Picture this: You just got back from a two-week vacation. Rather than spend hours in Asana, you schedule a quick catch-up meeting with your team. Within minutes, you’re fully caught up on everything they’re doing.
Catch-up meetings are becoming more common in workplaces and spiked during the pandemic.
But they’re more than just a one-and-done status update you do with your team.
In this blog post, we’ll answer “What is a catch-up meeting?”, what to discuss during one, and explain the overall benefits for you and your team.
What is a catch-up meeting?
A catch-up meeting (aka catch-up call) is an informal check-in among two or more team members. Unlike a formal meeting, a catch-up meeting is shorter and focuses on work-related matters as well as an employee’s emotional well-being and mental state in and out of the office.
What is the purpose of a catch-up meeting?
Unlike a daily scrum, a catch-up meeting is more than a quick status update. It’s an opportunity for managers to check in with team members and speak candidly about how they’re doing, identify problem areas, and find ways to support them.
Think of it like a pulse check, giving you insights into your employees’ well-being and workload after just a few minutes of conversation.
Related: 5 Tech CEOs Share Their Tips on How to Run an Effective Meeting
What are the benefits of a catch-up meeting?
Catch-up meetings can foster open communication, improve employee morale, and ensure teams are aligned by directly addressing issues, clarifying objectives, and creating a safe space to share and receive honest feedback.
How do you prepare for a catch-up meeting?
Whether you’re meeting one-on-one or with a group, it’s good to notify employees at least a few hours in advance and reassure them you’re holding a catch-up meeting to see how they’re doing.
Although an agenda isn’t necessary, it could be good for both parties to think ahead of time about what they want to discuss.
Related: How to Write a Meeting Summary People Will Actually Read
What do you call a catch-up meeting?
If you’re sending a catch-up meeting invite, keep the event title clear and concise: “Weekly check-in,” “1:1 sync up,” or “Team catch-up” should do.
Where should you host a catch-up meeting?
If you work remotely, host your catch-up meeting virtually through Zoom, Teams, Meet, or Slack—just keep your cameras on so you can fully connect.
If you work in an office, find a relaxed environment that provides enough privacy, like a smaller meeting room or cozy nook away from employees, so your colleague feels comfortable opening up. (If you work in a busy environment, consider taking your catch-up meeting offsite to a nearby coffee shop or park.)
Related: These are the 8 Best AI Meeting Assistants for Summarizing Meetings
What should you talk about in a catch-up meeting?
Once you’ve broken the ice and exchanged a few pleasantries, it’s time to move on from the small talk.
Start by asking how they’re doing. Ask them about their workload, what’s causing them stress (personally and professionally), struggles and concerns, or their mental and emotional state, broadly speaking.
Experts say to focus on what they’re saying and leave any feedback for later, so practice your active listening here.
Next, talk about overall goals and objectives. These could both be short and long-term. Discuss the current status of tasks, issues they may be encountering with people and projects, and whether or not anything needs to be reassigned or if deadlines need to be extended based on their workload.
Finally, offer feedback and discuss how you can provide support. What that means will differ based on your role. But the goal of the catch-up meeting is to get a pulse-check on how an employee is doing, so be thoughtful and practical with your feedback and what you can realistically do to support them.
P.S. Consider taking notes—or let Bloks take notes for you—so you don’t forget anything you discuss.
What do you say after a catch-up meeting?
Once finished, reiterate the main points you discussed, anything you agreed upon, and any next steps. Say it out loud, so any confusion can be cleared up. Consider sending a follow-up email, too (you can copy and paste a meeting summary from Bloks). And, if it’s not a recurring meeting, discuss when you’ll meet again for another catch-up.
Related: Still need help running meetings? Here’s what Elon Musk says to do
How often should you have a catch-up meeting?
Generally, most managers should aim to have weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly catch-up meetings with employees.
Unless there’s an immediate issue employees need help with, refrain from having daily catch-up meetings, as these can become less productive and impactful over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is another word for a catch-up meeting?
A catch-up meeting is also often called a “catch-up call” or “check-in.”
If your catch-up meeting is more formal and about a current project or initiative, calling it a “status meeting” or “progress meeting” might make more sense. If it's more of an informal chat to see how employees are doing, calling it a “touch base” or “one-on-one” would work, too.
How do I request a catch-up meeting?
If you’re an employee who wants to ask for a catch-up meeting with a superior or manager, start by identifying the specific reasons for needing the meeting. Then, write a short email asking for a catch-up, provide a brief overview of the topics you want to discuss, and suggest a few possible time slots based on your availability.
Is it catch-up or catch up meeting?
Both “catch up” and “catch-up” can be correct depending on how they're used in a sentence. Catch up (without the hyphen) is often used as a verb (e.g., “Hey Doug! Let’s catch up sometime”), whereas catch-up (with the hyphen) is used as a noun or an adjective.
If you’re requesting a meeting, “catch-up” (with the hyphen) is the grammatically correct option.
