Module 5: Interpreting a Check-In

Think of a great tour guide. At the start, they tell you what you're going to see. During the tour, they point out what you're seeing. At the end, they tell you what you saw. Good public speakers do the same thing.

A check-in reply works the same way, with a couple of cheeky additions: start with a smile and positive energy so they look forward to your videos, and finish with a clear action for the week.

The structure

flowchart LR
    A[Smile and<br/>open with a win] --> B[Progress<br/>made] --> C[Questions,<br/>concerns, support] --> D[Adjustments and<br/>a mini objective]

The best check-ins I've seen all:

1. Started with a win, or something personal the client mentioned (the promotion, the kid's birthday, the holiday)
2. Spoke about the progress made, specifically and honestly
3. Addressed questions and concerns, and gave the support that was needed
4. Finished with any adjustments and a mini objective for the week ahead

Keep the same rhythm every week. The client knows what they're getting, nothing gets missed, and the product feels consistent.

Voice rules

• Name it specifically. Not "training's going well" but "your bench went from 80 × 6 to 82.5 × 6, and that's real progress on a cut."
• Predict next week (the wizard principle). "If the weekend stays clean like the last two, expect another 0.4–0.6 kg by next check-in."
• Explain every change. Never give a directive without a reason.
• Close warm. The last thing they hear should be belief in them and a clear next step.

Video plus a quick-glance message

A recorded video (Loom or similar) is the main reply because it shows personality. You can smile, they can hear your tone, and it builds rapport in a way text can't.

Alongside it, send a short written message: a mini summary, the action item, a question, or whatever's most important from this check-in. They'll see it pop up at work and should be able to read it at a glance. It should be positive, and it should make them want to watch the video.

How long?

There's no fixed time limit. A check-in should provide the value that's needed. But 5–8 minutes is the sweet spot for the feedback video, and it's the standard to aim for. If you hit every point in the structure above (the win, progress, support, adjustments and a mini objective), that's usually how long it takes.

Sometimes shorter is fine, like a clean "hold" week. Sometimes longer is fine, like a phase change, a new program or a real problem to work through. If you're regularly well under 5 minutes, check you're not skipping steps.