do not run a spoken round. Card 64 in the chat, then read three answers aloud. |
Depth ratings: Light, Medium and Deeper
Every question on this page carries a depth rating: 30 Light, 26 Medium and 10 Deeper, 66 in all. Deeper never means personal. No question at any depth asks about private life, health or family.
| Depth | What it asks for | Use it with | Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | A fact, a number or a choice about the work. Nothing to explain or defend. | Any group: a new team, an all-hands, a full agenda. | 30 |
| Medium | An opinion or a need about the work, in one sentence. | A team that meets regularly, or a new team from its second meeting. | 26 |
| Deeper | A difficulty, a gap, a delay or something to change in the work. | A team that already knows the check-in rules. Never the first card for a new group. | 10 |
Depth by situation: card numbers
The card numbers at each depth, by situation. With a new group or more than 12 people, start with a Light card. The printable cards show the same rating.
| Situation | Light | Medium | Deeper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of the week | 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 | None |
| Mid-project | 7, 12 | 8, 9, 10 | 11 |
| Before a decision | 18 | 13, 15, 16 | 14, 17 |
| After a busy or difficult period | 19, 24 | 20, 21, 22 | 23 |
| A new or changed team | 25, 26, 28 | 29, 30 | 27 |
| End of the week or sprint | 31, 33 | 32, 35, 36 | 34 |
| A remote or hybrid meeting | 37, 38, 40 | 39, 41 | 42 |
| A one-minute check-in when time is short | 43, 44, 45, 46, 48 | 47 | None |
| Get to know each other at work | 49, 50, 51, 52, 53 | 54 | None |
| The first meetings of a new team | 55 | 56, 57, 58 | 59, 60 |
| All-hands and large meetings | 61, 62, 63 | 64, 65 | 66 |
Check-in rules
8 rules that keep a check-in optional, short and about the work. Agree them once with the team, and read the first three aloud at every round.
| Rule | What the lead says | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| It is optional | “You can say ‘pass’ at any point. You do not need a reason.” | Nobody counts or records who passes. A pass is a complete answer. |
| One sentence about the work | “One sentence each, about the work.” | No question asks about private life, health or family. If an answer turns personal, say thank you and move on. |
| Nobody comments on an answer | “We listen. I will only say thank you.” | No advice, no questions and no jokes during the round. Discussion belongs to the agenda. |
| There is a time limit | “The round stops after five minutes. I will read any typed answers that are left.” | A check-in that overruns takes time from the work it is meant to help. |
| The lead answers first | “I will start, so you can hear how short it can be.” | The first answer sets the length and the tone. Make it one plain sentence. |
| Speak or type | “Type your answer in the chat if you prefer. I will read it aloud.” | Cameras are optional. The question is read aloud and pasted as text. |
| Answers stay in the meeting | “We log the card number, not what anyone said.” | A need goes onto the agenda only when the person who named it agrees. |
| Start light | “This is a light question. A few words are enough.” | A new group, a new team or an all-hands starts with Light cards. A Deeper card waits until the team knows the format, and it is still about the work. |
Choose a format by the time you have
The 10-minute opener is the full version. The shorter formats use the same rules. With more than 12 people, use the chat or a poll and do not run a spoken round.
| Time | Format | People | How it runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | Chat, all at once | Any size | Read a card from 43–48. Everyone types one to three words at the same moment. Read two aloud. |
| 2 minutes | Chat or poll wave | 13 or more | Read a card from 61–66 and paste it, or open it as a poll. Everyone answers at the same moment. Read three answers or the poll result aloud and thank the rest. |
| 3 minutes | Short round | 3–6 | 30 seconds to ask and answer first, a 2-minute round (20 seconds each for six), 30 seconds to log. |
| 5 minutes | Round or chat | Up to 8 | 1 minute for the rules, the question and thinking, a 3-minute round, 1 minute for one need and the log. |
| 10 minutes | The full opener | Up to 12 | 1 minute for the rules and the question, 1 to think, a 5-minute round, 2 for needs, 1 to log. |
Rotation plan
Seven rules so that the team does not repeat a question. With 66 cards, a weekly meeting can run for 66 weeks before a card has to repeat.
| Rule | How it works |
|---|---|
| 1. The situation comes first | Use the table “Choose a check-in question by situation and time”. A decision on the agenda or a new colleague outranks the day of the week. Then check the depth: a new group starts with Light cards. |
| 2. Take the next unused card | Start with the card that the chooser table suggests. Once it has been used, take the lowest card number in the group that is not crossed off. |
| 3. Keep one meeting in four short | At every fourth meeting, and whenever the agenda is full, use a one-minute card (43–48) and give the time back. |
| 4. The picker rotates | The lead picks for the first meeting. After that, the next person on the name list picks. A picker may pass the choice back to the lead. |
| 5. Log the card | Write the date and the card number in the rotation log and cross the number off the tracker. Do not log what people said. |
| 6. When a group is used up | When all six cards of a group are crossed off, start that group again or write six new cards with the team. |
| 7. Retire a card that fails twice | If a card gets mostly passes or one-word answers at two meetings, mark it “retire” and reword it or drop it. Try a lighter card from the same group next time. |
Filled example: one opener
A fictional planning team of six on Monday 19 October 2026, with a decision on the agenda: send the weekly client report on Thursday, not Friday. These are sample answers, not evidence that a check-in works.
| Time | Step | What was said and done |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 | Rules and question (1 minute) | The lead says: “One sentence each, about the work. Speak, type or pass. Nobody comments.” She reads card 13 aloud: “What do you need to know before you can support a decision today?” The coordinator pastes it in the chat. |
| 09:31 | Thinking time (1 minute) | Silence. The two remote analysts type their answers in the chat but do not send them yet. |
| 09:32 | The round (3 of the 5 minutes) | Lead: “I need to know when the client reads the report.” Analyst 1, typed and read aloud: “I need to know who checks the figures on Wednesday.” Analyst 2, typed: “Nothing. I can support either option.” Planner 1: “I need the cost of an earlier data cut.” Planner 2: “Pass.” Coordinator: “I need the cost figure too.” The lead says only “thank you”. The round ends at 09:35, two minutes early. |
| 09:35 | Needs to the agenda (2 minutes) | Lead: “I heard three needs: when the client reads the report, the cost of an earlier data cut, and who checks the figures on Wednesday. Shall we take all three under item 2?” The three people who named them agree. Nobody mentions the pass. |
| 09:37 | Log and hand over (1 minute) | The coordinator logs 19 October, card 13, round. Analyst 1 picks the card for 26 October. The lead says: “That is the check-in. Item 1.” The opener took 8 minutes, not 10. |
| Later | What the team did with it | At item 2 the team could not decide without the cost figure. Planner 1 will bring it on Monday 26 October, and the team decides then. |
Filled example: rotation log
The same fictional team over six Monday meetings in 2026: 6 meetings, 5 different cards, 1 card repeated and 61 of 66 cards not yet used. The workbook calculates the same numbers.
| Date | Card | Question | Picked by | Format | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct | 4 | Which deadline this week depends on someone in this meeting? | Team lead | Round | Two deadlines depended on one person. |
| 12 Oct | 9 | Which assumption in our plan would you like to check this week? | Planner 1 | Round | One assumption chosen to check. |
| 19 Oct | 13 | What do you need to know before you can support a decision today? | Planner 2 | Round | Three needs went to item 2. One pass. |
| 26 Oct | 43 | In three words: what is your main task today? | Analyst 1 | Chat | Fourth meeting: a one-minute check-in. |
| 2 Nov | 19 | Which task did you put aside during the busy period that now needs attention? | Analyst 2 | Round | After the month-end close. |
| 9 Nov | 43 | In three words: what is your main task today? | Coordinator | Chat | Repeat of 26 Oct. Next: card 44. |
What you'll leave with
In 10 minutes every person in an existing team of 3–12 has had one chance to answer a work-focused question in one sentence, aloud or in the chat, or to pass. The lead has moved up to three named needs onto the agenda or into a follow-up, and the card number is logged so that the question is not repeated.
Before the session
- For team leads and facilitators who open a recurring meeting, a new team’s first meetings or an all-hands. The opener suits 3–12 people; above 12, use the chat. Every question is about the work.
- Choose the card before the meeting with the chooser table: the situation first, then the time you have, then the depth. Write the card number on the agenda and prepare your own one-sentence answer.
- Agree the rules once. Log only the date and the card number, never what anyone said or who passed.
- Put the question on the agenda the day before, read it aloud and paste it in the chat as plain text. Accept typed answers, keep cameras optional and never ask for a reason for a pass.
The run of show
Read the rules and the question
Say: “We start with one check-in question. One sentence each, about the work. You can speak, type in the chat or say ‘pass’, and nobody comments on an answer.” Read the card aloud once and paste it in the chat. Do not explain the question or give examples.
Give one minute to think
Say: “Take one minute. Write your sentence down if that helps. If you prefer to type, put your answer in the chat now.” Stay silent for the whole minute. Use it to check the order of names you will call.
Run the round
Answer first, in one sentence. Then call people in the order of the name list, remote people first: “Next is Dana, then Eli.” After each answer say only “thank you”. Read typed answers aloud in the same order. If a discussion starts, say: “Let us hold that for the agenda.” Five minutes is 300 seconds: 25 seconds each for 12 people, 50 seconds each for 6. Stop at five minutes. If the round ends early, do not fill the time.
Move needs onto the agenda
In the first minute, name at most three needs or blockers you heard, without judging them: “I heard two needs: a sign-off on the draft, and someone to test the form.” In the second minute, ask the person who named each one: “Agenda item, or five minutes after the meeting?” Write it beside the agenda item. Do not comment on a pass or on an answer that named no need.
Log the card and hand over
Write the date, the card number and the format in the rotation log, and cross the number off the card tracker. Name the person who picks the next card. Say: “That is the check-in. First agenda item.” If most answers were a pass or a single word, write “retire?” beside the card.
Participant worksheet
Copy this table into a document, or print the worksheet from the bundle. Share only what you choose.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Today’s question | The card number and the question, read aloud and pasted in the chat |
| My answer | One sentence about the work: say it, type it or pass |
| One thing I need | Optional. It goes onto the agenda or into a follow-up only if I agree |
| After the meeting | One person I need five minutes with, and the topic |
| For the rotation log | The date, the card number, who picked it, and keep or retire |
Debrief questions
- After four meetings: which question gave the team information that it used in the same meeting?
- Which question got mostly passes or one-word answers, and do we reword it or retire it?
- Do we keep to the time limit, and is the check-in the right length for this meeting?
- Does everyone have a way to answer that works for them: speaking, typing or passing?
Adapt it for your group
- For 3 or 4 people, use the 3-minute format: no thinking minute, one sentence each, and one need moved onto the agenda.
- For a short version, use a one-minute card (43–48). Everyone types one to three words in the chat at the same moment, and you read two answers aloud.
- Online or hybrid, paste the question in the chat, accept typed answers, keep cameras optional, and call remote people first so that the room does not set the pace.
- For quiet participants and for people who work in a second language, put the question on the agenda the day before, let answers be typed and choose a Light card. Never call on someone again after a pass, and do not keep a count of passes.
- For more than 12 people, do not run a spoken round. Use a card from 61–66 in the chat or as a poll, read three answers aloud and thank the rest. In a workshop with an existing team, use one card at the start and a card from 31–36 at the end.
After the session
Act on each need the same day, or tell its owner when you will. After four meetings, spend five minutes on the four review questions with the team, then retire or reword the cards that fell flat. Keep the log to dates and card numbers. A check-in is not a measure of engagement, wellbeing or performance, and it does not replace a stand-up, a one-to-one or a survey. If someone raises a personal or serious concern, thank them, do not discuss it in the round, and follow up privately through your organisation’s usual support.
Questions people ask
What are good team check in questions for a regular meeting?
Questions about the work that anyone can answer in one sentence: what people want to finish, what they are waiting for, and what they need before a decision. This page has 66 of them in eleven groups by meeting situation, each rated Light, Medium or Deeper. None asks about private life, health or family, and every one can be typed or passed.
How long should a team check-in take?
One to ten minutes. The full opener takes 10 minutes for up to 12 people: 1 minute for the rules and the question, 1 to think, 5 for the round, 2 to move needs onto the agenda and 1 to log the card. With a full agenda, use a one-minute card in the chat. With more than 12 people, use a card from the all-hands group in the chat or as a poll.
Should everyone have to answer the check-in question?
No. A pass is a complete answer and needs no reason. The rules on this page also say that nobody comments on an answer, that the lead answers first, that typed answers count and that a new group starts with a Light card. Do not record who passed.
Can I use these as icebreaker questions for work?
Yes, for people who work together. The groups “Get to know each other at work”, “The first meetings of a new team” and “All-hands and large meetings” (49–66) are icebreaker questions for work and team meetings: they ask about tasks, skills, tools and harmless choices, and most are Light. For strangers on a course, use the icebreaker questions for training sessions; for online groups, the virtual icebreakers page has a separate set.
How do we avoid asking the same check-in question every week?
Number the cards and log the number after each meeting. Pick the group that fits the meeting, start with the card the chooser table suggests, then take the lowest unused card in the group. The rotation plan on this page adds a rotating picker and a rule for retiring cards. The workbook counts how often each card was used.
What is in the free PDF and the editable files?
The open PDF has the 8 rules, the chooser table, the depth tables, all 66 questions with their depth on six pages of cut-apart cards, the rotation plan, a card tracker, a blank rotation log, a filled example of one opener and of a log, and the 10-minute opener plan. Subscribers also receive the editable Word file, an Excel workbook with the question bank, depth counts and a rotation log that looks up each question and counts unused cards, and a CSV of the 66 questions with their depth.
How to use the files
Print the PDF, edit the Word file in Word or Google Docs, or open the CSV or XLSX in a spreadsheet. Open files need no email.
Can I use this with paying clients?
Yes. Use and adapt this original Superglue kit in your own training, including paid client sessions. Please share this page rather than redistributing the unmodified kit. Read the full usage terms.