You’ve been putting off having a touch base meeting with your team or coworkers for weeks now. The idea of creating an agenda, preparing talking points, and facilitating a discussion seems like more work than it’s worth. But avoiding these meetings altogether is not the solution and will only create more work for you in the long run.
Touch-base meetings, when done right, can be highly valuable for team alignment, strengthening work relationships, and ensuring projects stay on track. The key is to go in with a purpose and plan, even if it’s a casual one. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to set a simple agenda, guide an effective discussion, and follow up appropriately after your next touch base. With a few easy tips, you’ll be hosting productive touch bases in no time and maybe even looking forward to your next one.
What Is a Touch Base Meeting?
A touch base meeting is a short, informal meeting used to quickly catch up and ensure everyone is on the same page. This differs from a traditional meeting where employees meet in a much-relaxed environment like a coffee shop. Employees also get the chance to get to know each other on a personal level. The goal is to identify any blockers, make sure priorities haven’t changed, and keep projects moving forward.
Why Have Them?
Touch base meetings are useful for:
- Staying aligned. When teams don’t connect regularly, work can become siloed, and priorities may shift. Touching base keeps everyone up to date on key objectives and timelines.
- Addressing issues early. Quick check-ins allow teams to surface any challenges or questions right away before they become bigger problems.
- Improving collaboration. Regular communication, even if brief, fosters strong relationships and team cohesion over the long run.
- Increasing productivity. When the whole team is on the same page, work can progress more efficiently without duplicated efforts or wasted time.
How to Run an Effective Touch Base Meeting
Here are some tips for productive touch base meetings:
- Keep it short, around 15-30 minutes. This is meant to be a quick touch base meeting, not an in-depth work session.
- Have a clear agenda. Circulate the agenda in advance so everyone comes prepared to discuss priority topics.
- Focus on pressing issues and action items. Quickly review any blockers, questions, or status updates and identify the next steps to resolve them. Capture action items to revisit in the next meeting.
- Keep conversation constructive. Touch-base meetings should be collaborative and solution-focused. Avoid rehashing old issues or criticizing team members.
- End with the next steps. Briefly summarize any action items, priorities, or timelines discussed so everyone leaves with the same understanding of the future plans.
- Follow up promptly. Share meeting notes, documents, or other relevant information with the team shortly after the meeting concludes. Address any open questions or concerns to keep the momentum going.
Why Touch Base Meetings Are Important
Touch base meetings are essential for keeping your team aligned and on the same page. Here are a few reasons why:
Improved Communication
Regular meetings provide an opportunity for your team to connect face-to-face and engage in open communication. This allows for open discussions where people can ask questions, clarify uncertainties, and share updates on projects or tasks. Meeting in person on a regular basis leads to more engaged and productive conversations than email or chat alone.
Shared Vision
Touching base routinely helps ensure your team members are all working toward the same goals and priorities. You can revisit key objectives, discuss strategies, address any misalignments, and make sure everyone understands how their work contributes to the overall vision. This shared clarity and purpose will make your team much more effective.
Problem-Solving
Meetings are a great way to give your team a chance to bring up any challenges or roadblocks they’re facing and brainstorm solutions together. Multiple perspectives often lead to more innovative ideas. Your team can evaluate options, determine next steps, discuss ongoing projects, and determine the best path to resolve issues.
Team Building
Regular contact helps bring team members together and builds closer working relationships. Meetings provide an opportunity for casual conversation, sharing of interests outside of work, getting to know each other at a personal level, and general bonding between colleagues. The more your team connects personally, the more they will be able to collaborate and support each other.
Touch base meetings are the glue that holds a team together. Make them a habit and priority, and you’ll have a well-oiled, high-performing team in no time.
How Often to Hold Touch Base Meetings
How often you hold touch base meetings depends on your team and company culture. As a general rule of thumb, for most teams:
Weekly Meetings
Holding weekly touch base meetings is a good place to start. This frequency works well for keeping teams in sync, addressing any small issues, and keeping communication open. Weekly meetings are frequent enough to keep everyone on the same page but not so often that they become tedious or disruptive.
For new teams just forming, weekly meetings are ideal for gaining familiarity with each other and establishing rapport. They also allow new teams to quickly get up to speed on projects, priorities, and processes. As the team matures, you can evaluate whether to move to biweekly or monthly meetings.
Biweekly or Monthly Meetings
If weekly seems too frequent for your team, try biweekly (every other week) or monthly touch base meetings. These less frequent meetings may suit more experienced, high-performing teams with established communication and collaboration practices.
Biweekly or monthly meetings are also good for teams in maintenance mode, where projects are ongoing but stable. They provide an opportunity to connect, address any issues, and make sure all members are still aligned without demanding too much time.
The cadence you choose ultimately comes down to what works for your particular team and goals. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different frequencies to find the optimal schedule. The most important thing is that you establish a routine and stick to it. Consistency is key to successful touch base meetings.
Touch base meetings are all about keeping the lines of communication open. Hold them regularly, focus the discussion, and make the most of the time you have together. Your team’s productivity and cohesion will benefit from these brief but valuable connections.
Who Should Attend Touch Base Meetings
Who should attend your touch base meetings? The key attendees are:
- Your direct reports. Touch base meetings are a chance for managers and their direct reports to connect one-on-one. Make sure each of your direct reports attends their scheduled meeting.
- Cross-functional colleagues (optional). If there are other team members from different departments that you work closely with, consider inviting them to join your meeting. This can help strengthen working relationships and collaboration.
- Mentors (optional). If you have a mentor within the organization, a touch base meeting is an opportunity to get their guidance and advice. See if they are available to meet with you.
- Your manager (optional). While touch base meetings typically focus on connecting managers with their direct reports, if there are important updates or issues to discuss with your own manager, invite them to join your meeting.
The key to a successful touch base meeting is keeping the attendee list focused. Only include people who have a direct impact on your work and role. Too many attendees can make the conversation unfocused, difficult to manage, and less productive.
For managers, be strategic in how you group your direct reports for meetings. For example, you may want to meet with newer team members more frequently, while tenured reports require less frequent touchpoints. You know your team best, so group attendees in a way that will lead to the most meaningful conversations.
A touch base meeting is not meant to be a team meeting or include the entire department. Keep the attendee list tight so you can have an open, honest, and productive dialog with the right people. The focused, one-on-one nature of these meetings is what makes them impactful.
Touch Base Meeting Agenda Template
A successful touch base meeting starts with a solid agenda. Here’s a template to help you organize an effective meeting:
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Welcome everyone and thank them for attending. Briefly reiterate the purpose and goals of the meeting. For example, “The purpose of this meeting is to touch base on the status of Project X, address any issues, and make sure we’re all on the same page.”
Roundtable Updates
Go around the table and have each attendee provide a quick update on their area of work or responsibility. Ask open-ended questions to spur discussion. For example, “What’s the latest with the website redesign?” or “How’s the social media campaign progressing?” Take notes on important points or follow-ups.
Discussion Topics
Discuss key issues, questions, or topics that you want input on. Some examples could be:
- Budget review and any constraints
- Client feedback and how to address concerns
- Overcoming roadblocks or obstacles
- Timeline changes and impacts
Have an open conversation and encourage participants to provide suggestions or solutions. Record any important action items or next steps.
Next Steps
Review any action items, next steps, or follow-ups that were recorded during the meeting. Assign responsibility and deadlines for completion. Ask if anyone has any other business to discuss before closing the meeting.
Closing Remarks
Thank everyone again for their time and input. Briefly reiterate any important action items, decisions, or next steps. For example, “Thank you all for coming today. We have some good action items around the website redesign and addressing client concerns that I’m confident will get us back on track. Our next touch base meeting will be next week.”
This simple agenda template will help ensure your touch base meetings are productive, collaborative, and action-oriented. Be sure to distribute the agenda in advance of the meeting so everyone comes prepared to discuss the key topics. Most importantly, follow through on any action items or next steps to keep the momentum going until your next touch point meeting.
Best Practices for Productive Touch Base Meetings
The key to a productive touch base meeting is preparation and focus. Follow these best practices to make the most of your time together:
Come prepared with an agenda
Circulate a rough agenda ahead of time so everyone knows what will be discussed and can come prepared with updates or questions. Even for informal check-ins, having a loose framework will keep the conversation on track.
Start on time and end on time
Begin and wrap up the meeting punctually to respect everyone’s schedules. This also sets a precedent that these meetings will be efficient and effective. Schedule a follow-up meeting at another dedicated time and date if additional discussion is needed.
Share updates and roadblocks
Use this time to share what you’ve been working on recently, any wins or successes, project updates, as well as any challenges or roadblocks you’re facing. Get input from colleagues on how to overcome obstacles or improve processes. Discussing the good and the bad helps identify where more support or resources may be needed.
Discuss action items and next steps
Review any outstanding action items from your last meeting and determine the next steps. Delegate new tasks as needed and set deadlines to keep work moving forward before your next check-in. Capture all follow-up items in your agenda or meeting notes to share with attendees.
Keep an open mind
While having an agenda is helpful, leave room for open discussion. Some of the most valuable conversations come from spontaneous questions, comments, and the sharing of new ideas. Foster an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking freely.
Share meeting notes
Distribute notes from your discussion to attendees within 1-2 days. This helps reinforce the next steps and ensures everyone is on the same page about what was discussed until your next touch base. Consistently sharing meeting notes also builds a useful record of your team’s progress and collaboration over time.
Following these best practices for productive touch base meetings will help make the most of your valuable time together as a team. Keep meetings focused, share openly about your work, determine clear next steps, and continue the conversation between meetings. Over time, you’ll build a valuable rhythm of communication and alignment.
Virtual Touch Base Meeting Tips
When running a virtual touch base meeting, follow these tips to make the most of your time:
Choose a video conferencing tool
Select a video conferencing platform that works for your whole team, like Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. Make sure everyone is comfortable using video calls before the meeting. Double check that audio and video are working properly ahead of time.
Share an agenda
Circulate a high-level agenda for the meeting at least 24 hours in advance so people know what to expect and can prepare. Even for a casual touch base, having some structure will make the conversation more productive. The agenda doesn’t have to be complicated but should cover the major discussion points and any requests for input.
Start on time
Begin the meeting promptly at the scheduled start time. This shows respect for people’s time and sets the right tone for an efficient conversation. If some attendees haven’t joined yet, go ahead and start by addressing any individual agenda items. People can catch up quickly once they’ve connected.
Make eye contact
In a virtual meeting, making eye contact is key to engaging your attendees and building personal connections. Position your webcam so that it captures you straight on or at a slight angle, and look directly at it when speaking. This helps simulate natural eye contact and inclusive body language. Encourage others to do the same.
Share screen judiciously
Don’t share your screen the entire time, which can be distracting and make people feel disconnected. Only share when necessary to display important information like an agenda, presentation, or document. When screen sharing, continue to glance at the webcam and speak naturally as if making eye contact. Leave the screen share when open discussion begins.
Keep the conversation casual but focused
While the tone should be relaxed, aim to keep the dialog centered around key discussion points. Gently guide attendees back to the topic if tangents emerge. Wrap up by recapping any follow-up items or next steps before ending the meeting a few minutes early. Keeping virtual touch bases concise will make them more productive and encourage ongoing collaboration.
Touch Base Meeting Follow-Up
Now that your touch base meeting is over, following up promptly is key. Here are some steps to take:
Send a Meeting Recap Email
As soon as possible after the meeting, send an email to all attendees summarizing what was discussed and any action items or next steps. This helps ensure everyone is on the same page about key takeaways and remind them of any commitments they agreed to. Keep the recap concise while highlighting the most important points.
- Briefly reiterate the main discussion topics and any conclusions reached. For example, “We discussed the challenges with the new product launch timeline and agreed to extend the deadline by two weeks.”
- List any concrete next steps or action items, including who is responsible and deadlines. For example, “John will connect with the design team to explore alternative options and report back by Friday.”
- Thank everyone for their time and participation. For example, “Thank you all for your input and collaboration. These touch base catch-up meetings are valuable for keeping projects on track.”
Follow Up on Action Items
Check-in with any individuals who committed to follow-up actions and see if they need any additional support or resources to accomplish them. Offer help and guidance as needed. Track the progress of action items and be available to assist others with removing any roadblocks.
Share Meeting Notes and Materials
Circulate copies of any materials, like agendas, presentations, or handouts, with people who were unable to attend the meeting. Upload relevant documents to your team collaboration platform for easy access. This helps keep everyone looped in and prevents people from feeling out of the loop if they miss a meeting.
Start Planning the Next Meeting
If your touch base meetings occur regularly, go ahead and get the next one on people’s calendars. Sending a meeting invite promptly while the current meeting is still fresh in everyone’s minds makes it more likely that others will keep that time free in their schedule. Planning ahead also gives you more time to set an agenda for the next meeting.
Following through after your touch base meeting with a quick and thoughtful follow up will make the time you spent much more productive and impactful. Be sure to stay on top of any commitments made and start planning for your next check-in to keep your projects and teams running smoothly.
FAQ on Running Successful Touch Base Meetings
Running successful touch-base meetings requires some preparation and follow-through. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions to help you get the most out of your meetings.
How often should we meet?
Meeting frequency depends on your team and current projects. For most teams, meeting every 1-2 weeks is a good rule of thumb. More frequent meetings, like weekly, are better when you have fast-moving priorities or tight deadlines. Biweekly or monthly meetings may work once you have a good rhythm and process in place.
How long should the meetings last?
Aim for 30-45 minutes. Any shorter and you may feel rushed, any longer and people’s attention may start to wane. Make sure to start and end on time out of respect for everyone’s schedules.
What should we cover?
Focus the agenda on:
- Priorities: Review key priorities and deadlines. See what needs to be accomplished before the next meeting.
- Blockers: Discuss any obstacles preventing progress. Work together on solutions to overcome them.
- Quick updates: Allow each person a couple of minutes to share any important updates. Keep these high-level.
- Next steps: End by confirming the next steps, priorities, and the date for your next meeting.
How can I make the most of the time?
- Share the agenda in advance so everyone comes prepared.
- Start on time and move through the agenda efficiently. Table any tangents for follow up discussions.
- Engage everyone in the conversation. Ask open-ended questions to make sure all voices are heard.
- Capture notes, action items, and next steps and share them with the group shortly after the meeting.
- Follow through on any commitments or requests before the next meeting.
- Evaluate how the check-in meetings are going and make any necessary adjustments to format or frequency.
Touch base meetings are an opportunity to connect, share information, work through obstacles, and keep projects on track. Following these best practices will help ensure your time together is as productive and impactful as possible. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Conclusion
You now have everything you need to run a successful touch base meeting. Follow the template, focus on listening, and make it a priority to connect with your team members. These short but impactful meetings can make a world of difference in employee engagement, productivity, and job satisfaction. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start touching base – your team will thank you for it. Keep things positive, address any concerns, and celebrate wins, both big and small. Touch base meetings are easy to implement but hard to live without. Give it a shot and see for yourself!