Over the past 6 months, I’ve experimented with the idea of conducting pulse check sessions with the core members of the HTO team. We made it a monthly routine to meet up for a 1-on-1 every month to catch up on any necessary (and sometimes unnecessary) discussions 😆- though all are enjoyable nonetheless. All our meetings were conducted after work hours through Google meets. Here’s a few things of what I learned.
If you google pulse check sessions, you’ll find over 20 million results dedicated to defining the absolutely perfect way of doing this. However, I suggest to take it all with a grain of salt and adapt it to your company’s culture. First thing’s first though, what are pulse checks anyways? Well, I’m not talking about performance reviews not the casual after-work outings. This is more of an informal catch up session for a lack of a better term. It’s where we get to essentially talk about things that happened, be it work related or personal. The necessary components are simply the presence of a superior and a subordinate, along with their undivided attention just for the span of the next 30 to 45 minutes.
Our HTO Version of Pulse Check
Within this 30 to 45 minutes, both will think back within the past month what notable events that happened to them. I usually like to format it with at least asking about 1 positive and 1 negative experience they had during the month – be it at work or personal. That way, it’ll open up the pulse check session in a more casual and relaxed manner. It is an informal meeting after all, and we want to make sure that it’s worth the time for both sides before going into the nitty gritty. Following that, you can take it in any direction you want. Just remember that you should be doing more of the asking rather than the talking, so save the company updates for a all-hands meeting!
Ask about ways in which your employee can contribute to the company, about their development goals, and also ask if they have some ideas in mind in which they would like to explore. I’m sure you can see where this is going. Pulse checks focuses more on the well-being of the company’s assets, i.e. the people, rather than the business. Something which I fundamentally believe is sorely lacking in the current global workspace.
The Bear Necessities (i.e. Thins You Should Do!)
Apart from the obvious presence of the people involved, here’s are some crucial parts of conducting a successful pulse check.
- For the sake of not adding more meetings to the schedule, I’d advice to only dedicate a short time every month for this. e.g. we do it on the first week of each month.
- You can easily set up a repeating event using Google Calendar – it’ll also set up a google meets meeting space for you if you’re doing this remotely!
- While we normally do it after work hours based on the structure of our team, you most definitely should do it within the normal working hours.
- You should also avoid scheduling it during peak hours as it can be an unnecessary distraction. Early morning or late afternoon would be better.
- ALWAYS start off with a light conversation piece to get the ball rolling, e.g. simplest question to start is ask how are they doing.
Great, now you know all there is to know about conducting your own pulse checks with your team members! Now onto the benefits of having these regular pulse checks as told from the perspective of a conductor myself.
Why I’d Do Another 1000 Minutes of Pulse Check Again!
If you can’t tell, I’m a big advocate for pulse checks. One aspect of building a cohesive team is cementing a solid relationship with your colleagues, especially if you are in a superior-subordinate position. Here are just some of the benefits we’ve experienced so far.
- It’s a great way to bridge the gap between employer and employees, especially so if you are working remotely and rarely see each other.
- It shows that you are approachable and as someone who cares of their employees’ well being. This opens up the freedom for everyone to share their thoughts freely.
- It levels the playing field for everyone, ideas are more easily received or conveyed without fear of judgement from any party. Some of the best ideas often comes up in pulse checks!
- It allows you to gauge employee’s motivation towards the company. Those who are proactive will be more interactive during the sessions while those who are coasting are lesser invested. You can then tweak your approach towards them accordingly.
- It helps to realign company goals or visions for yourself. Sometimes it can be difficult to address that if done as a whole company, these sessions resolves that issue and makes it more personal to each member.
Whether you are managing a single team for group projects or multiple departments in a large corporation, pulse checks can be adapted in many ways. If you are unable to cater to everyone in the company, then that is ok! Do delegate it to your managers and do your check ins with them instead. It’ll be a bottom-up approach suited to make the employees the center subject. All the best!