Checking in or up?

As a manager, you need to know work is being done to your standards. At the same time, your employees need acknowledgment without micromanagement.

What are you doing?

Checking Up	Checking In
Why isn’t this finished yet?	Do you need more time or resources to complete this?
Have you done the report I asked for?	How's the report coming along? Anything I can help with?
Why didn’t you update me on the project?	Can you update me on where we are with the project?
Is the task done already?	How's the task progressing? Let me know if you need any assistance.
How come this isn’t completed?	Is there anything blocking you from finishing this on time?

Checking in uses open, supportive language that fosters collaboration, while checking up often focuses on control and deadlines, which can feel like micromanagement.

Check in every day. Yes, every day.